Wolves Preview: Royals Need Win After Recent Defeats

03 March 2017
By Hob Nob Anyone?

Reading -v- Wolves - Match Report Archive

Recent Meetings With WOLVES

DATE	COMPETITION	OPPOSITION	SCORE	REPORT
13 August 2016	Championship	Wolves (Away)	L: 0-2	Read report...
06 February 2016	Championship	Wolves (HOME)	D: 0-0	Read report...
26 December 2015	Championship	Wolves (Away)	L: 0-1	Read report...
07 February 2015	Championship	Wolves (Away)	W: 2-1	Read report...
28 September 2014	Championship	Wolves (HOME)	D: 3-3	Read report...
27 January 2009	Championship	Wolves (HOME)	W: 1-0	Read report...
30 September 2008	Championship	Wolves (Away)	W: 3-0	Read report...
18 March 2006	Championship	Wolves (HOME)	D: 1-1	Read report...
26 December 2005	Championship	Wolves (Away)	W: 2-0	Read report...

Reading are back at home this weekend as Wolves come to town hoping to make the most of Reading's dip in form. After being in touch with the top two for most of the season, the Royals finally had to say goodbye to any outside chance of automatic promotion after defeats at Huddersfield and Brighton. Having slipped to fifth in the table, Reading are still well within the play-off positions, but will need more points to secure a top six finish this season. With Newcastle visiting on Tuesday night, and Reading winning just once in their last five league games, Saturday's visit of Wolves becomes a "must win" match.
 
While Reading need to points to maintain the chance of promotion via the play-offs, Wolves are also in desperate need as they find themselves just two points outside the drop zone. Wolves will be pleased to see the back of February after the month saw them play five games and lose all five. One of those was their cup exit to Chelsea, but the four league defeats included three defeats at home. The pick of the bunch was a 0-1 home defeat to relegation rivals Wigan. A word of warning for the Royals though - Wolves have won three out of their last fives away games in all competitions - including a 2-1 FA Cup victory at Liverpool. The outcome of this match is far from a definite.
 
There is nothing new to report on the injury front, with no new worries for Jaap Stam. Competition for places remains fierce and it will be interesting to see what changes Stam makes this week after two recent defeats. Stam never seems to like fielding the same team two matches in a row and is sure to tinker with his starting eleven once more as he still attempts to find his ideal starting line-up. Swift and Kelly both came off the bench during the defeat at Brighton and both probably deserve a starting place given their form this season - but will Stam shuffle things up in their favour. Loanee players Grabban and Mutch are yet to make an impression - perhaps Kermorgant and Swift will be favoured over them this weekend.
 
Our last five meetings with Wolves have seen just a single Reading win. You have to go all the way back to 2009 to find our last home win, when a second minute Wolves own goal separated the sides. We lost 0-2 at Wolves at the start of this season, drew 0-0 at home the season before, and also failed to score the game before that with a 0-1 defeat on the road. Reading are certainly due a goal against Wolves.

<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.royals.org/history/Wolves">Reading -v- Wolves - Match Report Archive</a></li>
</ul>

