MATCHWATCH : Blackburn Rovers (a)

[Sutekh]

When : Wednesday 15 March 2023, 7.45pm
Where : Ewood Park, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 4JF
Capacity : 31,367

Oh deep joy, the time is right for another away game, the 6th such game of 2023 and Reading have a 100% record so far having played 5 and lost 5. It gets better as the club have not scored a goal away from Reading since Tom Ince scored in the 94th minute of the game at Birmingham in December 2022!

Of course this is going to be as difficult as you can get as Blackburn are pretty good and challenging for automatic promotion which is a bit like the circumstances that led to the last turdfest of an away trip to Middlesbrough so suggest quietly going away to hide somewhere though you would miss the chance of Reading adding to their record of 9 shots on target in the last 5 away games and the 3 shots on target in the last 270 minutes of trying to kick the round thing into the netty things.

To add to it all, this is a Wednesday nighter and Reading have only won 4 midweek away league games in the last 52 attempts. On the upside Blackburn begins with the letter B so there is a chance, though Blackburn away is one of the 4 wins already recorded in this odd statistic so could lightning strike twice?

Rovers have won 4 and lost 1 of their last 5 league games and have also won at Leicester “reserves” in the cup, so will be very formidable. In addition they haven’t conceded a home goal in the league since last year so this is the perfect opposition for Reading’s outstanding form and away record.

Ben Brereton-Diaz (11 goals) is the first name everyone knows that needs to be stopped but, for Reading, it’s usually Sam Gallagher (7 goals) that proves to be the biggest pain in the bottom. In addition Sammy Szmodics seems to be hitting very decent form plus Dominic Hyam is there to give a former Reading connection to have to handle.

Reading were getting dangerously close to a fit squad so the fates decided that wasn’t allowed and so gifted Reading three injuries (Yiadom, Dann and McIntyre) in the Millwall debacle to add to the injuries to Meite and Hutchinson. That said Blackburn are likely to be without 8 players: Bradley Dack, both Wharton brothers, Sam Barnes, Daniel Ayala, Thomas Kaminski, Clinton Mola and Jack Vale.

Referee

Darren Bond

Previously

17 Feb 23 > Cardiff City 1-0 Reading
14 Jan 23 > Reading 2-2 Queens Park Rangers
04 Oct 22 > Reading 1-1 Norwich City
09 Jan 21 > Luton Town 1-0 Reading (FA Cup)
21 Nov 20 > Bournemouth 4-2 Reading
17 Oct 20 > Middlesbrough 0-0 Reading
12 Sep 20 > Derby County 0-2 Reading
11 Jul 20 > Charlton Athletic 0-1 Reading
14 Jan 20 > Blackpool 0-2 Reading (FA Cup)
26 Nov 19 > Reading 0-1 Leeds United
10 Nov 18 > Reading 2-2 Ipswich Town
15 Sep 18 > Preston North End 2-3 Reading
03 Apr 18 > Aston Villa 3-0 Reading
20 Jan 17 > Reading 0-1 Brentford
30 Nov 17 > Reading 3-0 Barnsley
11 Feb 17 > Reading 0-0 Barnsley
13 Aug 16 > Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 Reading
14 Mar 15 > Watford 4-1 Reading
30 Aug 14 > Middlesbrough 0-1 Reading

Historically

As with most trips up north Reading do not have a particularly impressive record. At Ewood Park there is just two wins to show from the thirteen previous league visits. A more positive view though might be to say that Reading have won 1 of their last 2 visits to Ewood Park.

Overall the last 7 trips to Blackburn have seen no clean sheets and 18 goals conceded.

Since the first league game at Ewood (in April 1980) the full league record there is played 13 won 2, drawn 5, lost 6, for 22, against 30

How to follow the game

1. Get a ticket and travel all the way oop north
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. Red button/Sky sports app
5. Use a RoyalsTV subscription
6. BBC Radio Berkshire (FM : 104.4, 104.1 or 95.4 depending where you are in the area)

[Snowflake Royal]

We've lost 3 in a row barely capable of shooting, let alone scoring. Blackburn have won 4 of their last 6. They're top six, we're 16th. We're bad everywhere, but utterly dreadful away.

4 in a row it is.

[Hound]

Yeah little hope for this. We’re dire at the moment, end of season can’t come soon enough

No real faith in any of the players whatever we put out but particularly going forward we look clueless

[Snowflake Royal]

On the plus side, we've scored almost as many as they have. Just 3 goals difference. But conceded 14 more.

