News and Views
Lower Turnout Expected As QPR Visit In TV Game
12 January 2017
By Hob Nob Anyone?
It looks set to be a lower crowd than might be expected at the Madejski Stadium tonight after Reading's home game with QPR was moved to Thursday night at the request of Sky TV. The inconvenience of a Thursday evening combines with the forecast of a cold and damp evening as rain, sleet and possible snow clear just before the 8pm kick-off. Although there should be no issues with the game going ahead, many fans may well still be tempted to watch the game on live TV in warm surroundings instead of turning up at the Madejski.
Paul McShane and Callum Harriott are both out for what could be many weeks after picking up recent injuries. Harriott has a hamstring injury sustained in the last minutes of the first half in the fogged off Fulham game, while Paul McShane is sidelined with a fractured wrist. Tiago Ilori will not feature for Reading. His signing from Liverpool was widely reported last week but has taken much longer to officially complete than expected. Future signings in this transfer window also could be doubt with the collapse of the Chinese takeover deal. Reading's Thai owners are expected to only offer very limited funds to manager Jaap Stam to strengthen a club they had been hoping to sell.
Jaap Stam will be aiming to avoid worries of events off the pitch and focus on returning to winning ways after last weekend's thrashing at Old Trafford. The Royals lost 0-4, but the score was generous to Reading if anything as the Royals offered little resistance against a strong Manchester United side. Al Habsi had an excellent game but will be looking to put his one very well reported mistake in that game behind him tonight - hopefully with another cleansheet.
QPR have Kazenga LuaLua available for selection after the winger arrived at QPR from Brighton on loan.
A win for Reading would see them close the gap on Newcastle United in second place to just three points. QPR are down in 17th place after a disappointing campaign so far. Although Reading had no chance in their FA Cup third round fixture, Rangers might have hoped to progress last weekend but instead lost 1-2 at home to Championship strugglers Blackburn. Before that QPR had put a run of six straight Championship defeats behind them. That shocking run was finished with a 2-1 away win at Wolves and another 2-1 victory at home over Ipswich Town as they stopped their slide down the table.
Reading's form is much better with three consecutive league victories in recent weeks. Reading have won 9 games out of their last 11 in the League - an amazing run that has got everyone talking about very much unexpected possibility of promotion. For a change, Reading are firm favourites with the bookies for a win. As everyone says, anyone can beat anyone else in the Championship, and QPR remain difficult opposition according to Stam: "It would be arrogant and misplaced to think that in any game in the Championship we are going to get three points very easily. We have to work very hard and show some quality on the ball, otherwise a well-organised team like QPR can be very hard to score goals against."
Discussion On This Story:
Sutekh
And it's a return for the wonderful idea of Thursday night football that some bright spark at SKY decided would be the next best way to screw with the English fixture list and hack off as many supporters as possible. Just wish the FL/PL would turn around and tell these TV companies just what to do with their stupid ideas sometimes but as everyone is out for what they can get that'll never happen.
After two cup exits in quick succession Reading will be looking to bounce back and pick up on their league form just as they left off. Jaakkola, Quinn and Harriott are out injured and I would also expect McShane to miss out due to his wrist op. despite being able to play with it bandaged before the op. Presuming Ilori's transfer completes today then he could find himself making his debut in the game but I reckon the club may decide he isn't match fit enough and so may only be on the bench.
QPR will be without Stephen Caulker and Jack Robinson while Tjaronn Chery remains out of favour as he seeks a move away. Michael Doughty and Darnell Furlong are welcomed back to the squad after returning from loan spells and new Brighton loanee Kazenga Lua Lua is also in contention for a start. Former Reading loanee Jamie Mackie is also expected to be available. Ian Holloway's team are on a run of 2 successive league wins after a fairly miserable spell of nothing from loads of games so Reading will need to be on their guard to not be caught out.
Referee
Oliver Langford will be taking responsibility for affairs on the night
Previously
03 Dec 2016 > Fulham 5-0 Reading
04 Oct 2016 > Portsmouth 2-2 Reading U23 (Checkacrowd Trophy)
27 Sep 2016 > Brentford 4-1 Reading
19 Jan 2016 > Reading 5-2 Huddersfield Town (FAC3R)
16 Dec 2015 > Hull City 2-1 Reading
11 Mar 2014 > Leeds United 2-4 Reading
14 Dec 2013 > Huddersfield Town 0-1 Reading
06 Mar 2012 > Reading 1-0 Portsmouth
27 Aug 2011 > Hull City 1-0 Reading
16 Oct 2010 > Reading 0-1 Swansea City
09 Feb 2010 > Reading 1-0 Plymouth Argyle
Historically
QPR and Reading are in their 43rd season together and the home league record for the previous 42 visits is very favourable to Reading with 25 wins to just 8 defeats. However it should be noted that Reading have not scored against, let alone beaten, the fakes at home in the last 4 attempts and those games have been excruciatingly awful things to watch for all concerned ending 0-0, 0-1, 0-0 and 0-1 (so quite why SKY would want this total arse of a fixture is beyond me but then I suppose they only ever seem to televise our home games against Ipswich and QPR)
Lastly, you'll all be relieved to know there is no forecast of fog expected but instead there is a forecast for very heavy rain, sleet and snow starting tomorrow lunchtime and going on continuously well into the evening in the Reading area - so be prepared that the game could be called off late or even abandoned (and then re-arranged for a much more civil Tuesday night (or perhaps Saturday if both clubs have an FA Cup Saturday to fill in February or March)).
Gunny Fishcake
And it's a return for the wonderful idea of Thursday night football that some bright spark at SKY decided would be the next best way to screw with the English fixture list and hack off as many supporters as possible. Just wish the FL/PL would turn around and tell these TV companies just what to do with their stupid ideas sometimes but as everyone is out for what they can get that'll never happen.
Hear hear !
RoyalBlue
Club seem fiercely confident that the game will go ahead. The plan to grit after the rain sounds interesting though - good luck with that in between rush hour and stadium traffic!
Can someone tell me what the fuss is about? It's not even raining...
Heavy snow forecast for Reading between 6 and 8pm!
RoyalBlue
Now heavy snow forecast from 5 through to 8pm. Sky might be able to bully the footballing authorities but I doubt they can override police advice/requirement. Could be a risk that pitch playable but game still postponed due to travel hazards.
I'm now thinking I might end up wasting £9 on parking two home games in succession.
Sutekh
Subs : Moore S, Weiser, Meite, Cooper, Samuel, Evans, Watson
QPR XI : Smithies, Lynch, Bidwell, Mackie, Wszolek, Hall, Onuoha, Furlong, Sylla, Manning, Luongo
Subs : Ingram, Doughty, Khayati, Shodipo, Ngbakoto, LuaLua, Comley
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