David Cameron Walker

Archive for the ‘Reading’ Category

Say hello to your 2011/12 Champions!

Sunday, April 22nd, 2012

Did someone say Premier League? On Tuesday night, after a frankly unbelievable past three months, what every Royals supporter dared to dream finally became a reality when the team clinched promotion to the top flight of English football with a 1-0 defeat of Nottingham Forest.

For me it capped off a truly wondrous season, and I felt immense pleasure not only in knowing I could watch my team get picked apart by Hansen, Shearer et al. on Match of the Day every weekend, but for our boys who have performed admirably in getting the club back into the league it dropped out of four years ago. People outside the Reading supporter circle must be sick and tired of hearing it, but the bunch of boys we’ve got at the club really are second to none. They work hard for each other, there’s great relationships between them all and the manager, and most importantly they have such a passion to get to the Premier League.

Kaspars Gorkss and Matt Connolly, statistically the Championship’s most effective defensive pairing last season, both joined our cause from QPR after being deemed surplus to requirements for their Prem campaign, whilst Leigertwood joined the season prior. Neil Warnock was seemingly intent on breaking up his team that romped to the Championship title and replacing them with big money signings, and look where that left him.

He cheekily takes credit for our success too. Jobi McAnuff, made captain in summer, has never played in the top flight, despite trying with five other teams. Noel Hunt follows his brother’s footsteps in gaining promotion with us, and could play against Stephen if Wolves beat the drop. Adam Federici was the Royals’ reserve goalkeeper during their last Premier League stint, and the likes of Jem Karacan, Alex Pearce (two of three players up for Player of the Season), Simon Church and Hal Robson-Kanu have all made their way up through the club’s fantastic academy. Andy Griffin, Ian Harte and Jason Roberts provided the experienced heads, whilst Adam Le Fondre will become a top flight player less than a year after being picked up from League Two and chipping in with 12 goals.

I can honestly say that I didn’t think I’d see a team I loved more than the fabled 106ers of 2005/06, but here they are. It’s a perfect combination of players with varying careers who have such a fantastic bond, and I know that Brian and the rest of the staff will be keen on keeping them together next year. You only have to look at the likes of Swansea and Norwich, and on the flip side QPR, to know which transfer policy works best.

In my last piece, I wrote how the run-in to the season’s end could make or break Reading’s season. It featured five of the top ten at the time, and despite our good form, I was concerned for how well the players would cope with such a tough set of games. What I didn’t anticipate, was that Reading would win 6 of the final 8 fixtures – we face Birmingham next weekend – including games against the top two in West Ham and Southampton, and playoff challengers Leeds, Blackpool and Brighton.

Each and every game was momentous, and with each three points my belief grew. McDermott’s men wrapped it up on Tuesday with a well-fought win against Forest, and as news filtered through that Bristol had held West Ham, the Mad Stad went mental. I really advise checking out some of the promotion videos online, they’re absolutely fantastic. Jem Karacan discharging himself hours after an operation on his broken foot showed what it meant to him, and despite being high as a kite on the medicine, the boys welcomed him like a hero.

Although yesterday’s game against Palace maybe showed traits of complacency in the team, we wrapped up the title later in the day, watching Middlesborough beat Southampton in the late kick off. It would have been nice to have done it with a win at the Madejski and at the same time as the Saints game, but a title is a title, especially considering our position but three months ago, and I ain’t moaning.

What remains important is that we don’t act like there’s nothing to play for at St. Andrew’s in a week’s time. Technically there isn’t, but let’s make it a fine finish to a finer season. Remember 2008/09 boys? We’d been fighting with Wolves and Birmingham for automatic promotion the whole season, and Birmingham condemned us to the playoffs on the final day with a 2-0 victory. Perhaps it’s time to return the favour.

The media have already started paying attention now that Reading are back in the limelight of the Barclays Premier League, and it’s about time too. We’d slipped under the radar, and many people didn’t quite trust in our promotion credentials over West Ham and Southampton’s until it was confirmed. The outright favourites are still battling for that 2nd position, and I certainly wouldn’t want to be the one to drop into the ridiculously strong playoffs this year. Birmingham, Blackpool and Cardiff? No thank you. I don’t imagine Reading would have fared too well in that cauldron. The stats don’t lie though: 47 points gained out of a possible 54 in the last 18 games is promotion form of the finest. That, my friends, is unreal. I’m hella’ proud of the lads, the manager, the chairman, and the club, and there’s just one thing left to say.

Bring on August.

Up the Royals!

