MATCHWATCH : Port Vale (h)

[Sutekh]

When : Tuesday 20 February 2024, 8pm
Where : SCL Stadium, Reading, RG2 0FL
Capacity : 24,161

Here we go again. Port Vale for the second time as the sides hope to complete the game without interruption. Reading have recovered form in recent weeks with just 2 losses (both away) in 14 games and are now in a much better place in the table, including being above the Valiants though Port Vale do have 3 games in hand (home to Wycombe and Fleetwood and away at Peterborough).

Vale have only a 3-0 home win over Blackpool and a couple of draws to show from their last 10 league games so form has slipped badly since being done by Middlesbrough in the league cup quarter finals and they are now one of the few remaining sides yet to win in the league this year.

Midfielder Ben Garrity (8 goals) and forward Ethan Chislett (6 goals) provide the biggest goal threats. However Reading have scored more league goals (41) overall compared to Port Vale (31) and Vale have a concede record almost as bad as Reading (49 v 48) so this game should be one of the more winnable games that Reading get this season. At home Reading are now 7th in the home table while Port Vale are 16th in the away league table but have only scored 13 goals (only 3 teams have scored fewer) while Reading have the 9th highest home goals scored record (25) in the division.

Holmes and Camara and Dorsett will be missing due to injury. Hoping that Smith (or even Wareham) will replace WiFi who seems to be struggling to find any form currently.

After the second half shambles at Fratton Park, Reading go into a period of 4 games (3 home, 1 away) against "weaker" sides in the division and they really need to step up and take all the points on offer, if they can do that they'll be almost "home and hosed" and we can hopefully all fall over the safety line at some point in early April (in more ways than one) to be able to start to plan for next season in every part of the club.

Referee

Ross Joyce

Previously

13 Jan 23 > Reading A-A Port Vale

Historically

This is the 31st season Port Vale and Reading have shared and to date both sides have recorded 24 league wins. At home Reading have managed 16 wins while Vale have recorded just 7 and have lost all games so far played in RG2 without even scoring.

How to follow the game

1. Get a ticket and travel to the Mad Stad
2. Listen to Radio 5 Live and/or a myriad of other radio stations for score flashes
3. Ring/text a mate for updates
4. Use a RoyalTV subscription
5. BBC Radio Berkshire (FM : 104.4, 104.1 or 95.4 depending where you are in the area)

[yuomi]

Proper win at all costs six pointer. If we can take the positives and play like we did the first 35 minutes yesterday, albeit with better shooting boots, and we should be fine.
Should be starting Smith, w/ WiFi or Mukairu on the left - currently not cray about either option - and bring Savage back.
The right move would be dropping Button after yesterday, but I don't think he'll do it.

[Snowflake Royal]

I do want to see Selles start experimenting with Smith and Ehibhatiomhan paired together. Not starting, but definitely think a change of shape late on is worth looking at to consider for the future.

Ehibhatiomhan has really quick feet and is good at bringing others in, taking on his man and facing goal. I think he and Smith could play really well off each other.

For now I'd leave him wide left. Mukairu is just missing something, for me, but good option.

We need to get better at creating clear chances and finishing them. We get very few and rely on wonder goals. That's not a winning strategy long term.

But Smith is now due a scoring run.

[TiagoIlori]

They have plenty of games in hand so hope the new manager bounce doesn’t kick in quite this yet.

[WestYorksRoyal]

They lost to Cheltenham yesterday, with 2-1 turning into 2-3 in 5 minutes. I feel confident, we're good at home and generally beat the teams we should.

[tidus_mi2]

One of the most likeable fans in the division, wish we could both get 3pts but must win here.

[Snowflake Royal]

Yeah, hope we beat them, but that they stay up (not at our expense).

[Stranded]

Just win. Doesn't matter how and opens up a 7pt gap over them.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Their confidence will be low off their recent run and off the back of a very bad result yesterday.

The games in hand are not a massive advantage and given the 2 week international break, when few sides play, and Easter which rules out another midweek, they will have some really compact spells of games against fresher sides who have fewer catch up games.