<h3>Recent Meetings With WOLVES</h3>

<table border="0" class="fixtures" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" width="100%" style="border:0">
<tr>
<td class="fixtures" bgcolor="#CCCCFF">DATE</td>
<td class="fixtures" bgcolor="#CCCCFF">COMPETITION</td>
<td class="fixtures" bgcolor="#CCCCFF">OPPOSITION</td>
<td class="fixtures" bgcolor="#CCCCFF">SCORE</td>
<td class="fixtures" bgcolor="#CCCCFF">REPORT</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td class="fixtures">13 August 2016 </td>
<td class="fixtures">Championship</td>
<td class="fixtures">
<a href="/matdoc/130816.html">Wolves (Away)</a>
</td>
<td class="fixtures">L: 0-2</td>
<td class="fixtures">
<a href="/matdoc/130816.html">Read report...</a>
</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td class="fixturesh">06 February 2016 </td>
<td class="fixturesh">Championship</td>
<td class="fixturesh">
<a href="/matdoc/060216.html">Wolves (HOME)</a>
</td>
<td class="fixturesh">D: 0-0</td>
<td class="fixturesh">
<a href="/matdoc/060216.html">Read report...</a>
</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td class="fixtures">26 December 2015 </td>
<td class="fixtures">Championship</td>
<td class="fixtures">
<a href="/matdoc/261215.html">Wolves (Away)</a>
</td>
<td class="fixtures">L: 0-1</td>
<td class="fixtures">
<a href="/matdoc/261215.html">Read report...</a>
</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td class="fixtures">07 February 2015 </td>
<td class="fixtures">Championship</td>
<td class="fixtures">
<a href="/matdoc/070215.html">Wolves (Away)</a>
</td>
<td class="fixtures">W: 2-1</td>
<td class="fixtures">
<a href="/matdoc/070215.html">Read report...</a>
</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td class="fixturesh">28 September 2014 </td>
<td class="fixturesh">Championship</td>
<td class="fixturesh">
<a href="/matdoc/280914.html">Wolves (HOME)</a>
</td>
<td class="fixturesh">D: 3-3</td>
<td class="fixturesh">
<a href="/matdoc/280914.html">Read report...</a>
</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td class="fixturesh">27 January 2009 </td>
<td class="fixturesh">Championship</td>
<td class="fixturesh">
<a href="/matdoc/270109.html">Wolves (HOME)</a>
</td>
<td class="fixturesh">W: 1-0</td>
<td class="fixturesh">
<a href="/matdoc/270109.html">Read report...</a>
</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td class="fixtures">30 September 2008 </td>
<td class="fixtures">Championship</td>
<td class="fixtures">
<a href="/matdoc/300908.html">Wolves (Away)</a>
</td>
<td class="fixtures">W: 3-0</td>
<td class="fixtures">
<a href="/matdoc/300908.html">Read report...</a>
</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td class="fixturesh">18 March 2006 </td>
<td class="fixturesh">Championship</td>
<td class="fixturesh">
<a href="/matdoc/180306.html">Wolves (HOME)</a>
</td>
<td class="fixturesh">D: 1-1</td>
<td class="fixturesh">
<a href="/matdoc/180306.html">Read report...</a>
</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td class="fixtures">26 December 2005 </td>
<td class="fixtures">Championship</td>
<td class="fixtures">
<a href="/matdoc/261205.html">Wolves (Away)</a>
</td>
<td class="fixtures">W: 2-0</td>
<td class="fixtures">
<a href="/matdoc/261205.html">Read report...</a>
</td>
</tr>

</table>

Discussion On This Story:

Sutekh

» 02 Mar 2017 10:30

After the miserable last couple of games Reading get a chance to try and redeem things with the visit of Wolves to the Madejski Stadium
Wolves are not very well at the moment. In fact they are on a run of 5 successive league defeats and looking a little on the mangy side of things. However it should be noted that this is just the sort of team Reading have immense problems playing against and when you note that Wolves are actually a much better team on the road than they are away there can't be any room for complacency, so just thinking all the club need to do is turn up is something that should be taken out and shot right now. However, given the cr@p that was served up as a performance at Molyneux back in August, one hopes the players will anxious to prove themselves.
Sadly Wolves more useful players like Costa, Weimann, Bödvarsson and Dicko will all be available however forward options Ivan Cavaleiro and Joe Mason are both injured. Presuming they have an unchanged lineup from their defeat to Birmingham on Friday they'll be fielding;
Ikeme, Batth, Doherty, Hause, Edwards, Evans, Costa, Marshall, Bödvarsson, Enobakhare & Weimann
Reading still have problems with the usual bunch so no Quinn, Rakels, Ilori, Harriott, Weiser or Gravenberch and Reece is also still out. Berg is back and raring to go so perhaps there maybe a change to the starting line up that depressed everyone at Brighton:
Habsi, Gunter, Moore, McShane, Blackett, Evans, McCleary, Beerens, Williams, Kermorgant, Mutch
Wolves are very close to selling out their 2112 allocation of tickets apparently.
Referee
Not Robert Madley, see later below
Historically
Thirty Five league games have been played thus far between the hoops and the old gold and of those games things are a dead heat with 14 wins apiece.
Reading have managed to record 8 wins in the 17 league games played in Reading which is twice as many as Wolves. However the recent record is distinctly poor with only one Reading win in the last 7 home games - so there is some pride to fight for here if nothing else.
Everything also points to a very tight affair with either a draw or one goal deciding the outcome as it has been over 20 years since either team won a league game in Reading by more than that margin.

