When : Saturday March 16 2024, 3pm
Where : SCL Stadium, Reading, RG2 0FL
Capacity : 24,161
After the disastrous last couple of home games that have seen the charity side of Reading turn up and give away the points to struggling sides as quickly as possible, comes a third game against another struggling team and surely Selles can't get it all wrong yet again?
After the unimpressive refereeing performance that cost Reading a win at Derby in midweek comes a game that is now very much critical to win given the aforementioned disastrous cr@p we've had to suffer in the last couple of home games.
Cambridge are in 20th place in the table on the same number of points (though Reading have actually earned 6 more points than Cambridge) but with a really weedy GD that is 13 worse off than Reading though they do have 1 game in hand (away at Bristol Rovers on 16 April). A win therefore is essential to a) get revenge for that on telly defeat earlier in the season and b) wipe out the game in hand benefit while putting proper daylight between the two clubs.
United are on a run of 1 win (4-0 at Carlisle) from the last 9 games and will be arriving directly after a 6-0 stuffing at Lincoln City on Tuesday so will at least start in a very determined mindset to not let things go the same way. Garry Monk is trying to provide the proverbial new manager bounce but has only managed a new manager splat after collecting just 1 point from his first 2 games in charge.
Gassan Ahadme and Elias Kachunga are the striking options to ensure stay shut out of the game but there are other quite useful options that will also need to be denied opportunity in Sulley Kaikai, Fejiri Okenabirhie and Lyle Taylor. There is a slight Reading connection currently in spare keeper James Holden who left Reading in June 2022.
Holmes is still out but everyone else should be available apart from Andy Yiadom after his 2 yellow card dismissal for "going towards the ball" and "looking at an opponent" at Derby. Quite sodding ludicrous you can appeal a red card but not if it comes in the shape of 2 yellows! Believe he will miss 2 games as is his second dismissal this season(?)
Referee
Benjamin "David" Speedie.
Previously
15 Aug 23 > Reading 1-0 Cheltenham
Historically
This is only the 11th season shared with Cambridge since they first joined the Football League back in 1971 and so far at home Reading have proven to be much the more dominant side with 8 victories and zero league defeats so far (Cambridge's best league forays to Reading have been a 2-2 draw back in 1990 and a 0-0 at the Mad Stad in January 2000). Cambridge's only win in Reading was a 3-0 League Cup win back in 1992.
How to follow the game
- Get a ticket and travel to the Mad Stad
- Listen to Radio 5 Live and/or a myriad of other radio stations for score flashes
- Ring/text a mate for updates
- Use a RoyalTV subscription
- BBC Radio Berkshire (FM : 104.4, 104.1 or 95.4 depending where you are in the area)