[windermereROYAL]

So 10.00pm Tuesday it will be a seven, four or a one points lead over them, and they will still have three games in hand, this is a six pointer in every sense of the word.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

After a couple of disappointing results recently, need to get back to winning ways here. This is probably the biggest game of the next few we have coming up.

[URZZZZ]

I do want to see Selles start experimenting with Smith and Ehibhatiomhan paired together. Not starting, but definitely think a change of shape late on is worth looking at to consider for the future.

Ehibhatiomhan has really quick feet and is good at bringing others in, taking on his man and facing goal. I think he and Smith could play really well off each other.

For now I'd leave him wide left. Mukairu is just missing something, for me, but good option.

We need to get better at creating clear chances and finishing them. We get very few and rely on wonder goals. That's not a winning strategy long term.

But Smith is now due a scoring run.

Would rather start Ehibhatiomhan against the more physical teams where it’s more likely to be a scrappy game (such as Stevenage) with Mukairu in against the teams more likely to open up. Can’t say what Port Vale will be like under Moore but imagine they’ll try and stay fairly solid and compact so perhaps a game for Ehib

Would also like to see Elliott given a go in Knibbs’ position from time to time. Not from the start but as an option from the bench to change things up. Understand Knibbs’ importance in this shape and hence Selles’ reluctance to take him off but one thing he isn’t is particularly creative. Azeez isn’t either so it puts a lot of onus on Wing to be the creative spark

[WestYorksRoyal]

Win tomorrow and we look forward to Shrewsbury, Carlisle and Wycombe as a real opportunity to climb to relative safety. And we should. Just looking at Vale's form this year and it's abysmal. 2 points from a possible 21, with defeats by Carlisle, Fleetwood and Cheltenham. You always dread being "that team" as no team loses forever and they have a new manager. But, quite simply, we have to win.

Similar feel to Charlton; a team in woeful form with a new manager. I thought that was a potential banana skin but the team did their job well.

[NathStPaul]

Fear a heavy defeat in this one.

[Sutekh]

Win tomorrow and we look forward to Shrewsbury, Carlisle and Wycombe as a real opportunity to climb to relative safety. And we should. Just looking at Vale's form this year and it's abysmal. 2 points from a possible 21, with defeats by Carlisle, Fleetwood and Cheltenham. You always dread being "that team" as no team loses forever and they have a new manager. But, quite simply, we have to win.

Similar feel to Charlton; a team in woeful form with a new manager. I thought that was a potential banana skin but the team did their job well.

Reading have been well used to being "that" team on various occasions in recent seasons. Hoping that that charitable side has been taken out and quietly shot since Ince left though.

[Hound]

Think we’ll win. Plenty of positives out of the last 2 games despite the single point

Don’t see this a must win exactly, be great to do so but we’ve plenty of winnable games coming up and we’re capable of competing with any team in the division.

[Snowflake Royal]

Think we’ll win. Plenty of positives out of the last 2 games despite the single point

Don’t see this a must win exactly, be great to do so but we’ve plenty of winnable games coming up and we’re capable of competing with any team in the division.

Still only must not lose territory for me. Even that may be pushing it a bit.

[WestYorksRoyal]

If we can recover from where we were after Shrewsbury, nothing is "must win" in February when we're outside the bottom 4. But we've got a real opportunity to take giant strides to safety in the next 3 weeks. And it could help things off the pitch, providing potential buyers confidence that they'll be buying a L1 club.

[Snowflake Royal]

A good end to the season, with a midtable finish and new owners could provide a real springboard to keep our best players and recruit well, and sustainably, to make a genuine promotion challenge next season.

Or we could still fart out the season, go down and cease to exist.

[Hound]

I do till feel we need to try to grab as many points whilst everyone basically is fit. Still scares me that we rely on Azeez who was perma-injured before this year, then Smith who gets a beating every game, plus Wing and Knibbs who have played a lot this season