When : Tuesday 27th October 2020, 7.45pm
Where : Ewood Park, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 4JF
Capacity : 31,367
Midweek. Away. Blackburn Rovers. Three good reasons to just pretend this game just doesn’t exist in the fixture list and jump straight to Friday’s exchange of pleasantries with Coventry. Why? Well not only is Reading’s record at Ewood rather less than impressive but mainly because Reading’s midweek (ie games played on a Tuesday or Wednesday evening) away league form is somewhat akin to something very cr@ppy indeed having a cr@ppy cr@p attack on the way to cr@psville. Reading have basically amassed a massive total of zero away wins in the league in midweek games in the last 2.5 years. In addition only 2 games have been won since a 4-2 win at Leeds on 11 March 2014, which is now a woeful run of 2 out of 36 games.
Then there’s Blackburn themselves, a useful squad that is well organised and one more then capable of turning sides over as Wycombe, Derby and Coventry have already found out by shipping 13 goals to them without reply. And if Reading go to Ewood and do yet another sit back and do nothing for the opening half an hour it may be inviting a very serious problem.
The biggest threat on offer to Reading will be Blackburn striker Adam Armstrong who has already grabbed 7 goals in 7 appearances which is 4 more than the next highest scorer Bradley Johnson. Also ones to very carefully watch will be on loan Harvey Elliott and Lewis Holtby. Their last starting XI for the 4-0 trashing of Coventry was Kaminski, Rankin-Costello, Lenihan, Williams, Douglas, Trybull, Johnson, Holtby, Elliott, Armstrong and Brereton though that score may have flattered slightly as Coventry were down to 10 after only a quarter of an hour.
Daniel Ayala is likely to miss the game with a groin problem while Reading remain without Yiadom, Swift, Araruna and Baldock.
Think I can safely say now this is one game we’d all happily take a point from now if it was offered.
Referee
David “thank god there’s no VAR” Coote
Previously
22 Jul 20 > Reading 1-4 Swansea City
07 July 20 > Reading 0-0 Huddersfield Town
05 October 19 > Bristol City 1-0 Reading
13 April 19 > Reading 2-1 Brentford
13 Feb 19 > Reading 2-1 Blackburn Rovers
22 Dec 2018 > Reading 0-1 Middlesbrough
14 Apr 2018 > Reading 2-2 Sunderland
27 Feb 2018 > Nottm Forest 1-1 Reading
11 Dec 2017 > Reading 2-2 Cardiff City
23 Sep 2017 > Reading 1-1 Hull City
26 Aug 2017 > Birmingham City 0-2 Reading
24 Jan 2017 > Reading 1-0 Fulham
15 Oct 2016 > Queen's Park Rangers 1-1 Reading
15 Mar 2016 > Brighton & Hove Albion 1-0 Reading
23 Jan 2016 > Reading 1-1 Sheffield Wednesday
19 Sep 2015 > Bristol City 0-2 Reading
25 Mar 2014 > Reading 1-3 Barnsley
Historically
As with most trips up north Reading do not have a very impressive record. At Ewood Park there is just the one win to show from the eleven previous league visits.
The last 5 visits to Blackburn have seen 4 Reading points, no clean sheets for either side and 24 goals shared between the teams (14-10 to Blackburn).
The full league record there is played 11 won 1, drawn 5, lost 5, for 18, against 26
How to follow the game
- Should be on the red button from around 19:40
- Listen to Radio 5 Live and/or a myriad of other radio stations for score flashes
- Ring/text a mate for updates
- Use an iFollow subscription
- BBC Radio Berkshire (FM : 104.4, 104.1 or 95.4 depending where you are in the area)