 

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The final six: Promotion the hard way

Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012

Is it safe to peek through my fingers yet? Last Saturday was one of those days. The match at Upton Park was one of the most important of the season. Lose, and West Ham would once again take control of second place. Winning, no mean feat in itself, would open up a four point gap between ourselves and the play-offs. So that’s exactly what we did.

It wasn’t the greatest first half performance. West Ham had 80% of the possession in the first 30 minutes, and they were closing down balls as if they had 15 men on the pitch. The fact that we came away 4-2 winners, had a fifth wrongly ruled out and pretty much soaked up all the pressure was fantastic. It was such an excellent result that in the hours following the game, added with Blackpool’s hammering of Southampton, I felt so confident that we were in the right mindset to go up automatically this season.

But then I remembered the remaining fixture list, and that’s a sobering thought in itself. If we are to achieve access to the promised land, we’re truly going to have to earn it. There’s a lot of football yet to be played. The next six matches are as follows:

- Leeds United (H)

- Brighton & Hove Albion (A)

- Southampton (A)

- Nottingham Forest (H)

- Crystal Palace (H)

- Birmingham (A)

Hardly what you’d call an easy run-in. When compared to the same six games of Southampton and West Ham’s, ours is by far the toughest. Leeds always prove stern opposition, and when we barely scraped a 0-0 draw at this time last season it rocked our form. Brighton have run up the table in recent weeks, and the AMEX will surely be rocking when we go down there for what they see as a bit of a derby. Then we have to go to St. Mary’s for a possible top placed showdown which could really go down to the wire. There’s the potential to clinch promotion if everything has gone our way by that time. It all depends on what kind of form both teams take into the tie. The last game both sides played at the Madejski was a cracker, and with so much more at stake this time it could be one of the games of the Championship season. Forest and Palace both have the potential to cause upsets, especially if the latter are fighting against relegation, but I believe they could be overcome without too much bother. Which leaves us with Birmingham. Hopefully it won’t come right down to the last day, because a promotion decider at St. Andrews only brings back bad memories from the Coppell Capitulation in 2008/09. That year we were comprehensively dumped out of the playoffs by eventual winners Burnley, and I don’t fancy a repeat.

One saving grace, along with our ridiculous 11-wins-in-13-games form, is the strength in depth that we have at the club. I don’t think I’ve seen a team as strong as this since the Premiership years. They say never change a winning team, and Brian has pretty much stuck to his guns throughout this amazing run, but as we saw on Saturday, players can get injured, and those that come in have hardly harmed their own reputations. Karacan and his replacement Tabb both had to go off at Upton Park, so Robson-Kanu – a bench regular came on, and McAnuff shifted into the middle. McAnuff kept spraying passes from the centre, whilst Robson-Kanu showed flashes of pace and skill to beat several players during the 25 minutes he was on for.

Add to that the likes of Tomasz Cwyka, Joseph Mills and Andy Griffin who don’t even make the bench and Le Fondre, Mullins, Connolly and Andersen who occupied the injury table, and we’re a team beaming with confidence and talent. Afobe came off the bench to replace Kebe on the right side, and impressed, despite it not being his natural position. It’ll be interesting to see how Brian juggles things with the games coming thick and fast over the next month, but he’s praised those not making the starting 11.

“When I got this job I promised myself two things – I’d try to win every game and I would go with my gut on every decision and never question that. Even if it seems harsh. We want to be happy but this is not a soft environment, it’s a focused environment. The toughest part of the job is telling people they are not playing. I have a quote from Cantona up in the dining room: ‘I was a small piece of the jigsaw, but I was never more important than the Team’. I want everyone to feel they are a valued part of what we are doing.

“I spoke to Churchy and Alfie, they’re really important to me. Their reaction was first class. I agonised over the decision, it was a big decision for me but their reaction sums up the group. They both want the team and the club to do well.”

Slowly, I’m beginning to believe more and more that we can do it. This could be our year. There’s still plenty of football to play, but it’s looking good. C’mon you Royals, it’s now or never. This is it.

Ie-ai-ie-ai-ie-ai-o…

Written by Ben Barker, We Are Going Up’s Reading blogger

Ben tweets at @benjambarker

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January signings doing the Royal business

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

It’s been a strange couple of months to be a Reading fan. We’ve been used to shoestring budgets, lower league acquisitions and seeing the club’s best players sold off to fill the inevitable ‘black hole’ each summer, but with the impending takeover from Thames Sport Investment due to go ahead in March that could all be about to change.

Led by Russian millionaire Anton Zingarevich, TSI looked to assert their interest in successfully completing the deal for 51% of Reading Football Club by providing the club with funding for January transfers. It was a welcome gesture and regardless of the outcome of the March deal, the money was the club’s to keep and use, TSI won’t send the debt collectors round.

