:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61083007/1025080894.jpg.0.jpg)
On Wednesday night, Reading welcomed Premier League side Watford to the Madejski Stadium in the Carabao Cup. The Royals were uninspiring and short of any real attacking threat as they fell to a 2-0 defeat after goals from Isaac Success and Domingos Quina.
Paul Clement gave chances to impress to the likes of Liam Kelly, John Swift and Omar Richards who have all fell out of the starting eleven since the opening day, but they failed to capitalise in a pretty poor overall performance. Here’s some of the key talking points that the fans were talking about after the game.
Missed opportunities for fringe players, Kelly disappoints again
As previously mentioned, the likes of Kelly, Swift and Richards were all drafted back into the starting eleven for the visit of the Hornets, but all of them failed to impress the manager, and the fans. Midfield playmaker Swift was in fact sacrificed at half time and academy product Omar Richards also failed to complete the 90 minutes.
Even though Liam Kelly did play the whole match, he put in a poor individual display - just like the ones that cost him his starting spot on Saturday. Reading fans took to Twitter to vent their disappointment at certain players...
Sounds like another vintage Swift and Kelly display. How are we not in for a central midfielder this loan window?? Laughable. #ReadingFC
— Nath St Paul (@NathStPaul) August 29, 2018
Swift and Kelly not doing anything tonight to stake a claim for a place on Saturday. Feel like Sims could definitely be worth a go form the start though with Barrow on the other side #readingfc
— Tom Maynard (@ttmaynard) August 29, 2018
Can someone tell me what Liam Kelly actually brings to the team? The bloke definitely needs a grounding in the lower leagues on loan and as for Swift I’d of bitten off Fulham’s hand for 10mill + #ReadingFC
— Scott Graham (@ScottGraham_10) August 29, 2018
Central midfielder a priority now, Kelly and Swift poor again, Bacuna not much better #ReadingFC
— Oly Williams (@olywilliams19) August 29, 2018
Big gap between us and Watford. Still a pretty crap performance. Swift was very poor, Sims looked promising when he came on #readingfc
— Luke Tizzard (@luke_tizzard) August 29, 2018
Return of Chris Gunter
Since he joined in 2012, Welsh international Chris Gunter has been a fixture in the Royals’ backline, and he returned to first-team action from an extremely rare injury lay off on Wednesday night in his usual right-back spot.
The manager now has a big decision to make going into Saturday as to who he plays at right-back, does he stick with Yiadom or twist with Gunter? Yiadom has impressed since joining in the summer and it looks like the majority of the Reading faithful are hoping the 26 year-old Ghanaian keeps his spot in the team...
Imagine my shock. Conceding down Gunter’s side #readingfc
— . (@ME14Ding) August 29, 2018
Shocking from Gunter, at fault for the goal, which as usual was his side. So glad to have Yiadom. #ReadingFC
— Matty (@KingMattyTheOne) August 29, 2018
If Gunter is played over Yiadom or Blackett on Saturday, which I think he will, that is an utter joke. #readingfc
— Harrison Mitchell (@harrison1871rfc) August 29, 2018
Also worth noting Gunter has been back to his normal procedure of being out of position and passing backwards. Put your house on him starting ahead of Yiadom on Saturday though #readingfc
— Jacob Potter (@pott95) August 29, 2018
Clement’s future
For some reason, the future of manager Paul Clement has been thrown into question on Twitter after the loss to Premier League Watford, who are so far unbeaten this season. Although some performances this season have been no less than woeful, there have also been signs that the Royals are on the up.
Solid performances against Derby and Nottingham Forest, combined with a morale boosting last minute equaliser at one of the toughest away grounds in the league have to count for something. I agree that Sheffield Wednesday is a massive match, but calls for Clement’s head are far too premature in my opinion. Here’s what you guys had to say about this particular topic...
People that are asking Clement to be sacked after 6 games, were the ones wanting Stam to stay before relgating us. Who say the w vs Bham in the cup is irrelevant but tonight’s loss in the cup is. Fans need to get a grip. #readingfc
— Alex Stone (@_alexgstone) August 29, 2018
Clement now starting to frustrate me, seems incapable of motivating players and not even out of August. Lose against Wednesday and that should be him gone. Sadly you can see similarities in what Bent said about him. Panicking with tactic changes and selections. #ReadingFC
— Stuart (@fents17) August 30, 2018
Said it for months until gourlay and trevedon leave #ReadingFC this club will be playing league 1 football for a long time... And not having clement he is shocking and clueless.. #goingdown
— mark smith (@smudgerfc) August 30, 2018
Even though the results haven’t gone our way so far. I’d rather pay to watch Reading under Clement, then Reading last season under Stam. #ReadingFC
— Matthew Hayle (@Matt_Hayle) August 30, 2018
Conclusion
Now, more than ever, we need to get behind the boys. Saturday is a huge game, and some may argue it’s a must win. I for one am confident that Reading will get it right, and that Clement will come good and we will start to see some really good football being played by the boys in blue and white.
One thing for sure is that the players need the fans, so why don’t we do our job and support them through the tough times as well as the good?
URZ!
What did you think of Wednesday night’s key talking points? Leave us a comment below.