Hound

» 02 Mar 2017 10:41

Unfortunately this is a must win considering out other fixtures coming up. Wolves on paper certainly look better than their league position but obviously something not right down there
I think this will be tight, but we should have enough about us to pick up the win. The Brighton game obv wasn't great for us, but by all accounts we performed pretty well against Huddersfield, so hopefully confidence is still good.

CountryRoyal

» 02 Mar 2017 11:16

We have been promoted every season this guy has refereed us.
Coincidence? Good omens.

maffff

» 02 Mar 2017 11:16

I'll go with 0-1 - they'll hit us on the counter.

tidus_mi2

» 02 Mar 2017 11:34

They're in a bit of a bad run right now, 4 straight defeats, the last 3 of which were at home. That said, before that they beat Barnsley 3-1 away, we need to win this really but can't afford to get complacent.

Hound

» 02 Mar 2017 11:42

..and beat Liverpool away in the cup as well, quite comfortably in the end.
Clearly a dangerous side, but losing at home to Birmingham in their current guise is not good at all

Stockport Royal

» 02 Mar 2017 11:51

wolves can suck a fat one.
Still not forgiven them for injuring Forster, bloody pre-planned I tell yer!

tidus_mi2

» 02 Mar 2017 12:31

Don't remind me of that one, my first play-off heartbreak, still think we would have won over the two legs but we relied way too much on Fozzy.

Brum Royal

» 02 Mar 2017 13:12

Confirmed by my Wolves supporting m8s. And mainly because they're travelling for this as it's 20 quid rather than their next away trip which is to Ipswich and a £37.50 ticket price (for which they have so far sold about 200). Wolves fans voting with their feet on this one, and fair play to them.

Tilehurstsouthbank

» 02 Mar 2017 13:21

Don't remind me of that one, my first play-off heartbreak, still think we would have won over the two legs but we relied way too much on Fozzy.

Lots of history between the two cubs. FSB, Gooding, Gilkes, Williams and Super Si have all had time with both sides.

gdroyal

» 02 Mar 2017 13:27

I believe the referee is Andy Madley not Robert

Schards#2

» 02 Mar 2017 14:44

A season defining game and our most important since the FA Cup Semi
A win keeps us very much on course for the play offs, anything else, with Newcastle up next, puts us back in the pack

Sutekh

» 02 Mar 2017 17:06

:oops:
Yes, sorry it is Andy from West Yorkshire. I didnt realise there were two doing the rounds from the same place and accidentally picked the wrong one
Anyway
Previously is not so good
17 Aug 2016 > Newcastle United 4-1 Reading

07 May 2016 > Blackburn Rovers 3-1 Reading

03 Dec 2015 > Reading 0-1 Queen's Park Rangers

29 Aug 2015 > Brentford 1-3 Reading

25 Apr 2015 > Reading 0-2 Brentford

15 Jan 2015 > Milwall 0-0 Reading

05 Apr 2014 > Charlton Athletic 0-1 Reading

25 Jan 2014 > Ipswich Town 2-0 Reading

Sutekh

» 02 Mar 2017 17:08

The team best keep out of the Megastore on Saturday then.

