Reading Match thread

They were having a competition with Birmingham and Wigan to see who had the worst owner. Reading are winning but it looks like they will be taken over by Rob Couhig, an American who previously owned Wycombe Wanderers and a minor league baseball team. He may know how much in th red they are, but we don’t as the accounts for 202-23 have not been filed. Although the take-over was supposed to be completed by the transfer deadline, it has dragged on, which is often a worrying sign.

Finished 17th last season, having started with a six-point deduction.

Managed by Reuben Selles, who had a disastrous spell at Southampton but stabilised the ship last season. He has received a lot of praise for this accomplishment as well as his work with the young players in the Reading squad. His managerial stock is high, so he is beginning to be linked with other jobs.

Because there has been no money in advance of the takeover, Reading are trying an experiment to see if you can be successful without any incoming transfer activity bar Chem Campbell on loan. The result is a very small, very young squad. The most publicised outgoing was Femi Azeez to Millwall which takes goals and assists out of the team.

First choice goal keeper Jel Pereira is injured, leaving a choice between much travelled 35 year old David Button, who has actually played one game for Orient back in the 2010-11 season and Coniah Boyce-Clarke, who has played one game for Reading.

Currently the squad has no left backs listed; Jeriel Dorsett has been filling in. The centre back partnership is 19-year-old New Zealand international Tyler Bindon, partnered by 22 year old Senegalese Amadou Mbengue. Club captain Lewis Wing runs the show for them from central midfield and scored ten goals last year. Up front Harvey Knibbs as the central attacking midfielder contributed goals and assists last year but has not been able to make it much on the pitch yet although he may feature in this match. Additional contributions are expected from Sam Smith (not that one) who scored fifteen goals last season. Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan has 2 in 4 plus one assist.

This season they are playing 4-3-3. They have started pretty well, with home wins against Wigan and Charlton and a creditable away draw at Birmingham. They were taken apart by Wrexham despite having 67% possession. So far, they have generated a fair amount of shots per game (14) but have an on-target percentage of under 30%. Their opposition get less shots but seemingly better-quality ones.

Outside the first team, the club seems a shambles. The Director of Football, Mark Bowen, has been found guilty by the FA of misconduct by betting on football matches between April 2022 and January 2024. He has according to reports been sacked by the club. Earlier this year the club was fined £200,000 for breach of the FA’s intermediary regulations. Nigel Howe, the ex-CEO and current property projects manager ws fined and suspended for twelve months. The academy manager and club secretary were both warned about their future conduct.

In: Chem Campbell AM (Wolves, loan)