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With the M4 Derby on the horizon, Billy Grant took time out to catch up with Reading fan Rob Langham (@twounfortunates)  from the excellent The Two Unfortunates blog to get his written thoughts on Reading’s chances at the weekend .. whilst also catching up with Wimb, Handbags and Johnny from The Tilehurst End blog and podcast (@thetilehurstend) on this weeks Beesotted podcast for their thoughts on the season.

 

So you have new Thai owners who are looking to fund a Premier League assault. When you got relegated from the Premier League, many people expected you to make a rapid return It hasn’t happened. Are you excited about the new season ? 

 

I think fans of other clubs expect relegated teams to cash in on the parachute payments and make an instant return to the top flight but such these are often cancelled out by the outrageous wages dished out to the undeserving and the related trauma of relegation itself that rarely are teams well poised to actually manage this.

 

So, having wasted good money on the limited and willing Pavel Pogrebnyak and Danny Guthrie among others and then compounded it all with the zany signing of Royston Drenthe and a crocked Wayne Bridge, I never expected much.

 

So, although Reading only missed out on a place in the play-offs on the last day of the season against Burnley, the trend was clearly always going to be downward and the process of rebuilding has taken an understandable couple of years to run its course. I was far from excited at the outset of the new season as the club had really failed to address the need for a new striker and lower mid table seemed to beckon at best.

 

Steve Clarke had a pretty strange first 5 months in charge. You had a great cup run – losing to Arsenal in the FA cup semi-final – but you had what was possibly your most depressing league campaign in over a decade. Brentford fans do thank you for taking care of Derby on the last day of the season it has to be said. Can you explain the jeckyl and hyde?

 

Clarke has the excuse that his initial months in charge saw him attempting to make the best of Nigel Adkins’ squad and a slightly dicey financial situation forced him to rely on the loan market to improve the squad. The verdict has been very much one of ‘jury out’ and fans are divided over the manager’s seeming preference for experience over youth.

 

Nathan Ake and Nathaniel Chalobah in particular did well on loan but the goals drought remained. League form plummeted alarmingly and was masked by the fine cup run you mention.

 

That enterprise at least underlined the potential and fine summers for McCleary and Michael Hector  – a player that I believe you saw play for Jamaica in the Gold Cup final against Mexico in Philadelphia this summer –  show that the club has players who can compete with the best but there needs to be some serious concentration and buckling down in certain quarters.

 

This season you have drawn lost to Birmingham and drawn 0-0 at home to both Leeds and Franchise FC aka MK Dons. You also drew away to Wednesday. It seems you have carried on where you left of last season.

 

On the face of it, that’s true but reports indicate that, apart from the 2-1 win over Pompey in the League Cup, Reading have been far the better side in every game they have played so far in 2015-6.

 

If it were not for a late calamity from new keeper Jonathan Bond at Hillsborough, the Royals would be firmly established in the top half and the midfield in particular has really taken a grip of games.

 

At the back, Anton Ferdinand and Paul McShane have hit the ground running as a new, highly seasoned partnership and the only issue is up front where Orlando Sa, newly arrived from Legia Warsaw, is yet to break his duck, despite some good reviews.

 

Reading’s start can be spun various ways but a streak of five games unbeaten in all competitions is far from calamitous.

 

You’re lacking in goals. Having had 69 shots this season, you’ve only scored 2 goals. How are you going to deal with that this season?

 

I have the hope that it will take one strike from Orlando Sa to break the seal and lead to a flurry of goals, especially with main provider Garath McCleary back from injury and Peruvian Copa America hero Paolo Hurtado champing at the bit to get involved – but one has to be realistic.

 

An injury to Dominic Samuel and the departure of Pogrebnyak to Dynamo Moscow leave the club woefully short of firepower and the persistent chase to sign Rapid Vienna’s Robert Beric looks set to end in disappointment with Saint Etienne also keen.

 

To my mind, the essential attributes of any newcomer needs to be pace allied to finishing ability – skills that are not easy to come by for a reasonable price as Bees’ profit on Andre Gray shows.

 

Saturday is a big local match. Your fans seem to enjoy the trip to Griffin Park. You have sold out your allocation so it should be a good atmosphere. How do you think your team will get on at the weekend?

 

Last season’s 3-1 defeat at Griffin Park was an embarrassment, coming as it did relatively early in the season before anyone knew how good Brentford would be (not me, I hasten to add, having been present for their promotion clinching game against Preston).

 

I expect better and I think most Reading fans would hope for a draw given Bees’ uneven start – but unless Sa can finally hit the mark, I worry that Royals could enjoy a good share of the play and yet still come away empty handed. I’ll plump for a slightly optimistic 1-1.

 

Billy Grant

@BillyTheBee99

Drinking In Brentford

For Reading fans coming down, you are probably aware there plenty of pub options pre-match and all are most welcoming. Colours are fine and there is no ‘bouncer culture’ on the doors of our boozers – not yet anyway. All fans are welcome and most fans usually cite Brentford as their favourite away-day which we’re quite proud of.

As is etched in common folklore , there were four pubs around the ground until a few weeks ago – unfortunately one closed down to leave only three now. The Griffin is closest to the away end (like 30 secs walk) and is very popular with away fans – but also very very busy. The New Inn is on the other side is also popular with away fans. The Princess Royal is the other option (The Royal Oak was the one that closed down).

Other pubs slightly further afield for the more creative amongst you include (and this is by no means a definitive list) the  … The Globe (Windmill Rd) is the is a very friendly pub indeed. The other boozer is The Lord Nelson (Enfield Rd)  – both incredibly cozy away-friendly pubs and 30 seconds walk from each other .. frequented by ‘away fans in the know’. The Plough (Northfields Ave – 1 minute walk from the tube) in Northfields is a decent stop-off if you are coming by tube to Northfields before making your way down to the ground (normally stopping off at The Globe and Lord Nelson en route on the Northfields pub crawl).

Northfields tube station is preferred by fans in the know as it has a decent pub crawl run on the way to the ground (Plough, Lord Nelson, Globe). South Ealing has one posh pub en route that doesn’t really like football fans so we won’t even give it a mention here. It’s 20 mins walk from either South Ealing OR Northfields to the ground or you can get the E2 bus from Northfields or 65 bus from South Ealing for the short 5 minute journey.

Some fans will prefer to take the overground to Brentford mainline station. If you do take this route, there is also a pub right by Brentford station always referred to as … er …  the Pub by Brentford station.

For ale head to the Magpie and Crown pub on Brentford High Street. The Royal Horseguardsman can probably hold 15 of you at a push. The Brewery Tap is a cosy boozer by the river. And if you are super adventurous, get off at Kew Bridge and visit the new boozer One Over the Ait right on the river – beside the bridge. Great views over The Thames. It’s around 15 mins walk to the ground from here.

There are loads more too. A quick google search and you’ll find them all. There are many many more too if you have a look around.

Parking is pretty easy away from the ground going up towards and over the A4 Great West Rd (ie. North) via Ealing Rd or Windmill Rd.