MATCH THREAD: " READING v CARDIFF CITY " MATCH THREAD

READING v CARDIFF CITY
Saturday 9th April, 3pm
Sky Bet Championship
Loftus Road 



Cardiff City XI: Phillips; Drameh, Ng, Nelson, Bagan; Doyle, Wintle, Ralls, Doughty; Colwill, Hugill.

Subs: Luthra, McGuinness, Flint, Vaulks, Harris, Davies, Ikpeazu.



2,134 Bluebirds are travelling


Max Watters is back on the grass but will not be available this weekend. Steve Morison is thinking that next weekend's clash with Hull City might be his first game back after his ankle injury.

Otherwise there are no new complaints. Sean Morrison and Isaac Vassell are the long-term absentees.

READING:

Tom Ince will be available again after being ineligible to face his parent club Stoke on Tuesday evening. Andy Rinomhota and Yakou Meite are out for the season, while Alen Halilovic could return after a thigh injury.




Injury update?

"Everyone’s available. Fully fit squad. Max [Watters] is back in the squad this week. He’ll be available after this weekend. Everyone else is fine apart from the long-terms."

Steve Morison



TEAM NEWS:


Isaac Vassell and Sean Morison are long term injuries.





Can I stream or watch the match on TV?

Not on TV in the UK.

The Opposition's Manager - Paul Ince & Michael Gilkes

Paul Ince and Michael Gilkes were made interim managers at Reading in February.

Gilkes only previous managerial experience had been at Basingstoke, while Ince's last managerial role was eight years ago when he left Blackpool.

They have done a relatively good job, with Reading now eight points clear of the relegation zone.

Opposition Dangerous Players

John Swift has eleven goals and thirteen assists in the league this season

Previous Meeting 

Reading beat us 1-0 in October

Team News - Predicted Line-Ups

Reading: Nyland, Yiadom, Morrison, Holmes, McIntyre, Drinkwater, Laurent, Ince, Swift, Ejaria, Joao

Cardiff City: Smithies, Drameh, Ng, Flint, McGuinness, Bagan, Ralls, Wintle, Doyle, Harris, Hugill

Form - Last Three Competitive Games

Reading 2-1 Stoke City
Barnsley 1-1 Reading
Reading 1-0 Blackburn Rovers

Cardiff City 0-4 Swansea City
Cardiff City 2-1 Stoke
Cardiff City 0-0 Preston North End

Match Odds

Reading - 5/4
Cardiff City - 11/5
Draw - 9/4

Predictions

Post your predictions below 

TEAM NEWS:


Max Watters is still out and looks like missing the rest of the season.


Isaac Vassell and Sean Morison are long term injuries.

TEAM NEWS:


Max Watters is still out and looks like missing the rest of the season.


Isaac Vassell and Sean Morison are long term injuries.

Cannot see Watters ever putting on a City shirt again to be honest

TEAM NEWS:


Max Watters is still out and looks like missing the rest of the season.


Isaac Vassell and Sean Morison are long term injuries.

Cannot see Watters ever putting on a City shirt again to be honest

Yep his time is up.

We need to bounce back and slaughter Reading and show that the players realise how much it hurt our fans

Updated:

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We need to bounce back and slaughter Reading and show that the players realise how much it hurt our fans

Totally agree; time to show us supporters they actually care

Cardiff City travel to the Select Car Leasing Stadium to face Reading on Saturday afternoon, with kick-off at 3pm.

After last season's 7th-place finish, the Royals have been unable to mount another push for the Play-Offs this term, and have spent much of the campaign battling to pull away from the lower reaches of the table.

Reading come into Saturday's clash sitting in 21st position, but have an eight-point gap between themselves and the drop zone. The Royals have picked up 37 points to date, and are four positions and nine points behind the Bluebirds.

Veljko Paunović left his role at the Select Car Leasing Stadium in February, and was replaced by Paul Ince, father of current Reading winger, Tom. After a slow start to his time at the helm, the 54-year-old has overseen an upturn in form over recent weeks, with the Royals currently on a four-match unbeaten run.

Ince's side halted a three-match losing streak by holding promotion challengers AFC Bournemouth to a 1-1 draw, before defeating Play-Off hopefuls Blackburn Rovers prior to the international break. Since returning to action, Reading have recorded a draw away at Barnsley and a home victory against Stoke City.

Reading's star man this term has been midfield maestro John Swift, who has enjoyed his most fruitful campaign in front of goal. The Chelsea academy graduate has scored 11 times in all competitions, with a further 13 assists to his name - second only in the division to former Bluebird Harry Wilson, with 14.

