When : Saturday 3rd August, 3pm
Where : Madejski Stadium, Reading, RG2 0FL
Capacity : 24,161
Not going to be around for the next couple of weeks so am knocking this and the Hull matchwatches out early!
Good news is that the seasons back and we can have something meaningful to fret/eulogise about for the next 10 months.
Expectation is unknown really. While realistically survival would keep many happy, as it would enable the decks to finally be cleared of most of the deadwood and get finances back into the territory of having some flexibility, there is also that little bit of positivity about the place thinking that just perhaps Reading might turn out to be a very dark horse indeed. Liklihood is though that a lower mid table finish would be a reasonable bet.
We're into the last couple of weeks of the transfer window and JG still wants that striker (same old story for reading every transfer window it seems) and another midfielder would be useful. Perhaps Ross McCormack or Gary Hooper may yet arrive or even Joe Piggott from Wimbledon, perhaps there's still a small chance that Ejaria may arrive or that nice Mr Bostock from over the sea, whatever happens in the next two weeks I don't think Reading are quite done yet.
Sheffield Wednesday are an unknown quantity. A new manager is still to be appointed and Rui Silva (current Wolves assistant boss) is the current favourite, though Chris Hughton is not without some support. Like Reading they have also had to trim their squad (eg releasing Gary Hooper and seemingly about to offer Jordan Rhodes on loan to QPR) and have been under a soft transfer embargo so it's been a very difficult close season at Hillsborough but they still do have some good quality throughout their squad so whoever takes to the field for them will provide a stern test for the new look Royals.
For Reading, other than the fact that Blackett, Rino, Yiadom and Moore will start the rest of the team is anyone's guess so start your permutations below. Just be grateful that currently, touchwood, for the first time in TWO YEARS Reading go into a league game with no real injury concerns. Loader I did see someone saying had a knock and Obita is still a fair way from match fitness but other than that as far as I know everyone else is up and raring to go. Let's hope the Chelsea friendly doesn't change that.
Referee
To be confirmed next week
Historically
Not really very many league games played with Wednesday since 1920. Only 24 games in total, meaning just 12 seasons together in the same division, and no league games at all played before 1976. In fact 20 of those 24 games have been played since 2002 so Sheffield Wednesday have been reasonably regular opponents since then.
Only 2 home league games have ended all square. Reading have won 6 and lost 4 of the 12 league games played in Reading scoring 20 and conceding 9 in the process.
Opening day fixtures for Reading since moving to the Mad Stad are generally not brilliant (see below) so if that is anything to go by, don't expect too much on 3rd August. For the record the last 2 seasons have seen 2 defeats (1 at home, 1 away).
home
pld -11 w-5 d-3 l-3 f-17 a-15
away
pld-10 w-1 d-4 l-5 f-7 a-16
How to follow the game
- Get a ticket and travel to the Mad Stad
- 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)