MATCHWATCH : Millwall (h)

[Sutekh]

When : Saturday 5th March 2022, 3pm
Where : Madejski Stadium, Reading, RG2 0FL
Capacity : 24,161

Millwall back in town next, just over a year since they last rolled up for their regulation 3 points. That time Reading were looking for promotion but got naff all and now it’s relegation again the club are looking to avoid and with an injury list that all season has trailed down the road, turned left at the lights, right at the chemist and on until the dawn. So naff all again, right?

Maybe, Millwall are on a poor run having collected only 16 points from the last 10 games which suggests weaknesses and things to exploit (the fact that they’ve won their last 4 games is neither here nor there).

As usual Jed Wallace is the pain to watch closely but not too closely as Benik Afobe and Tom Bradshaw have been proving a bit useful so what’s left of Readings fit defender will have his work cut out. Adding to his woes will be set piece issues from defenders Murray Wallace and former Reading hero Jake Cooper.

Thankfully Tom Bradshaw is crocked so a little bit of light appears for Reading, plus Millwall will also be without Maikel Kieftenbeld, Sheyi Ojo and Ryan Leonard. Reading of course have about 2 teams worth of defenders out injured but do have one fully fit defender left so there is still plenty of hope still there to be had.

Referee

Andy “1 point from 15” Woolmer

Previously

20 Nov 21 > Reading 1-1 Nottingham Forest
17 Aug 21 > Reading 2-3 Bristol City
17 Mar 21 > Birmingham City 2-1 Reading
13 Feb 21 > Reading 1-2 Millwall
14 Jul 20 > Reading 1-2 Middlesbrough
15 Feb 20 > Sheffield Wednesday 0-3 Reading
09 Nov 19 > Reading 3-0 Luton Town
01 Oct 19 > Reading 1-4 Fulham
19 Jan 19 > Derby County 2-0 Reading
18 Oct 16 > Reading 1-2 Aston Villa
27 Aug 16 > Cardiff City 0-1 Reading
23 Aug 14 > Nottingham Forest 4-0 Reading
08 Apr 14 > Bournemouth 3-1 Reading
29 Oct 11 > Crystal Palace 0-0 Reading
12 Apr 11 > Scunthorpe United 0-2 Reading
15 Apr 10 > Reading 3-0 Coventry City
16 Sep 08 > Reading 6-0 Sheffield Wednesday
17 Sep 05 > Reading 1-0 Crewe Alexandra

Historically

This will be the 102nd league game against Millwall and therefore the 51st time Reading will have played them at home. Currently it is definitely a case of the home team ruling as Reading have won 29 of those 46 games and lost just 13 (more or less the opposite of the games at Millwall).

There is usually a stack of goals between the sides, Reading have netted 96 while Millwall have managed 50.

So it'll be a pretty useless 0-0 then and there’s possibly a good few that’d take that.

How to follow the game

1. Ticket yourself and travel
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 RoyalTV subscription
5. BBC Radio Berkshire (FM : 104.4, 104.1 or 95.4 depending where you are in the area)

[Hound]

Would prob take a draw. Millwall on decent form but I do believe they have a quite big injury list - Bennett and Hutchinson went off in their last game. Obviously they still have dangerous players in there

Hopefully Holmes and Dann back fit. Even possibly Laurent, which should make us a lot stronger in the air. Injury dependent:

Southwood
Yiadom Dann Morrison McIntyre
Meite Rino Laurent/DD Hoilett/Ince
Swift
Joao

CBC, Clarke, Ejaria, Halilovic, Holmes, Hoilett/Ince, Barker.

Decent options on the bench.

[windermereROYAL]

The invasion of the knuckle draggers again, I can`t wait, i normally have a few beers in town before the game, definitely giving that a miss this week.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Have a decent feeling about this one. They are on a good run and feel like a couple more results might put them in contention for a play off spot. They are certainly outsiders, but teams like them never usually get the required number of wins to put themselves in contention. They remind me of when Bowen managed us, streaky. Would go on a great run for 6 games, where you always felt that with another result or two that we could have been play off contenders, but that never happened. On the flip side, we had a poor run of 6 games, where you felt one or two more poor results and we could get dragged in, but it never happened.

It will obviously be difficult as it traditionally is against Millwall and our recent record isn't particularly great either, but I fancy us in this one, even if it is down to me perceiving that they won't win 5 games on the trot, but they very well could do.

