MATCHWATCH : Portsmouth (h)

[Sutekh]

When : Saturday October 28, 3pm
Where : Madejski Stadium, Reading, RG2 0FL
Capacity : 24,161

The next defeat will be handed out by Portsmouth who visit the SCL having not lost a single game in the league, their only "loss"so far this season was on penalties to Peterborough in the League Cup and since then they've been clocking up points (especially of the three variety) at a rather alarming rate winning 7 and drawing 1 of the last 8 league games which sees them top of the table, four points clear of those other more northerly near neighbours of Reading.

Colby Bishop has already hit 8 goals in 13 appearances while they also carry a big threat at set pieces with defenders Regan Poole and former Royal Conor Shaughnessy bagging 5 goals between them so far.

Injuries are reducing the options available, Ejaria (as usual) is out while Hutch and CBC have joined him. McIntyre is also likely to be missing but at least Yiadom should be back which might see the end of the ****** stupid "Bindon is a right-back" experiment.

And perhaps the next bout of tennis balls should be aimed at the spanish gentleman in the home dugout (presuming he's still there for this game).

Referee

Martin Coy

Previously

No previous games

Historically

21 previous home league games against our south coast near neighbours and it's generally been a fairly miserable experience wherever the two clubs meet each other. Another non-derby derby game, Pompey is also one of those clubs that Reading have played in the top four professional tiers of English football and also in Division 3 South for good measure.

Of the 21 games, Reading have won seven, drawn seven and lost seven so any sort of result won't be too much of a shock for anyone. The last eight home league games have produced two Reading wins, two Portsmouth wins and four 0-0 draws. So this is all about as even as you can get.

Reading's biggest home win was by 2-0 on four occasions while Portsmouth's biggest victory is 4-1

How to follow the game

1. Get a ticket and travel to the game
2. Listen to Radio 5 Live and/or a myriad of other radio stations for score flashes
3. Ring/text a mate for updates
4. Use a RoyalsTV subscription
5. BBC Radio Berkshire (FM : 104.4, 104.1 or 95.4 depending where you are in the area)

[Snowflake Royal]

L


Who cares.

[NathStPaul]

Could be a nasty atmosphere if Selles is still there.

[CountryRoyal]

Portsmouth at 11/10 is just printing money.

[Snowflake Royal]

Portsmouth at 11/10 is just printing money.

Yeah, I might lump on that if he doesn't go in the morning.

[blythspartan]

Reading 0 Pompey 9, wouldn’t be a surprise.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Portsmouth at 11/10 is just printing money.

Friday is payday for me. May as well chuck it all on.

[Sutekh]

Could be a nasty atmosphere if Selles is still there.

The club won't get rid of him, he'll still be here at xmas

[WestYorksRoyal]

We normally get a club statement before a protest. Perhaps Selles will be a sacrificial lamb. Or perhaps it'll just be another generic statement about the sale being ongoing because nobody is kind enough to give Dai £50m for a club plummeting to L2 and hemorrhaging money.

[Royal_jimmy]

It'd be typical us to score a last minute penalty and get a draw busting everyone's coupons.

Onto the game. Elliott must start over Savage, Ballard should be on the bench and Mukairu and Yiadom need to come in for Camara and Dean. McIntyre should be left back.

[Snowflake Royal]

If a new voice can get to these players, setting them up differently to break with previous failure before it gets too ingrained, there's a chance.

They're young and enthusiastic. They can bounce back if they can be rescued before too much damage is done to them.

A backs to the wall draw against top of the table from a fresh start could be a rallying cry.

[Royal_jimmy]

If a new voice can get to these players, setting them up differently to break with previous failure before it gets too ingrained, there's a chance.

They're young and enthusiastic. They can bounce back if they can be rescued before too much damage is done to them.

A backs to the wall draw against top of the table from a fresh start could be a rallying cry.

If I was Bowen I'd be getting in touch with Dai and saying exactly this. Some of these youngsters have the raw talent to potentially play at championship level at least in the future. If they're managed well and coached well that is, losing every week and playing out of position is not going to do their development any good. This crop could become saleable assets one day with a good manager getting us back in a better financial position. At the moment it just looks like all of them bar Abbey wil have a career at non-league level from the damage Selles is doing.

[NathStPaul]

If a new voice can get to these players, setting them up differently to break with previous failure before it gets too ingrained, there's a chance.