In attack, Lucas João has returned to the side after missing much of the campaign with a hip injury. The striker has netted six goals in eighteen league outings, but has not found the back of the net since a 4-1 defeat to Blackpool back in late February.

Midfielder Tom Dele-Bashiru has also enjoyed an impressive campaign for the Royals since joining on loan from Watford. A product of the Manchester City academy, Dele-Bashiru has contributed with four goals and three assists from the centre of the park so far this season, and has missed just seven league fixtures.

There are a number of current connections between the Royals and the Bluebirds, including winger Junior Hoilett, who moved to Berkshire last summer after making 145 appearances for City, scoring 25 goals and playing a key role in our promotion to the Premier League in 2017/18. His Reading teammate, Danny Drinkwater, made 12 loan appearances in the Welsh capital during the 2010/11 camapign.

City skipper Sean Morrison and striker Uche Ikpeazu were teammates at Reading early in their careers; Moz made 45 appearances for Reading between 2012 and 2014, whilst Ikpeazu came through the club's youth ranks. Meanwhile, Leandro Bacuna joined the Bluebirds directly from the Royals in January 2019.

A cult icon at both clubs, Robin Friday is fondly remembered by Bluebirds and Royals alike.

Robin's grandchildren will be delivering the match ball to the pitch on Saturday afternoon.

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Just over 2,000 Bluebirds are travelling

Injury update?

"Everyone’s available. Fully fit squad. Max [Watters] is back in the squad this week. He’ll be available after this weekend. Everyone else is fine apart from the long-terms."

Steve Morison

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The majority of the time Steve Morison has been in charge, he has been very lucky to have a a virtually fully fit squad, that has surely helped a lot in his 27 games in charge.

What are the latest betting odds?




Reading win - 6/4

Draw - 11/5

Cardiff City win - 15/8

Match facts:


Reading are unbeaten in 10 league games against Cardiff City (W5 D5) since a 2-0 defeat in November 2015.


Cardiff are looking for their first away league win against Reading since November 2011, a 2-1 victory under Malky Mackay; they are winless in six since then (D4 L2).


Reading have won two of their last three league games (D1), as many as they had in their previous 17 (D4 L11).



Cardiff have only scored three goals in the first half of their 18 away Championship games this season, the joint-fewest of any team along with Preston.



Reading’s John Swift has been involved in five goals in his five league starts against Cardiff (3 goals, 2 assists), while he’s only scored more against Preston (5) and QPR (4) than he has against the Bluebirds (3).

Cardiff City XI: Phillips; Drameh, Ng, Nelson, Bagan; Doyle, Wintle, Ralls, Doughty; Colwill, Hugill.

Subs: Luthra, McGuinness, Flint, Vaulks, Harris, Davies, Ikpeazu.

BLUEBIRDS

Teams are out and ready

The match ball is brought onto the pitch by the grandchildren of #CardiffCity and Reading icon, Robin Friday.

Tom Holmes chips in a cross for Reading, but Phillips rises and catches cleanly. An early settler for the keeper.

It's a back four for Cardiff. Drameh, Ng, Nelson and Bagan. Doughty and Colwill on the wings, Ralls and Wintle sitting deep behind Doyle. Hugill up top on his own.

Let-off for Cardiff.

Lovely interplay on the edge of the Bluebirds box sees Joao flick one through for Laurent.


The Royals man can't get it out of his feet quickly enough to shoot first time, so takes a touch and lets fly, but Ryan Wintle had got back sharply and blocks the shot.

7mins gone and one nil to Reading

I thought we would come out and blast Reading after the Jack game

Well, that was a bit easy...again!

Can't help but feel Phillips might have done better

LATEST SCORE: READING 1 - CARDIFF CITY

Just seems like theres no drive or determination any more

Well, that was abit easy...again!

Unfortunately, too easy.

Story of our season. How many goals have we conceded within 10 minutes? Pathetic. Morison cant motivate a team to start a game.

Just seems like theres no drive or determination any more

Foot off gas does seem to look the part but we have 80 mins to see if that is the case

Jacks 1 Derby 0

Its been ALL Reading


Been all Reading so far, but Colwill sparks an attack into life witeh a bursting run through the middle. It eventually falls to Doughty on the other flank but he is offside.

Swift is found by a stonking ball from Ince across the pitch. He nicks it past Drameh on the edge of the box and the free-kick is conceded. Dangerous area, this.