The announcement of the provisional investment deal came just days after Brian McDermott was quoted as saying there would be no activity in the winter window due to a serious lack of funding. I, and I’m sure plenty of other Royals fans, sighed and accepted that this year would be no different to the last two. I probably would have kicked you in the knee if you said the club would have bought two Premiership players to the club. But that’s what has happened, and Reading are reaping the benefits.

The January deals included young striker Karl Sheppard on a free transfer from Shamrock Rovers, Jason Roberts on an 18 month contract from Blackburn, Tomasz Cywka on a free from Derby, and versatile defender Matt Connolly on loan from QPR, as well as tying Jimmy Kebe down to a new contract. Those five deals gave an already strong team with some depth and impetus to really push forward.

Cywka, released from Derby after a bust up with Nigel Clough, represents a young, hungry winger who with an arm around him and some confidence restored, could really make an impact in the Championship. Karl Sheppard has got Europa League experience with Rovers and given the Royals’ track record with Irish strikers, this kid could be one to keep an eye out for. He’s been a little injury ridden since he arrived in Berkshire, but we could well see him before the season’s out.

Jason Roberts is a player who can provide invaluable advice and pointers to some of the less experienced members of the group, as well as rolling back the years with some pace, strength and goalscoring ability. At 33 years of age, he may just be a stop-gap for the likes of Sheppard and Le Fondre, but what a coup nevertheless. Matthew Connolly was the deadline day signing, and provided some much needed depth to the backline. Alex Pearce and Kaspars Gorkss are one of the best defensive pairings in the league, but away from them there wasn’t too much in terms of reinforcements. Connolly and Gorkss were at the centre of QPR’s rise to the Premiership last season, and struck up such a relationship that to now have both of those guys at Reading is unbelievable. He’s slotted in at right-back in the absence of Griffin and Cummings in recent weeks, and looks as comfortable there as he did in the centre.

Of the games since they arrived at the club, Roberts has started all four and scored three, Cywka has made two substitute appearances and won a penalty, and Connolly has played all three having joined after Roberts and Cywka, and has helped keep clean sheets in every match. Since he signed his contract, Jimmy Kebe has played some of his best football I’ve seen, scoring one and creating two assists. They’ve each provided the team with a different type of outlet.

For example, with Shane Long in the team,  the ball was knocked forward all the time in the hope that with his pace and jumping abilities, he would be able to charge down the loose ball. After he left and was replaced with Adam Le Fondre, who was more of a goal hanging poacher, that approach wasn’t going to work. Jason Roberts’ tall figure and strength holds the ball up more often now, letting Noel Hunt or either of the wingers run off him. Matt Connolly prefers to sit back rather than maraud up the pitch, which makes the team more defensively stable, and his passing skills are a big plus.

But let’s not forget the team who got Reading to fifth in the Championship before the TSI takeover. When looking back, it’s very hard to pinpoint reasons as to how we got so high, but with such a great bunch of guys it’s not surpring. Jobi McAnuff and Kebe have both had inconsistent seasons. McAnuff was given the armband in the wake of the sale of Matt Mills and has seemed alienated more than once this year. Kebe on the other hand, has done what Kebe does best. Beating his man and not much else. There were concerns over his footballing ability, and some were keen to cash in on him in January.

Since his new contract his crossing in particular has impressed, but whether he’ll sustain it until May remains to be seen. Jem Karacan, one of the standout players from last season needed a dropping to the bench to kickstart his season, and since then he’s been an engine in the midfield, whilst Mikele Leigertwood has quitely been cleaning up for the most part. At the back, Ian Harte and Joe Mills have tussled for the leftback spot and it’s been an even couple of rounds. Ian Harte grabbed himself eleven goals last season and is a great threat from the deadballs, but you only have to look to the playoff final to see his lack of pace undermining his goalscoring ability.

Joseph Mills on the other hand has looked reasonably solid all round. He’s still at a young age and looks more likely to take the number one position. Simon Church, Noel Hunt and Adam Le Fondre have shared the (sparse) amount of goals thus far, but have been missing a true number 9 like Long. However the players have rallied together under the presence of Brian McDermott et al. to once again defy the critics. It was a shaky start in September and it looked like the blackhole had really left the club short, but now with three months to go until the end of the season? It’s so up in the air.

