Reading Football Club News: August 2021
Reading Thrashed At Huddersfield
28 August 2021
By Hob Nob Anyone?
Reading's poor start to the season continued as Huddersfield enjoyed a straight forward victory. The Royals are quickly getting used to conceeding goals this season, but these four with no reply will heap the pressure on the manager as his side slip to 21st in the early Championship table. Reading are the only side to have already conceeded double digits goals in the opening five games having let in 13. The next closest is eight. The league table is not a pretty sight.
Reading did not get close in this match and recorded just a single shot on target compared to the home side's eight. New signings Alen Halilovic and Junior Hoilett were both names in the team with Hoilett starting and Halilovic coming on for his debut with twenty minutes left to play. Neither made an impression as Huddersfield were dominant. They could have been ahead from a free kick before taking the lead before half time. After the break it was all one way traffic as three more were conceeded. Reading were thankful to keep things slightly respectable by holding out for the final 22 minutes at 0-4.
Huddersfield 4 Reading 0 - Fan Opinion
The Royals Looking to Make Loan Move
23 August 2021
By Hob Nob Anyone?
Reading are facing a crucial few weeks, with the transfer deadline approaching. The club are in need of new players to help them get over the hump after a struggling start of the season.
Reading won't be attracting the faith of their fans after the performance against Coventry. Rather than betting on their team, they may be more likely to get their gambling fix by playing the slots online. If that sounds like you, you might want to check these guys out. If you do plan on betting on Reading, however, you should probably keep a close eye on the transfer window.
A transfer embargo has hindered the Royals, with a cap on the type and amount of signings they're allowed to make in the summer. Fortunately, Reading have at last begun to make some headway in the window, with two players arriving to boost the squad, in the form of Tom DeleBashiru and Junior Hoilett. However, Veljko Paunovic's squad are still short on players in key areas. One position they'll want to improve on is left-back, after Omar Richards' departure from the club.
A Move For Lowe
The Sun has now reported that Reading have made a move for Max Lowe, who they're hoping to land the Sheffield United defender on loan. Sheffield United are thought to be ready to allow the player to leave on a loan deal after his play has failed to convince manager Slavisa Jokanovic that he can make a big difference to the club this season. The loan move rather than a signing is based on the financial situation at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
Reading are believed to consider Lowe the perfect player to follow Richards after he moved to Bayern Munich in the off-season. This was after giving a trial to former Newcastle United and Watford left-back Achraf Lazaar in the pre-season. A deal has yet to be offered to the player, however, which means that the club still needs to decide on who will replace Richards.
Swansea City in the Mix
There's believed to be competition for the services of Lowe, as Barnsley are keeping track of the player in case interest emerges in Callum Styles. A report was also out there that Swansea City was a potential suitor for Lowe as they try to replace Jake Bidwell, a player Middlesborough has shown an interest in.
Sheffield United rejected a move by Nottingham Forest for the player, as they try to try to secure a new left-back before the deadline. Tom McIntyre has played in the left-back role this season, but the position remains one of need. Ethan Bristow has also played at left-back.
Lowe arrived in Sheffield last summer, along with Jayden Bogle in a joint deal from Derby County worth £15 million. He was a United squad player 33 times last season, although he was only given seven starts. The club were relegated after they struggled in their second season in the Premiership.
Failed to Land
One player who Reading failed to land is Yuri Ribeiro. The left-back spent the last two seasons playing Championship football with Nottingham Forest, and had been linked with the Royals.
However, the player travelled to Poland over the weekend to seal a move to Legia Warsaw, the reigning champions of Ekstraklasa. A statement from Legia said that he was expected to sign after a medical. Ribeiro has now signed with the club.
The Reading manager said after a recent 2-1 defeat to Coventry City that the transfer market continues and that they will be looking for new additions until the last day.
Reading Lose To Stoppage Time Goal
21 August 2021
By Hob Nob Anyone?
Reading came agonisingly close to earning much needed a point away from home against a City side enjoying their best start to the season in fourteen years. They were denied by the questionable time-keeping of a weak referee, and poor game management by a Royals side who had battled hard and deserved to take something for the game. With the scores level after the allocated six minutes of additional time had elapsed, Reading won a corner. Having been under considerable pressure in the second half and repelled the onslaught of a City comeback, the obvious decision would be to keep the ball in the corner and run the clock down to earn a point. Unfortunately Reading unwisely launched the corner kick into the City box. The referee for some reason decided to add a further two minutes and City grasped the opportunity provided by Reading's poor tactical decision and the referee's generosity to counter attack and score the winner through substitute Godden.
