MATCHWATCH : Swansea City (h)

[Sutekh]

When : Tuesday 27th December 2022, 5.15pm
Where : SCL Madejski Stadium, Reading, RG2 0FL
Capacity : 24,161

Another game shifted for SKY. Game no. 40 as the the main SKY game since 2015/16 and Reading have won just 8 of them. A record so bad you'd wish ITV would broadcast it instead. Of the 8 televised games so far this season Reading have won once and lost five times, including the pathetic comedy of errors that washed up at Birmingham in the last game.

And if the fact it's SKY isn't bad enough there's the fact that the opposition are Swansea City, a team which has seen Reading manage 1 win against in 19 games across all competitions since the last home win 14 [FOURTEEN] years ago, back in 2008 - so the Biscuitmen are really up against it again in this one.

The one chink of hope in this one is the fact it's a bank holiday and at home, since 2015/16, Reading have been half decent at bank holiday games with 7 wins and 3 draws from the 13 games played.

Swansea are decent despite their recent form. The last 7 games for the Swans have seen them come away with 5 points from 5 draws so they're going to be difficult to beat if Reading do manage to get ahead. This is especially highlighted as Swansea were 3-0 down at Coventry on Saturday with 22 minutes left yet still managed to come away with a point (and remember this is the same Coventry which pretty much outplayed Reading in their last home game) so there is a whole bag of fight in the Welsh.

Swansea's forward threats are from Joel Piroe, Michael Obafemi and Oliver Ntcham who have 14 goals between them then there's Joe Allen and alleged Reading target Jay Fulton driving midfield so PI and his management team have quite a headache to work out how to get organised to prevent trouble at the proverbial mill. As we know from previous years, if you don’t cut their game quickly from the start you’re going to be in trouble as they’ll play keepball extremely effectively for hours if you let them.

Liam Walsh is the only injury absentee for the Swans while Reading have the usual list of woe though with a little bit of luck Sam Hutchinson will be able to join Tom Holmes in returning to the fray.

Referee

James Linington

Previously

08 Nov 22 > Watford 2-0 Reading
20 Aug 22 > Reading 1-0 Middlesbrough
19 Mar 22 > Reading 1-0 Blackburn Rovers
15 Jan 22 > Middlesbrough 2-1 Reading
09 Apr 21 > Watford 2-0 Reading
06 Mar 21 > Reading 3-0 Sheffield Wednesday
29 Jan 21 > Reading 3-1 Bournemouth
04 Jul 20 > Luton Town 0-5 Reading
28 Jan 20 > Reading 0-1 Bristol City
26 Dec 19 > Reading 1-0 Queens Park Rangers
03 Aug 19 > Reading 1-3 Sheffield Wednesday
08 Dec 18 > Reading 0-2 Sheffield United
03 Nov 18 > Reading 3-2 Bristol City
06 Mar 18 > Reading 1-1 Bolton Wanderers
02 Jan 18 > Reading 0-2 Birmingham City
09 Sep 17 > Reading 0-1 Bristol City
08 Apr 17 > Norwich City 7-1 Reading
24 Sep 16 > Reading 1-0 Huddersfield Town
21 Nov 15 > Reading 2-1 Bolton Wanderers
02 May 15 > Derby County 0-3 Reading
28 Dec 14 > Reading 2-1 Norwich City
21 Nov 14 > Cardiff City 2-1 Reading
12 Aug 14 > Reading 3-1 Newport County (League Cup)
10 Sep 11 > Reading 0-2 Watford
30 Apr 11 > Coventry City 0-0 Reading
22 Jan 11 > Reading 1-1 Hull City
02 May 10 > Reading 4-0 Preston North End
30 Jan 10 > Reading 1-0 Barnsley

Historically

Reading and Swansea have played each at all 4 levels of the Football/Premier League over 36 previous seasons together. Therefore this is the 37th league game played at the Reading end of things and so far it’s 18 wins to Reading and 10 to Swansea though Reading have failed to win any of the last 7 league games played in the town, and the last 4 games have produced 8 goals to Reading and 14 to Swansea (also Swansea have scored 4 times in 3 of the last 4 league visits). Really not looking forward to this one!