The non-repayable funding from TSI has been reassuring, not only in strengthening the playing squad, but also in showing their commitment to seeing this deal through. If all is successful come March, Zingarevich will be majority shareholder with 51% of the club, with Madejski remaining as chairman and keeping 49%. With the playoff final still ripe in the players’ minds and fond memories of the record 106 points winning team and the Premiership years slowly disappearing, this could be the time for Reading Football Club. Friday’s win against Burnley propelled them into third place – only to be overtaken by Birmingham later in the week – and to just six points behind the leaders. The club have won eight of their last ten, including four on the bounce, conceding just five in that time.

I don’t like to get my hopes up, especially in this league, but to quote the great Ray Wilkins, “My word…”

C’mon URZ!

Written by Ben Barker, We Are Going Up’s Reading blogger

Ben tweets at @benjambarker

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In Brian We Trust

Friday, September 16th, 2011

Déjà vu anyone? Cast your minds back to September 2010; it only feels like two minutes ago when Reading were struggling to get any kind of run together. After a deflating opening day defeat to Scunthorpe and the loss of Gylfi Sigurdsson to Hoffenheim, the future was looking bleak for the Royals. Even after this lacklustre start and an average at best mid season, Reading were still able to string together an impressive eight game winning streak to grab a play-off place. I still have flashbacks from Jem Karacan’s effort at 3-2 against Swansea and wonder what if, I’m sure I’m not alone. From a neutral point of view, the final was mouth-watering but for Reading fans, it was the similar taste of play-off heartbreak. Perhaps losing 3-0 may have been easier to take but to get so close to pulling off an amazing Wembley comeback was a bitter pill to swallow.

September 2011 and we’ve been here before; a poor start and the loss of last year’s Player of the Season. The sale of Shane Long was, of course, a massive blow for Reading and the Championship, but I can’t help but feel proud seeing him already terrorising Premier League defences week in, week out. A run of four league defeats is hard to take at any point in the season, especially after the promising defeat of big spending Leicester City on the 13th August; which I may add included several of their big money signings. But after this well deserved win, the season has seriously slumped resulting in two extremely disappointing home defeats to Barnsley and Watford. This is one of the first times in my 20 years of following Reading I have heard the chant of “spend some f*****g money.” This was truly a surreal – and worrying-  experience especially at the Madejski Stadium where the vibe has always been positive.

Even after this disappointing start though,  there’s still promise within the camp. The loan signing of Mikele Leigertwood was a massive influence on last seasons surge of results. Even though has hasn’t replicated any similar form yet, he still a very capable performer. There are also the skills and trickery of Jobi McAnuff and Jimmy Kebe to rely on – the pair who last season traumatised every full back the Championship had to offer.  The chequebook has been opened, despite the fan chants with new players coming in. Possibly the most impressive being the capture of Kaspars Gorkss from QPR for a minimal fee. Gorkss made over 42 appearances for Rangers in their promotion season so its a mystery why he would drop a division after playing such an integral part. He has already added experience and strength to a shaky back four.

The signing of Adam Le Fondre is enough to excite any Reading fan. A record of 59 goals in 107 goals for Rotherham United is the sign of a hungry and prolific striker. I just hope he can step up to a tougher division and recapture that amazing form – a goal on his début was lacking in an inept 2-0 loss at home to Watford. These signings may not be on the same level as the Manchester Cities of the world but that’s what Reading are all about – Sensible! John Madejski has never splashed the cash – Kevin Doyle, Shane Long, Gylfi Siggurdson cost the club a total of £78,000 and were sold for a cool £18 million; good business indeed. Under Madejski, the club have always operated on a brick by brick foundation which I’m sure has frustrated a few over the years, considering the wealth of our chairman, but I’d prefer to do things the right way and have players who want to make a difference instead of making a dent in the club’s finances.

Most fans, and even players, would be quick to blame the manager when times are tough and their team are struggling, but at Reading its the players who are coming forward to hold their hands up for the uninspiring start. Brian McDermott is the last person the players will blame. They respect McDermott, as do I. He is the man who took the club from the pits of the Championship to the brink of the promised land in two years on a minimal budget. Possibly the most underrated manager in the division but at the same time, one of the best. Its easy to see why people have compared McDermott to Steve Coppell.  His managerial skills cannot be written off as a one season wonder and Reading cannot be written off as nearlymen.

Doncaster Rovers on Saturday could be the turning point and even an ugly win would give the team something to build on. Football is a game of confidence; just take a look at the newly promoted teams like Brighton and Southampton who are currently storming the league. But as the old cliché goes…its a marathon not a sprint. I suppose this is why we all love football, and why Royal fans love Reading so much; the ups and downs are part of being a football fan. Would I have it any other way? Not a chance! Roll on Saturday….

Written by Ashley Holloway, We Are Going Up’s Reading Blogger

 

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