So, I think there are two ways to approach this.

The usual 5-3-2 and hope we manage a miraculous clean sheet and/or snatch one of our very limited chances to pick up a point or a shock win.

Or

Go hard for an early goal and then either frustrate the hell out of them or try to make it safe.

Now Blackburn begins with a 'B' so it has to be go hard, because we have a good record at surprise B team wins. If we get spanked, oh well, GD is already awful and if it comes into play we're oxf*rd anyway.

So lets go kerazy.

.........................Lumley
Yiadom, Mbengue, Holmes, NGW
...............Hendrick, McIntyre
....Azeez.............Ince............Long
...........................Joao

Play to Joao's feet and waist, and into the channels behind the full backs for Long and Azeez to run onto. Ince can roam and link with Joao.

If we're getting overrun we can always pull Azeez or McIntyre back into defence to make the usual 5, with Ince dropping deeper if neccessary. Carroll can come on fresh to go long later in the game.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Statistically speaking, Blackburn are one of the worst sides in the division for attacking and defending stats. Expected to score the 2nd least amount in the league, whereas expected to concede the second most in the league as well. They've obviously got some quality players though to make up for that lack of creativity as they are clinical with players like Brereton Diaz.

But it also shows that they are capable of a really bad result at times, Stoke wasn't great on Friday night, 3-2 flattered them a bit, Rotherham away 4-0, even our result in the reverse fixture they looked really bad. They remind me of when we finished 7th.

Not expecting anything given our form and away record, but it doesn't smack to me as a nailed on home win. Having said that, I thought we would get something against Millwall and/or Sheff United and we got nothing, although we were relatively unlucky in both, to a degree.

[URZZZZ]

Can see Ince going with:

Lumley

Holmes
Moore
Sarr

Mbengue
Casadei
Hendrick
Fornah
NGW

Ince
Joao

Bouzanis, Abbey, Loum, Ejaria, Azeez, Long, Carroll

Fornah seems to get a monthly start before vanishing again and Cadadei did well on Saturday. Joao did enough to displace the front two, even if he offers little threat

Wouldn’t be my team, we reaped the benefits of having a go at them back in August but doubt Ince will do it again

[Snowflake Royal]

Be quite good if Ince starts Moore. Means I can just walk away from the season.

[Hendo]

We're all for it, etc...

But seriously I do think that is a bit of an odd stance to take. He was clearly our best CB on Saturday.

Why is it again that you hate him so much? Would you not cheer if he scores a last minute winner v Blackburn?

I just can't get over people booing our own players, especially when none of us really know what has or hasn't happened.

[NathStPaul]

I find it a bit odd that the hatred towards him isn't understood. He essentially has taken advantage of a very naïve owner and overall has been extremely poor value for money. I think he has played a blinder, he's milked us completely.

I am of the belief he has also feigned injury in order to not play in cup games/to stop him being sold. He knows he won't make 35k a week anywhere else. I accept there is no concrete evidence of this, just personal view.

We are now in the period where he is shortly out of contract and will no doubt give it his all in order to secure a move elsewhere. The Hal Robson-Kanu tactic.

[Snowflake Royal]

We're all for it, etc...

But seriously I do think that is a bit of an odd stance to take. He was clearly our best CB on Saturday.

Why is it again that you hate him so much? Would you not cheer if he scores a last minute winner v Blackburn?

I just can't get over people booing our own players, especially when none of us really know what has or hasn't happened.

He embodies everything that's been wrong with the club for years, I'm completely sick of him. He's the past. I'm interested in the future and he's not even actually good. Can't wait for him to be gone.

[Hendo]

We're all for it, etc...

But seriously I do think that is a bit of an odd stance to take. He was clearly our best CB on Saturday.

Why is it again that you hate him so much? Would you not cheer if he scores a last minute winner v Blackburn?

I just can't get over people booing our own players, especially when none of us really know what has or hasn't happened.

He embodies everything that's been wrong with the club for years, I'm completely sick of him. He's the past. I'm interested in the future and he's not even actually good. Can't wait for him to be gone.

Ok, I just find it a bit strange because of one player, that is only going to play a maximum of 10 games, you're not going to bother with the rest of the season.

Yes, he is the past, but at the moment he is the best we've got.

[Snowflake Royal]

We're all for it, etc...

But seriously I do think that is a bit of an odd stance to take. He was clearly our best CB on Saturday.

Why is it again that you hate him so much? Would you not cheer if he scores a last minute winner v Blackburn?

