Fresh Pressure On Reading As Birmingham Visit

02 January 2018
By Hob Nob Anyone?

It's not been a good Christmas for Reading fans after Jaap Stam's side managed to pick up just a single point from three festive fixtures. Before Christmas got underway the Royals were sunk at home by relegation favourites Burton Albion after gifting the visitors the full three points. It went from bad to worse on Boxing Day with a poor performance at Bristol City as Reading slumped to a two goal to nothing defeat. Yann Kermorgant finally made his way onto the scoresheet last weekend with his first goal of the season after returning from injury, but his goal still wasn't enough to prevent Reading surrendering two points right at the death as strugglers Barnsley took a share of the points. Bristol City are doing well at the top of the table but dropping points to Burton and then Barnsley has started the alarm bells ringing once more.

The poor points return over Christmas extended Reading's miserable run to five games without a victory. Those five games have seen Reading pick up just two points from a possible 15. Reading's run up the table during November, which now appears to have given us false hope, feels like a distant memory as the Royals find themselves back down to 17th in the Championship table and just four points out of the relegation zone.

Tonight's visitors are bottom of the table Birmingham City. The Blues have picked up just 20 points all season (from 25 games so far) and have failed to win a single league match on the road. Birmingham have picked up just three points all season from their 12 away league matches. If there was ever a game Reading fans expect to win it is this one. Failure to win tonight would surely exponentially increase the pressure on Reading manager Jaap Stam. This time last month Reading fans were celebrating a 3-1 victory over Sunderland and a late challenge for the play-offs was sneaking into post-match conversations. Those hopes have since evaporated and instead it will be the "R" word heavily featured in discussions - should Birmingham leave tonight with the win. However, it's not all doom and gloom as a Reading victory tonight would see us climb back up to 15th.

Ominously Birmingham have had a draw on the road at Sunderland, and a home victory over Leeds in their last three games. Although that might not be seen as exactly "hot form" it could well be something for them to build on as they come to the Madejski Stadium looking for their first away win of the campaign. If they are ever going to win away from home they'd fancy this as an opportunity after seeing Burton Albion leave with three points.

Reading found some form back in November when they fielded an unchanged side in consecutive games for the first team in the entire season. Stam shuffled his team around on the back of some good wins and found everything crumble around him once again. It remains consistency that is the problem for Reading, but something needs to change again after some poor results. It seems highly likely there will be fresh, and necessary, changes tonight. Liam Kelly could find himself back in the side while Kermorgant will be hoping for another full ninety minutes after playing the whole game at Barnsley.

Recent Meetings With Birmingham City

Discussion On This Story:

 Sutekh

» 30 Dec 2017 16:20

When : Tuesday, 2nd January, 8pm
Where : Madejski Stadium, Reading, RG2 0FL
Capacity : 24,161


Another go at winning home game arrives but this time there’s an actual chance the attempt might be successful owing to the lack of a Saturday.

Birmingham are struggling quite badly but then so were Burton and we all know what sort of miserable tripe was served up for that visit, therefore this game is not going to be easy despite the facts that Birmingham are bottom of the table, haven’t won away all season (3 draws only thus far) and have only hit 5 goals in 12 away games.

Can’t be worse than Burton, Bristol and Barnsley can it?

Referee

James Linington



Previously

09 Sep 17 > Reading 0-1 Bristol City
08 Apr 17 > Norwich City 7-1 Reading
24 Sep 16 > Reading 1-0 Huddersfield Town
21 Nov 15 > Reading 2-1 Bolton Wanderers
02 May 15 > Derby County 0-3 Reading
28 Dec 14 > Reading 2-1 Norwich City
21 Nov 14 > Cardiff City 2-1 Reading
12 Aug 14 > Reading 3-1 Newport County (League Cup)
10 Sep 11 > Reading 0-2 Watford
30 Apr 11 > Coventry City 0-0 Reading
22 Jan 11 > Reading 1-1 Hull City
02 May 10 > Reading 4-0 Preston North End
30 Jan 10 > Reading 1-0 Barnsley

Historically

No meetings before 1986 in any competition

It took 8 games to record the first home win

In 15 previous home league games Reading have managed just 4 wins compared to 5 from Birmingham

How to follow the game

1. Get a ticket and travel to the Mad Stad


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 an iFollow subscription


5. BBC Radio Berkshire (FM : 104.4, 104.1 or 95.4 depending where you are in the area)

Reply

 genome

» 31 Dec 2017 10:21

If wanting people to post reasoned opinions, instead of accusing the manager and/or players of things they have absolutely no evidence for means I'm talking shite and trying to score points, then I'm a big shite-talking points scorer.

I'm happy for you to "rip me to shreds" any time. I'll be waiting. But if you're too insecure to have your own opinion challenged without whinging about me when you can't back it up, then I'm not holding out much hope.

What I’m saying and have always said is that our form is down to a poor pre-season,
Steven Reid – upping and leaving
Stam being backed over the top
Stam allowed to disrespect the fans without consequence
And now, in my own opinion the players not playing for him 100% for whatever reason that may be.

Personally, I don’t believe that any of our players are as poor as the results but I do see a lot of unhappy players and a lack of team sprite and fight.

I’m posting my opinion on how I see a situation. Not everything can be googled for credibility or taught in a classroom. And not everything is credible. Forums are full of hunches and opinions and combinations of circumstances that lead to an opinion.
No match stats can provide tangible evidence as to why I feel that the players no longer want to play for the manager other than recent results and a gut feeling that I have.

Is that not why we come on here to offer and read opinion, or do we just google information and wait for an official club announcement then rush on here with a link to the PR version to be first to post the news? If so, you crack on.

So you're admitting that your opinion is based on absolutely nothing? That's a new one for Hobnob

To the bolded bit - that's probably lack of confidence due to bad results, a number of players hitting bad form, mixed with Stam's tactics being more ineffective this season because teams have sussed it out. It doesn't mean the players are actively throwing the game. You've made a leap in your head and as a fan, I want to defend the integrity of the players. That kind of thinking only serves to sour the atmosphere even more.

Reply

 Hound

» 01 Jan 2018 18:52

Not sure I’d go that far

Reply

 3points

» 01 Jan 2018 18:54

Not sure I’d go that far
Isn’t Tuesday night at home to a midlands based club our thing these days?

Reply

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