How to follow the game

1. $@**%%$$% SKY again!
2. Ticket up and go
3. Listen to Radio 5 Live and/or a myriad of other radio stations for score flashes
4. Ring/text a mate for updates
5. Use a RoyalTV subscription
6. BBC Radio Berkshire (FM : 104.4, 104.1 or 95.4 depending where you are in the area)

[Hound]

Thanks Sutekh, though apologies on pulling you up on the ‘usual list of woe’. It could be only Moore is actually on that list so far from usual.

Though of course that would mean the standard training based injuries haven’t happened this week

Weird side Swansea. Not a huge fan tbh, find Martin arrogant and one of those teams that stifle the game by dull possession for the sake of it

Still have some decent players no doubts and not sure we’re great against these types of teams

Would be tempted to keep Mbengue on to deal with obafemis pace but other than that would go

Lumley
Hoilett Yiadom Holmes Sarr NGW
Loum Fornah
Ince
Meite Joao

Bouzanis, McIntyre, Mbengue, Carroll, Long, Hendrick, Hutch

[Crowbar6753]

Thanks Sutekh, though apologies on pulling you up on the ‘usual list of woe’. It could be only Moore is actually on that list so far from usual.

Though of course that would mean the standard training based injuries haven’t happened this week

Weird side Swansea. Not a huge fan tbh, find Martin arrogant and one of those teams that stifle the game by dull possession for the sake of it

Still have some decent players no doubts and not sure we’re great against these types of teams

Would be tempted to keep Mbengue on to deal with obafemis pace but other than that would go

Lumley
Hoilett Yiadom Holmes Sarr NGW
Loum Fornah
Ince
Meite Joao

Bouzanis, McIntyre, Mbengue, Carroll, Long, Hendrick, Hutch

Yeah, totally hate playing Swansea, we never seem to do well and sit back and get ripped apart. We took the lead in the 4-4 game last season and then sat back and got destroyed!!! then finally we pressed hard and took the game to them and got three goals and the draw.
Lets press hard and take the game to them for a change. Can only see a defeat here, sorry.

[Orion1871]

Not sure about attending this one. I am utterly sick of the twice a season runaround by this lot (last years freak result excluded). Perhaps some Christmas cheer will see some optimism creep in.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Another Boxing Day fukked-up…thanx the great god of tv…out.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Think it will be a tough game, despite no wins in 7 their tails will be up after coming from 3-0 down to draw at Coventry. Hopefully with having a lot of players available for this potentially, we should have a strong enough squad to cope.

They aren't unbeatable, but a thoroughly decent side for this league. If we are passive and we let them play, they will probably tear us apart. If we take the game to them and go after them, then we will give ourselves the best possible chance.

Lumley
Yiadom Holmes Sarr
Hoilett Loum Hendrick Rahman
Ince
Meite Long

Subs: Bouzanis, TMac, NGW, Hutch, Fornah, Joao, Carroll.

That's the team I want/I think we will go with. The defence isn't blessed with pace, but Sarr, Holmes, Loum and Meite leave us with a threat from set pieces and the front 3 can really get after them and hassle them in the final third, hopefully meaning our wing backs can lock on to their wing backs/full backs. It doesn't have to be pretty, but we gave away 3 cheap goals against Birmingham and if we get after them, I think we can force them into areas.

It takes a brave manager to go basically man-to-man against them, but with the players there no reason why we can't.

[URZZZZ]

Think it will be a tough game, despite no wins in 7 their tails will be up after coming from 3-0 down to draw at Coventry. Hopefully with having a lot of players available for this potentially, we should have a strong enough squad to cope.

They aren't unbeatable, but a thoroughly decent side for this league. If we are passive and we let them play, they will probably tear us apart. If we take the game to them and go after them, then we will give ourselves the best possible chance.

Lumley
Yiadom Holmes Sarr
Hoilett Loum Hendrick Rahman
Ince
Meite Long

Subs: Bouzanis, TMac, NGW, Hutch, Fornah, Joao, Carroll.

That's the team I want/I think we will go with. The defence isn't blessed with pace, but Sarr, Holmes, Loum and Meite leave us with a threat from set pieces and the front 3 can really get after them and hassle them in the final third, hopefully meaning our wing backs can lock on to their wing backs/full backs. It doesn't have to be pretty, but we gave away 3 cheap goals against Birmingham and if we get after them, I think we can force them into areas.

It takes a brave manager to go basically man-to-man against them, but with the players there no reason why we can't.

