Reading Football Club News: May 2023
Reading Need To Get Their Big Summer Right After Relegation
31 May 2023
By Hob Nob Anyone?
It has been a long and difficult season for fans of Reading FC, well, it has been a difficult few years in fairness and sadly as fans of the Royals know, we will be plying our trade in League One in the 2023/24 campaign having finished five points from safety and suffered from relegation from the Championship.
It is going to be a summer of huge change now as we will understandably have to reduce outgoings an attempt to rebalance our finances inline with now reduced revenue, and we already know a host of established players will be moving on when their contracts officially expire at the end of the season. There are likely to be further sales as well, as we will need to rebuild the playing staff for the League One challenge, and having heavily relied on loan signings this year as well, they too will now have to be replaced so we have greater strength and depth ahead of next year. For those fans who like to have a small wager on Reading matches, they will definitely be keeping an eye on arrivals before predictions are made on how the club will do next year.
It also seems like Reading may well have lost the opportunity to cash in on star Tom Ince. Having moved to the club in January 2022 as part of the deal that saw Liam Moore move to Stoke, the 31 year old penned permanent terms that summer having been joined by his dad, Paul Ince, who came in as first team manager in February as Veljko Paunovic's replacement.
Having originally signed a three year deal with the club, there has been plenty of reported interest shown in him by other clubs despite the season having only just finished, but it seems we have further shot ourselves in the foot as with relegation confirmed, apparently he has a release clause that now comes into play and it was only negotiated to the tune of a paltry £50,000, which is shockingly low for a player of his calibre.
With our managerial search in full flow as well, whoever comes in as Ince's proper replacement following his earlier sacking, his son's release fee being set at that level will be a blow as any new man would have hoped to rebuild the club with Tom involved on the pitch, or at least use him to generate some much needed funds - especially having suffered a consecutive two year transfer embargo.
It is going to be a busy few weeks for the board with so much to now sort out, and key to giving ourselves the best possible chance of potentially bouncing back at the first time of asking will be the person chosen to take us forward. Once they are in place, better decisions can be made about the playing squad, although as we know, some players have already been offered new deals seeing them through the 2023/24 campaign.
Fans will have to simply wait and see how much of the groundwork now comes off as August edges nearer.
Long, Joao And Others Leave Reading
19 May 2023
By Hob Nob Anyone?
Many first team players are set to leave the club this summer after their contracts expired. With Reading relegated to League One, and with an obvious lack of funds, the Royals have been forced to cut the squad and allow a big chunk of the squad to depart and find new clubs. The departure list includes Shane Long and Lucas Joao. Neither is a surprise with Joao making his feelings clear ahead of his departure. Shane Long was only expected to play last season after making his return to the Royals and was given a warm send off in Reading's final home game despite the Royals facing relegation.
Lucas Joao spent four years at Reading after signing from Sheffield Wednesday in the summer of 2019. He had some very impressive spells of form, particularly in the 2020/2021 season in which he started with a League Cup hattrick in the first game of the season and went on to score 22 goals in all competitions. His form in following seasons was up and down, but he still scored 45 goals in his time at Reading. Shane Long will always be remembered for his first spell at the club rather than this season when he re-joined Reading towards the end of his career. Long made 30 league appearances this season but only managed a single league goal, plus one in the FA Cup. However, despite failing to make an impression this season he will always be remembered as a Reading legend.
Liam Moore leaves the club after a very public falling out saw him spent 2022 in exile. He made a short comeback in Reading colours in March this year, which was cut short by injury and will now have to find a new club after being a Reading player since 2016. Scott Dann, Luke Southwood and Dejan Tetek also leave at the end of their contracts.
Reading relied heavily on long players this season and all these players will now return to their clubs. Joe Lumley, Jeff Hendrick, Mamadou Loum, Baba Rahman, Tyrese Fornah and Cesare Casadei have all been key players this season and their return will leave Reading with a lot of rebuilding to do this summer.
In more positive news Nesta Guinness-Walker has extended his contract to the end of next season. The Royals are waiting to see if Yakou Meite, Junior Hoilett and Amadou Mbengue accept new contract offers or choose to find new clubs. They may of course be keen to avoid a drop into the third tier of English football.
Reading Relegated To League One
04 May 2023
By Hob Nob Anyone?
Reading have been relegated to League One after Hudderfield finished the job on survival with a 1-0 home victory over Sheffield United. The result means that Reading are now guaranteed a bottom three finish and will be playing in the third tier of English football next season. The final match of the season, away at Huddersfield on Monday, now has no meaning - although it is still mathematically possible that Reading could finish rock bottom of the Championship should Wigan and Blackpool win.
Reading On Brink Of Relegation
02 May 2023
By Hob Nob Anyone?
Reading look set to drop into League One after a disastrous bank holiday weekend. The Royals could only draw at home against Wigan and pinned survival hopes on the outcome of games involving Rotherham and Huddersfield. Both of those teams recorded wins to make a huge impact at the bottom of the table. Reading will now be relegated on Thursday evening, with a game still to play, if Sheffield United fail to win at Huddersfield. Sheffield United have already confirmed second place in the table, and automatic promotion, and the result will not effect the outcome of their season.
Wigan and Blackpool are already relegated. Meanwhile Rotherham, Cardiff and QPR are now all safe. The final relegation spot will go to either Reading or Huddersfield. Huddersfield have two games remaining, and a single point from those two matches will confirm their safety and send Reading down. The Royals travel to Huddersfield on Monday - the final day of the season - knowing they may already be relegated. If Sheffield United can win on Thursday, then the Royals can still escape relegation with a win at Huddersfield when the two teams meet, however Huddersfield are now firm favourites to survive at Reading's expense.