[NathStPaul]

Comfortable 2-0 home win incoming.

[Royal_jimmy]

Very very big game. 3 points would be huge for us with the next few fixtures after that looking very tricky.

[Hound]

Comfortable 2-0 home win incoming.

When was the last time we had a comfortable anything? (Comfortable defeats excluding)

Even if we went 4-0 up we’d let them get back to 4-3

[NathStPaul]

Comfortable 2-0 home win incoming.

When was the last time we had a comfortable anything?

Even if we went 4-0 up we’d let them get back to 4-3

We weren't under the stewardship of the guv'nor then.

[paultheroyal]

Any game in this division is winnable. Each one for us is a cup final. We need 4 wins as a starting point..... come on boys!!

[Hendo]

Comfortable 2-0 home win incoming.

When was the last time we had a comfortable anything? (Comfortable defeats excluding)

Even if we went 4-0 up we’d let them get back to 4-3

Peterborough at home was pretty comfortable. Last one I seem to remember.

[Snowflake Royal]

Comfortable 2-0 home win incoming.

When was the last time we had a comfortable anything? (Comfortable defeats excluding)

Even if we went 4-0 up we’d let them get back to 4-3

Peterborough at home was pretty comfortable. Last one I seem to remember.

Only one this season. Prior to that it's probably Wednesday in early March 21.

Derby the same season had two late goals, one for each side for a more nervy finish I'd have thought.

[Hendo]

Thinking about it, both Derby and Hull at home were pretty comfortable as well, before Southwood made 2 mistakes.

[Hound]

Comfortable 2-0 home win incoming.

When was the last time we had a comfortable anything? (Comfortable defeats excluding)

Even if we went 4-0 up we’d let them get back to 4-3

Peterborough at home was pretty comfortable. Last one I seem to remember.

Still only 2-1 in the 88th min I think

[Hendo]

When was the last time we had a comfortable anything? (Comfortable defeats excluding)

Even if we went 4-0 up we’d let them get back to 4-3

Peterborough at home was pretty comfortable. Last one I seem to remember.

Still only 2-1 in the 88th min I think

We scored the third in 88th minute, but I still seem to remember it being pretty comfortable after a turgid first half.

[Millsy]

Is it me or are these writeups getting a bit negative?

(yes I know)

[tidus_mi2]

Ince moved Rinomhota out to right back to cover the injury crisis in defence against Blackpool which before the game and in hindsight seems like a poor decision.

I think at the very least we shouldn't be playing players out of position when we can avoid it and Rino just brings so much energy in midfield I feel he is wasted at full back. So I would move Rinomhota into midfield alongside Drinkwater, I'd put Yiadom back at right back, Holmes at centre back and McIntyre at left back.

I know Holmes has come in for some stick lately but I just think the team is set up better that way.

[Snowflake Royal]

When was the last time we had a comfortable anything? (Comfortable defeats excluding)

Even if we went 4-0 up we’d let them get back to 4-3

Peterborough at home was pretty comfortable. Last one I seem to remember.

Still only 2-1 in the 88th min I think

I checked, much earlier unless I looked it up wrong... 3-0 by about 60.

I may well have oxf*rd that up though.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Peterborough at home was pretty comfortable. Last one I seem to remember.

Still only 2-1 in the 88th min I think

We scored the third in 88th minute, but I still seem to remember it being pretty comfortable after a turgid first half.

To be fair Johnson Clarke-Harris had a header that went wide when he was unmarked 6 yards out only a few minutes after they came back into the game. It was the only real chance they had, but could have quite easily been 2-2 within a matter of minutes.

[Hound]

Peterborough at home was pretty comfortable. Last one I seem to remember.

Still only 2-1 in the 88th min I think

I checked, much earlier unless I looked it up wrong... 3-0 by about 60.

I may well have oxf*rd that up though.

Yes mate, god knows what game you are talking about there

[Snowflake Royal]

Still only 2-1 in the 88th min I think

I checked, much earlier unless I looked it up wrong... 3-0 by about 60.

I may well have oxf*rd that up though.

Yes mate, god knows what game you are talking about there

oxf*rd knows. Must have somehow managed to select a completely different game.

I've had a 'mare. I thought it was weird you'd got it wrong because it came up previously.