I just can't get over people booing our own players, especially when none of us really know what has or hasn't happened.

He embodies everything that's been wrong with the club for years, I'm completely sick of him. He's the past. I'm interested in the future and he's not even actually good. Can't wait for him to be gone.

Ok, I just find it a bit strange because of one player, that is only going to play a maximum of 10 games, you're not going to bother with the rest of the season.

Yes, he is the past, but at the moment he is the best we've got.

It's not like watching us is enjoyable at the moment. Oh, and I won't agree he's the best we've got. At all.

[Hendo]

I find it a bit odd that the hatred towards him isn't understood. He essentially has taken advantage of a very naïve owner and overall has been extremely poor value for money. I think he has played a blinder, he's milked us completely.

I am of the belief he has also feigned injury in order to not play in cup games/to stop him being sold. He knows he won't make 35k a week anywhere else. I accept there is no concrete evidence of this, just personal view.

We are now in the period where he is shortly out of contract and will no doubt give it his all in order to secure a move elsewhere. The Hal Robson-Kanu tactic.

I think hindsight it a wonderful thing when it comes to Moore. He negotiated a new contract at the perfectly exact moment. When the Brighton stuff came up, he was certainly our best defender, if not one of the best defenders in the league, and I was delighted by the club finally staying firm and saying no to selling him.

Unfortunately his form fell off a cliff, kept getting injured and well it did become a bit of a mess.

But at the time he signed the contract, no one could've seen that coming.

Alleging someone has feigned an injury to get out of a game is a pretty big claim, I just don't see it, tbh. I also am unsure whether his wage is 35k/week - I've never seen any proof of this, other than a few people mention it on twitter.

If he gives it his all over the next 10 games, I have no problem with that - I don't want him here next season, but him playing well is only going to help us get over the line.

[Hound]

Yeah bollocks to what has gone. If he is out best chance to stay up, play the git

I don’t especially like him, obvs been dreadful vfm but I can see a good argument for him/Holmes/Mbengue at the back for the rest of the season

He’ll be gone in June. If getting himself a contract next year somewhere else means he plays well for the rest of the season, then great, we’re all winners

[tidus_mi2]

Not Moore's fault the owner decided to throw money at him to keep him at the club, he was either going to stay here for a bumper deal or go to Brighton for ~£10m on similar wages, our owner chose the former, as for his form dropping off a cliff and suffering injuries, that's always a risk in football.

The only thing I don't like with Moore is the stupid cryptic messages he posts on Insta, either say your side of the story or be quiet about it, not this stupid halfway point that he seems to pick.

[Coppells Lost Coat]

........................Lumley
Yiadom, Mbengue, Dann, Holmes ,NGW
....................Hendrick
....Azeez.............Ince............Long
....................Joao or Carroll not fussed which

Sticking with 5 at the back, slight tweak in midfield...ie none. 5131 formation, might as well skip the midfield battle as we bypass it most weeks anyway. Force the play out wide Mbengue can step up if needed. Probably need a bit more experience at the back to make those calls though. Personally i am not a fan of Dann but need a marshal back there.

Happy to see Moore get minutes as he looked good on saturday - however that was not exactly difficult to do.

[Orion1871]

We're all for it, etc...

But seriously I do think that is a bit of an odd stance to take. He was clearly our best CB on Saturday.

Why is it again that you hate him so much? Would you not cheer if he scores a last minute winner v Blackburn?

I just can't get over people booing our own players, especially when none of us really know what has or hasn't happened.

I find it strange how people who constantly criticise the owner for his running of the club believe his account of Liam, seemingly without question.

[Fezza]

Seemed to do a lot in the community before being stripped of the captaincy. Certainly our best defender.

Like Loader, he should have been sold for a packet and we may have avoided all the cr@p that's come since. That's on the owner and the people he surrounded himself with.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Yeah I still don't understand how people criticise Moore for the owner giving him a lucrative deal. We either had the choice to give him his demands (we did), or sell him to Brighton. We didn't have to give him the deal, we could have sold for £10m (ish) and moved forward from there.

But at the moment I'd have him, Holmes and Mbengue as our 3 CB's, to me they have the best balance out of all the defenders we could have, although understand why Sarr's height might be an asset depending on who we play.

As people have said, he's leaving in June unless he earns himself a contract here on far more reasonable terms. If not, he moves on. Got no issues with him, I still don't understand why the club painted him in such bad light just for wanting to progress his career, big deal.

[tidus_mi2]

At least my expectations for this game are rock bottom so if we get anything it will be a massive positive.