This although I can see Fornah in for Long to pack the midfield up

It’s harsh on Mbengue though. From Ince’s presser, it seems he’s keen to use Dann and Moore but not sure where they fit in without leaving out the likes of Mbengue and McIntyre. Similarly can’t see any place for Azeez unless we get a couple of injuries up top

[Snowflake Royal]

Using Dann and Moore over our other more than adequate options, two players who won't be here next season and shouldn’t be here this season, would be a big step back and lose a lot of credit for Ince, at least from me.

[Hound]

Get the impression Ince wants a ‘talker’ at the back; both Dann and Moore are that. But yes personally wouldn’t find a place for them, in the first 11 at least

[Snowflake Royal]

Moore's never struck me as much of a talker... if he is it certainly didn’t help
I'd have expected McIntyre to be pretty vocal, Hutchinson absolutely and given Holmes is vice captain isn't he, I'd expect that from him too.

I appreciate Holmes and McIntyre are fairly young, but being young never stopped anyone being a gobshite.

[Sutekh]

Moore's never struck me as much of a talker... if he is it certainly didn’t help
I'd have expected McIntyre to be pretty vocal, Hutchinson absolutely and given Holmes is vice captain isn't he, I'd expect that from him too.

I appreciate Holmes and McIntyre are fairly young, but being young never stopped anyone being a gobshite.

Got quite a chatty back line then as Lumley is a bit of a talker too. Perhaps that might get to be a problem if it’s not properly controlled.

[Hound]

Moore's never struck me as much of a talker... if he is it certainly didn’t help
I'd have expected McIntyre to be pretty vocal, Hutchinson absolutely and given Holmes is vice captain isn't he, I'd expect that from him too.

I appreciate Holmes and McIntyre are fairly young, but being young never stopped anyone being a gobshite.

It’s actually nuts how much Moore does speak. When I watched him during Covid when we had 2k fans or whatever it was, you could hear every word. He doesn’t shut up. Remember zip commenting the same

[Vision]

Moore's never struck me as much of a talker... if he is it certainly didn’t help
I'd have expected McIntyre to be pretty vocal, Hutchinson absolutely and given Holmes is vice captain isn't he, I'd expect that from him too.

I appreciate Holmes and McIntyre are fairly young, but being young never stopped anyone being a gobshite.

It’s actually nuts how much Moore does speak. When I watched him during Covid when we had 2k fans or whatever it was, you could hear every word. He doesn’t shut up. Remember zip commenting the same

Yeah, I think whatever peoples' opinion of Moore is, there is little doubt that the players have always considered him a leader here.

[AthleticoSpizz]

At least one of the younger (more impressionable) players certainly followed his poor advice.

[Zip]

Moore's never struck me as much of a talker... if he is it certainly didn’t help
I'd have expected McIntyre to be pretty vocal, Hutchinson absolutely and given Holmes is vice captain isn't he, I'd expect that from him too.

I appreciate Holmes and McIntyre are fairly young, but being young never stopped anyone being a gobshite.

Moore talked incessantly. During the pandemic games when only 2,000 were allowed inside the stadium you could hear the players from the stands and he was constantly barking out orders to the players and often about playing at a quicker tempo.

[Zip]

Moore's never struck me as much of a talker... if he is it certainly didn’t help
I'd have expected McIntyre to be pretty vocal, Hutchinson absolutely and given Holmes is vice captain isn't he, I'd expect that from him too.

I appreciate Holmes and McIntyre are fairly young, but being young never stopped anyone being a gobshite.

It’s actually nuts how much Moore does speak. When I watched him during Covid when we had 2k fans or whatever it was, you could hear every word. He doesn’t shut up. Remember zip commenting the same

Just seen this post and posted exactly the same. He was barking out orders non stop.

[From Despair To Where?]

Here's a hypothetical question.

Moore comes back into the team, is absolutely Upsonesque under Ince and is open to resigning for 2 years on £10k-15k a week.


Yes or no?

[Hound]

If he genuinely got back in and was that good of course. Can’t see it happening though

[Hendo]

Here's a hypothetical question.

Moore comes back into the team, is absolutely Upsonesque under Ince and is open to resigning for 2 years on £10k-15k a week.


Yes or no?

Yes 100%

But like Hound says, can’t see it happening.

[From Despair To Where?]

I love to know what actually went on last year. I think a lot of people have scapegoated Moore purely because of his wage but I think Ince is managing the situation pretty well.