With the Chronicle claiming that the proposed transfer of Pavel Pogrebnyak to Reading set to go through following a work permit being granted; the question on everybody’s lips is whether or not the Russian striker can fire the Royals to a high Premier League finish?
Following winning the Championship last year and gaining promotion to the Premier League and joining England’s elite, Reading will be looking to equal their debut season in 2006/07 where they just missed out on then called Uefa Cup – finishing 8th. Even though most Reading fans would be happy and would accept a 17th place finish to ensure Premier League survival, the more optimistic fans will believe that with a few good signings the Royals can match or even surpass their first season in the Premier League.
How does this batch of Reading players compare to their predecessors 6 years ago? In their first season Reading signed few players, keeping the squad that had ran away with the Championship the season before in tact and used to experience of players such as Seol Ki-Hyeon and Ulises De La Cruz to bolster the squad.
Arguably this current Reading side has more Premier League experience. From the veteran forward Jason Roberts (Blackburn, West Brom, Wigan & Portsmouth), to the mountain in the midfield Mikele Leigertwood (Crystal Palace & Sheffield United) to Ian Harte (Leeds United) and even to Adam Federici, Brynjar Gunarsson and Alex Pearce (who are the survivors from the 2006 squad to that of the present day crop of Reading FC players) this Reading side have players who can keep the Royals in the same league as the rest of the crown jewels the Premier League has to offer.
But don’t be under any illusions, every team that comes up from the Championship have to strengthen. Yes, the Championship is one of the most competitive leagues in Europe but not every player who is a success in that league can make the step up to the Premier League. Even this Reading side with the experience some of the team may have, is still needing players of higher quality with more experience whilst finding a way to stay loyal to the Royals that bought success to the club. Now with new owner Anton Zingarevich at the helm exciting things are expected to be coming out of the Berkshire club. With seemingly everyone being linked with a move to Reading it may come as a shock that Pogbrenyak is set to be the first high profile signing Reading will make.
A player who hasn’t been the most prolific during this 10 year professional career. A player who up until his loan spell at Fulham last season was near enough unknown to the English football fans. However, what some people may not know is that even though he has only scored 22 in 90 games for VFB Stuttgart; and only scored 39 goals in 90 matches for Zenit St.Petersburg he was a major part of the resurgent Zenit side who won the Russian Premier League in 2007, won the Uefa Cup in the 2007-08 season and went on to win the Super Cup the following season.
To many in the footballing world, he was a predominant factor in the Uefa Cup winning side by scoring 10 goals and grabbing the Uefa Cup top goalscorer honour. He then scored in the Super Cup win vs Champions League winners Manchester United. And following his 6 goals in 8 appearances when on loan to Fulham, Pogrebnyak could be the missing piece to the Reading puzzle going forward.
At 6 foot 2 inches tall, the 28 year old provides a physical presence which has and will torment Premier League defenders, he provides a natural goalscoring ability which he showed with the variety of goals he scored during his time at Craven Cottage. Pogrebnyak will act as a target man for Reading and with the crossing ability of players like Harte, Jobi McAnuff and Jimmy Kebe he can become a hero with the Reading fans if he can find his feet early on.
Once Reading secure this signing it will be a matter of ‘Who’s next?’ For the Royals Russian revolution.
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