News and Views
More Pressure On Clarke After Late QPR Goal
04 December 2015
By Hob Nob Anyone?
Reading lacked spark as they succumbed to another defeat that continued a miserable run of form. Reading have won just once in their last eight league games and now find themselves well adrift of the teams at the top of the Championship. The Royals looked like they'd done enough to secure a point at least until a last minute equaliser gave the visitors an undeserved three points. It was a harsh outcome but still not entirely unexpected. The late goal, from a corner on the right, saw Al Hasbi fail to stop an effort at the far post, and completed a miserable night for Clarke and his team.
All the talk at full time was about how long Steve Clarke has left as Reading manager. Sacked in the morning was an experession heard more than once. It appears it is now case of when Clarke finds himself relieved of his duties rather than if, as Reading's promising start to the season crumbles away to nothing. Reading are drifting right now, and that seems unlikely to change under Clarke. The Reading manager, heavily criticised with his constant tinkering of the starting eleven, made just two changes. One was enforced with McShane out injured leaving Ferdinand to join Hector in the centre of defence. Clarke's tactical change saw Fernandez start in place of Piazon.
The Madjeski Stadium was quiet from the start as the team did little to introduce any excitement into the evening. Reading looked comfortable against visitors that appeared happy for the draw, but never really did enough to inject life into the game. Our best chances came in the second half with Blackman firing an impressive free kick against the crossbar. It looked like it was heading over but dipped with the goalkeeper stationary and left the whole goal shaking. Clarke's subsitutions felt like they came too late. Hal Robson Kanu returned from injury from the bench and perhaps should have done better with his shot across goal that was wide of the far post.
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