Valentine's night sees Brentford come to town and one hopes that Reading will actually turn up for this one rather than the utter shambles of a team that took to the field at Griffin Park earlier this season.

Brentford are not quite the same team that they were when they first hit the Championship a couple of season ago but are still more than capable of causing damage and are likely to be well organised under the auspices of manager Dean Smith. They currently reside in the battle for mid table obscurity that we thought would probably be Reading's fate this season. They are very stop start in terms of league results having recorded some good wins but these are regularly punctuated by a malaise of draws and defeats (W4 D3 L8 of their last 15 league games). They also have not kept a clean sheet in 2017 - a run of 8 games (so I can guess what that'll probably mean then).

Midfielder Lewis MacLeod will miss the game with a long term injury while Alan Judge is recovering from a broken leg. Left back Rico Henry has recovered from a bad shoulder injury but the game may come to soon for him as her looks to build up match fitness.

Reading will be without McShane, Ilori, Berg, Harriott while Quinn and Rakels are not match fit. The club will be hoping that Jordon Mutch will be available again after picking up a minor knock at Ipswich. My expectation is for the same starting lineup as Saturday with the only change I can see, barring any currently unknown injuries suffered against Barnsley, being the return of Swift at the expense of Kelly. But then Jaap does have a tendency to sling the odd curveball into the mix now and then so feel free to speculate on this point.

Referee

After making a success of the same fixture last season, Hampshire's Keith Stroud will once again be taking control of affairs



Previously

19 Nov 2016 > Reading 3-0 Burton Albion
28 Dec 2015 > Reading 1-2 Brentford
07 Nov 2015 > Cardiff City 2-0 Reading
03 Oct 2015 > Reading 2-0 Middlesbrough
14 Apr 2015 > Reading 0-1 Bournemouth
29 Mar 2014 > Reading 1-1 Huddersfield Town
11 Jan 2014 > Watford 0-1 Reading
13 Aug 2011 > Leicester City 0-2 Reading
03 Apr 2010 > Ipswich Town 2-1 Reading
06 Feb 2010 > Doncaster Rovers 1-2 Reading
29 Dec 2007 > Tottenham Hotspur 6-4 Reading
22 Sep 2007 > Reading 2-1 Wigan Athletic
25 Feb 2006 > Reading 2-1 Preston North End
23 Aug 2005 > Reading 3-1 Swansea City (League Cup)

Historically

Brentford are one of the most common opponents for Reading with this game being the 82nd time the clubs will have met in the league. Of the 40 league games played in Reading to date there have been 22 wins for the hoops compared to just 8 for the stripes. However Brentford have won on their last three league visits (scoring twice in each game) so there is definitely something Reading have fight for to put right. On the upside though Reading have scored at least once in 33 of those 40 league games.

Gonna go for another lacklustre 0-0.

I thought Brentford were the best time I've seen this season when we lost 4-1 there. But then they must be where they are in the table for a reason.

Bad feeling about this one... our recent record against Brentford is ruddy awful and they were excellent at Griffin Park (csb - I've been to two away games this season, Brentford 4-1 and Fulham 5-0 )

2-1 Brentford and belmonts abound on the Team board.

I tend to agree with you but at least it should be a bit warmer

Yes I agree. Well they've lost Hogan but they've still got Sawyers and a few other useful lads.

I'm going to go with us to nick it 2-1 after going a goal down, and a Brentford red card to turn the tide

I have a bad feeling about this one

1-0 defeat

Tough one to call.

We're at home so need to dictate the pace of the game to them.
This hasn't happened of late and we've ended up chasing games and nicking draws or the usual mass possession with little penetration.

If the likes of Kelly / Gmac / swift pull the strings and express themselves a bit, we'll win. If they don't then oxf*rd knows what will happen.

I'll go 2-1 Reading. Kelly and Gmac and yet another backheel involved at some point

Happy Valentines

Big bogey side , so 2-0 win for us , late goals

Given our injury problems and Stam's, ahem, slightly unorthodox recent selection choices. I can only see a loss here.

1-3
Grabban

Forecast is for fog. Probably after the game, though.

Don't think some of the selections are out of choice. More necessity.

Don't think some of the selections are out of choice. More necessity.

Grabban in midfield with Swift on the bench.
Gunter at centre back with Oxford on the bench.
McCleary / Williams / Beerens at RWB with Watson available.

There's certainly been some odd choices with other more conventional options available. It's a little too crowbar in perceived best players rather than picking the best team to fit the shape and accepting that means some of your best players sit it out where you've got depth.

Obviously he's doing a grand job and still picking up points so minor gripes... but I wonder if it could be better with some slightly different choices.

Swift is being game managed to last the season. Certainly appears to struggle to maintain a full effective 90 minutes.

Without Oxford on the bench there's no defensive cover. Likewise Watson isn't a wing back (yet).

Nonsense.

We turn up tonight with better attacking instinct.

Comfortable 3:0 win - att 16556

Looking at Brentford's recent form, and the table I'm going to go with a RFC win, 3-1. Yann, McCleary and Moore

+1

3-2 to Reading, no clue why, just a hunch. Beerens brace and Kermorgant.

Hoping for:

Al Habsi; Gunter, Moore, Blackett, Obita; Evans, Mutch, Kelly; McCleary, Beerens, Grabban.

+1

Same for me, except swap Beerens out for Meite.

OR, at least give Meite 30+ mins off the bench.

+1
+lots

We all know it won't be that.

Genome got the starting XI almost right, just Beerens and Evans not starting.

Reading

Habsi, Gunter, Obita, Moore, Blackett, Kelly, Williams, Swift, Mutch, McCleary, Grabban

Subs : Jaakkola, Evans, Meite, Oxford, Popa, Kermorgant, Beerens

Brentford

Bentley, Colin, Bjellend, Dean, Yennaris, McEachran, Woods, Vibe, Jota, Canos, Field

Subs : Bonham, Jozefzoon, Egan, Kerschbaumer, Sawyers, Clarke, Barbet

Bitch colleague f****d up forcing me to stay late and miss the train for the game. Utterly raging that I'm not there tonight. This had better be a dull nil niller.

Where is everyone? Seems awfully quiet walking up to the ground.

Early doors other fixtures are going fairly spectacularly our way.

Williams at right wing back

Don't understand Oxford not playing if that is the tactic