Our journey in this season’s FA Cup competition takes us to Championship side Reading in a bid to reach the semi final stage. We had a chat with the team at FBA nominated Royals website and podcast The Tilehurst End.
Q. How has your season been so far?
To be horribly cliche, a roller coaster. The season started in fairly dull and unspiring fashion before a flurry of deals late in the window sparked a run to second in the table in early October. Then we picked up a couple of injuries, chucked away a two goal lead away at Fulham and the wheels totally fell off. Steve Clarke then further wound up a frustrated fanbase by talking to Fulham and soon got the axe. Brian McDermott has steadied the ship but we are destined for a mid-table finish before another big rebuilding job in the summer. The FA Cup has once again been a shining light but given we also made the semi-final stage last season, it is not quite as magical this time around.
Q. Was it the right time for Steve Clarke to leave the club?
Yes and no. You always want to see managers given more time to turn a club around but the tailspin after the result at Fulham and news that he spoke to the same club weeks later poisoned a chunk of the fanbase against him that could not be turned back. Fans forgive a lot when you are winning but you throw in that act of disloyalty coupled with awful football and it is only going to end one way.
Q. Are the fans happy with the return of Brian McDermott?
Most of us are but there remains a stubborn group that blames him for our Premier League relegation in 2013 and feels he is too tactically limited to take the club forward. Personally, I have got a huge amount of time for a manager who acts with class and dignity while being only the second man to ever win us promotion to the Premier League and never finished outside the top ten in the Championship. This time around he has not got off to a barn burner of a start but we are safe from the drop, have the faintest of play-off hopes and are ninety minutes from Wembley so it has not been a bad return.
Q. Playing on Tuesday night was not the ideal preparation for the cup tie. Do you think that the Football League could have helped by postponing the midweek game?
You guys have been spending too much time in the Premier League bubble! In all seriousness though, yes, it would have been nice not to have the trip up to Huddersfield the week of a massive game but that is what squads are for and while I am writing this the morning of the game, I imagine you will see very few of the players who will be in action on Friday playing against the Yorkshire side.
Q. Perhaps you could share with us your thoughts on your former boss Alan Pardew returning to face his old club.
Pardew was instrumental in turning the club around and setting the foundations for our run to the Premier League so for that he will always be respected by Reading fans. Yet the way he left the club in a strop for a West Ham United team then below us in the second tier left a sour taste and for years he was a pantomime villain whenever he turned up (and usually lost) at the Madejski. Personally, I am not his biggest fan as a bloke because he is a little bit too spiky when put under pressure (Hi Geoff Shreeves!) and other stories I have heard from people in the media only back that up. Yet you cannot argue with the success he has enjoyed since leaving us. Will he get a good reception on Friday? Probably not, but will he be appreciated when he comes out to do the half-time draw fifteen years from now? Absolutely.
Q. Is a late run to get involved in the race for the play offs a little out reach for Reading now?
I think so. Had we beaten Fulham last weekend it would have been a nine point gap with a game in hand but as it is we are eleven points adrift before the Huddersfield game and that is a lot to make up with twelve games to go. Could it be done? Sure, but the bookmakers have us as a 50/1 shot for good reason.
Q. What are your thoughts on Palace this season?
Like many, I was really impressed with your form in the first half of the season where you had an exciting group of players that could get their way to results against the best but issues at the very back and front of the pitch seem to have been your undoing lately. As someone that watched Alex McCarthy develop it has been sad to see him fail to displace such a bang average keeper as Wayne Hennessey and his error against Liverpool showed all the signs of a man devoid of confidence. At the other end and your strikers have made finding the net a big problem and it has put a little too much pressure on the midfield to chip in. Overall you are a solid team but to state the obvious, need to snap out of that winless run sooner rather than later.
Q. Name a player from each side that the opposition should be concerned about.
From a Palace point of view I am worried about the pace and trickery you have got from players like Wilfried Zaha and Yannick Bolasie as our defence is not great at dealing with people who run at us with speed. If I was a Palace fan I would be concerned about Hal Robson-Kanu’s love affair with the FA Cup where he always seems to pop up with big goals. Likewise, winger Ola John has finally been showing why Benfica once paid £6million plus for him and Michael Hector has really settled into the anchor role in front of the back four.
Q. Your prediction?
I missed our last semi-final appearance at Wembley as I booked my wedding for that day so I remain convinced I am cursed not to get a trip there. Even putting that aside I do still think you have the quality to beat us so I think you will take a 2-0 win.
Q. Please tell us a little about what you do and share anyt tohing that you are currently working on.
If you are ever interested in getting analysis and opinion on the Reading side of life then head over to our website or give our fortnightly podcast a listen which you can find on iTunes and other such podcast players by searching for The Tilehurst End. You can also follow us on Twitter.