Gunny Fishcake

» 02 Mar 2017 18:56

If there is one game more than ever I want us to win it's this one.....please

Harpers So Solid Crew

» 03 Mar 2017 06:18

Any Nobbers remember this day, we had a HNA? section, about 40 ticks bought together.

Photos are available somewhere i believe.

https://youtu.be/4VcjVz8zWR8

genome

» 03 Mar 2017 10:57

http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/wolves-heading-sell-out-away-12681005
"Wolves headed for huge away crowd after selling 1,700 tickets"
Not even half the stand :|

Anonymous

» 03 Mar 2017 11:13

Reading 1 - 2 Wolves

Anonymous

» 03 Mar 2017 11:18

They've been given an allocation of just over 2,100 haven't they? So it's feasible.
How many did Reading take up to Wolves this season?

Emeraldroyal

» 04 Mar 2017 11:42

CountryRoyal

» 04 Mar 2017 11:55

They've been given an allocation of just over 2,100 haven't they? So it's feasible.
How many did Reading take up to Wolves this season?

I was there. Quietest away support in history but we pretty much filled our slot I think. Battered on the pitch.

Outclassed and outfought from the second the whistle went.

Chatting to a few wolves fans heading back to the car they were in total disbelief at the 'Stam system'

Predicted wolves would be in the mix after what I saw that day...

Funny how things work out.
This is winnable and it's bloody important just hope we step up today and play with some freedom.
URZ

Around 700 I think.
One of the worst performances I've ever seen but it was our second game into this new system and it was clear how uncomfortable we were with it, barely got out of our half just passing it about the back 4 before mistakes lead to their first goal. Thinking back to that game it really is remarkable how far we've come in such a short time.
That being said we were quiet from the off which for the first away game of the season was really baffling.

Ian Royal

» 04 Mar 2017 13:58

Team News:
Al-Habsi, Gunter, Blackett, Moore, McShane, Van den Berg, Swift, Williams, Beerens, Popa, Kermorgant

Subs: Jaakkola, Obita, Van den Berg(!?), Popa(!?), Grabban, Swift (!?), Kelly.
Good job official Reading FC Facebook
Somewhat harsh on Mutch, Evans and McCleary to have decided they're so shit we need to clone Berg, Popa and Swift.

Sutekh

» 04 Mar 2017 13:59

McCleary, looks like he's crocked, ill, dead or otherwise engaged...
Reading XI: Habsi, Gunter, Blackett, Moore, McShane, Popa, Berg, Swift, Kermorgant, Williams, Beerens
Subs: Jaakkola, Evans, Obita, Grabban, Meite, Kelly, Mutch

Ian Royal

» 04 Mar 2017 14:01

Can't believe Stam still isn't trying Kelly and Evans with one of Williams / Swift / Mutch.

bobby1413

» 04 Mar 2017 14:03

Why the fvckity fvck is Kelly not starting again!!

Sutekh

» 04 Mar 2017 14:04

Wolves XI: Ikeme, Iorfa, Williamson, Hause, Saville, Coady, Edwards, Dicko, Costa, Saiss, Marshall
Subs: Lonergan, Doherty, Batth, Weimann, Price, Bodvarsson, Enobakhare

Ian Royal

» 04 Mar 2017 14:22

So weak points Blackett at LB, Swift and Williams together in midfield is a bit soft, Popa is a bit of an unknown quantity, McCleary is missing.
But Wolves aren't in good form and aren't one of the top teams, so we could well get away being softer, but more attacking in midfield.

CountryRoyal

» 04 Mar 2017 14:34

Glad Mutch isn't starting. Don't think he offers us anything.

Ian Royal

» 04 Mar 2017 14:40

I wasn't impressed with what I saw against Brighton

Rusty royal

» 04 Mar 2017 14:51

Bigger game Tuesday :wink:

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