They're young and enthusiastic. They can bounce back if they can be rescued before too much damage is done to them.

A backs to the wall draw against top of the table from a fresh start could be a rallying cry.

We just need someone who knows the league. Even someone as boring and basic as Simon Grayson gets our squad to midtable. It is mental we didn't employ an EFL League 1/2 expert in the summer, totally negligent on the part of Bowen and Dai.

[Royal_jimmy]

If a new voice can get to these players, setting them up differently to break with previous failure before it gets too ingrained, there's a chance.

They're young and enthusiastic. They can bounce back if they can be rescued before too much damage is done to them.

A backs to the wall draw against top of the table from a fresh start could be a rallying cry.

We just need someone who knows the league. Even someone as boring and basic as Simon Grayson gets our squad to midtable. It is mental we didn't employ an EFL League 1/2 expert in the summer, totally negligent on the part of Bowen and Dai.

Yup. As bad as we are behind the scenes I think we could have got someone in who has experience in this league. I'd have even had Michael Appleton over Selles.

[Sutekh]

If a new voice can get to these players, setting them up differently to break with previous failure before it gets too ingrained, there's a chance.

They're young and enthusiastic. They can bounce back if they can be rescued before too much damage is done to them.

A backs to the wall draw against top of the table from a fresh start could be a rallying cry.

We just need someone who knows the league. Even someone as boring and basic as Simon Grayson gets our squad to midtable. It is mental we didn't employ an EFL League 1/2 expert in the summer, totally negligent on the part of Bowen and Dai.

Yup. As bad as we are behind the scenes I think we could have got someone in who has experience in this league. I'd have even had Michael Appleton over Selles.

Mark Bowen, Noel Hunt, Michael Gilkes or Eddie Niedzwiecki. Any one of them would be an improvement.

[Elm Park Kid]

If a new voice can get to these players, setting them up differently to break with previous failure before it gets too ingrained, there's a chance.

They're young and enthusiastic. They can bounce back if they can be rescued before too much damage is done to them.

A backs to the wall draw against top of the table from a fresh start could be a rallying cry.

We just need someone who knows the league. Even someone as boring and basic as Simon Grayson gets our squad to midtable. It is mental we didn't employ an EFL League 1/2 expert in the summer, totally negligent on the part of Bowen and Dai.

Yup. As bad as we are behind the scenes I think we could have got someone in who has experience in this league. I'd have even had Michael Appleton over Selles.

You know, a lot of people on here thought that Selles was a good appointment. Which goes to show that HNA really doesn't have any better clue overall than Dai.

[Hound]

Could be a nasty atmosphere if Selles is still there.

Nah, tbh very little ill feeling towards him in the ground. More a resigned lethargic antipathy

[Hound]

We just need someone who knows the league. Even someone as boring and basic as Simon Grayson gets our squad to midtable. It is mental we didn't employ an EFL League 1/2 expert in the summer, totally negligent on the part of Bowen and Dai.

Yup. As bad as we are behind the scenes I think we could have got someone in who has experience in this league. I'd have even had Michael Appleton over Selles.

Mark Bowen, Noel Hunt, Michael Gilkes or Eddie Niedzwiecki. Any one of them would be an improvement.

Eddie is on the staff now, Selles was Bowen’s man, Hunt was useless last year and Gilkes would have no interest I doubt

Need a Warnock type sadly I feel

[Ascotexgunner]

We just need someone who knows the league. Even someone as boring and basic as Simon Grayson gets our squad to midtable. It is mental we didn't employ an EFL League 1/2 expert in the summer, totally negligent on the part of Bowen and Dai.

Yup. As bad as we are behind the scenes I think we could have got someone in who has experience in this league. I'd have even had Michael Appleton over Selles.

You know, a lot of people on here thought that Selles was a good appointment. Which goes to show that HNA really doesn't have any better clue overall than Dai.

Never understood that based.on his record

I said he would be gone by November....I wasn't far off, Based it on reading the Soton forums that labelled his football "cowardly"...I just hope the next manager IS a manager.

[NathStPaul]

Yup. As bad as we are behind the scenes I think we could have got someone in who has experience in this league. I'd have even had Michael Appleton over Selles.

You know, a lot of people on here thought that Selles was a good appointment. Which goes to show that HNA really doesn't have any better clue overall than Dai.

I said he would be gone by November....

Hark at Wyclef Jean over here.