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Two More Scored But Royals Defeated
17 August 2021
By Hob Nob Anyone?
Reading again found themselves on the wrong end of a 2-3 defeat after a disasterous opening 15 minutes set up Bristol City for victory. With Joao joining the long term injury list alongside Meite, Puscas was given a chance up front but failed to deliver on a disappointing evening. Apart from that change the side was the same as the one that has delivered against Preston at the weekend, but this performance was far below that one.
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Reading Sign A Player!
12 August 2021
By Hob Nob Anyone?
Midfielder Tom Dele-Bashiru has signed for Reading on a years loan from Premier League Watford. Tom is Reading's first signing of the summer and joins the Royals in time to be included in the squad for Saturday's first home League game of the season as we face Preston North End. Dele-Bashiru appears to be a very exciting young prospect and he joins Reading looking to kick-start his career that has so far failed to get going due to injury.
He came through the Manchester City youth set-up and made a single appearance for City in the league cup before securing a long term contract with Watford. In his first season at Watford he failed to break into the team and played just three times in the League and FA Cups. He scored his only goal of his career so far in the FA Cup in January 2020 when he played all of a 3-3 draw with Tranmere. Last season he was limited to just two appearances in the Championship - first coming off the bench in a 1-0 home win over Luton in September 2020, and then making his first league start for the Hornets the following week against the Royals. The Royals went on to win that game 1-0, but for Dele-Bashiru the result was the least of his worries as he picked up a anterior cruciate ligament injury that kept him out for the rest of the season.
Tom Dele-Bashiru comes to Reading with plenty of potential and will be keen to impress. He is described by Reading manager Veljko Paunovic as "a very creative, clever, talented young player who adds much-needed strength to our midfield." With Reading looking to rely on academy players to play their part this season, he is likely to come straight into the first team squad where we hope he can make a big impact. Welcome to the club Tom!
Academy Side Exit League Cup
10 August 2021
By Hob Nob Anyone?
Reading went out of the League Cup in the first round after Paunovic opted to protect his slim first team squad by playing an academy side. The inclusion of George Puscas prevented the side from being a complete set of academy product players. Whoever is in charge of adding names to the academy board at the Madejski Stadium reception is going to have a busy job this week. The average age of players who were involved was 19 with six players making their first team debuts and an additional two players making their first start for the first team. Read More...
New Season Kicks-Off With Defeat At Stoke
07 August 2021
By Hob Nob Anyone?
Reading kicked off the new season with a trip to Stoke City with a much depleted squad, and were perhaps unfortunate to come away with no points.
The summer has seen Reading make no new signings due to transfer restrictions; and the departure of Olise, Aluko, Walker, Smith, Richards, and Baldock. On top of that Semedo and Esteves also left the club after finishing their loan spells with the Royals. Reading's squad is thin to say the least and it leaves a very difficult job ahead for the manager.
The Royals stepped out in their smart new Simod Cup winning style away kit but could only name five substitutes out of the allowed seven. Ethan Bristow and Femi Azeez stepped into the starting eleven to make their first Championship starts for Reading and could be proud of their efforts as Reading kicked-off their first league game in front of travelling fans for a very long time. The crowd of just over 19,000 were treated to a good game of football but Reading will be disappointed not to take a point after being 2-2 with five minutes left to play.
The game came to life after 25 minutes when three goals in three minutes saw Reading go a goal behind. Stoke went ahead only to see John Swift equalise after making the most of a defensive mistake. Reading goalkeeper Rafeal failed to make a save, jumping over the ball when he really should have done better for Stoke to immediately restore their lead.
In the second half Swift's corner from the right was met with a superb Liam Moore header to draw Reading level with half an hour left to play. Reading looked like they might hold out but the vital goal came on 85 minutes. The home side made a controversial fourth sub as the game entered the last minutes and then held out for the win. There were positives to take as Reading found the net twice and nearly drew on the road but it feels like a point dropped.