After it emerged that Reading boss Brian McDermott is happy with his squad following six new arrivals, are Reading good enough to avoid relegation?
“We’re done and dusted, I’m happy.”
A confident McDermott claims the chequebook is now shut following Adrian Mariappa’s move from Watford and feels the players that won the Championship last year are more than capable of holding their own in the Premier League- albeit with a bit of help from some new faces.
Probably the most exciting new face is that of Pavel Pogrebnyak.
The Russian striker impressed in a brief stint with Fulham last season where he scored 6 goals in 12 appearances and considering he was signed on a bosman, it’s surely a risk worth taking.
The creative guile of Danny Guthrie will excite the fans also, again signed for nothing.
Guthrie has Premier League experience with Liverpool, Bolton and Newcastle and the technically gifted midfielder can operate on right side of midfield or in the centre and he is joined by free agent Nicky Shorey at the Madjeski stadium.
Reading fans will be familiar with Shorey after spending seven years with the Berkshire club before they were relegated.
But Shorey hasn’t quite replicated the same form he showed in his first spell at the club which earned the defender two International caps.
Mariappa, Chris Gunter and Gareth McCleary complete Reading’s business in the transfer market (if McDermott’s word is anything to go by).
All three were playing in the Championship last year and the latter two both join from Nottingham Forest, Gunter for an undisclosed fee and McLeary was snapped up on a free transfer.
So what can these players add to the ruthless Reading side that played entertaining football last year?
There isn’t an awful lot of established Premier League experience in the squad and Bookmakers ‘PaddyPower’ have Reading at 6/5 to be relegated.
Players such as Jason Roberts, Jobi McAnuff and Mikele Leigertwood have all played amongst the World’s best but they never stood out in their stint in Britain’s elite competition.
Adam le Fondre started the 2011/12 campaign playing in the fourth tier of English football for Rotherham United, the team he averaged a goal for every other game for.
After a slow start with Reading the number 9 finished the season brightly and ended up on 12 goals but he must improve significantly if he is to impress like Grant Holt and Steve Morison did in their maiden Premier League campaign.
The Royals boasted the best defensive record in the Championship last season and much of this is down to goalkeeper Adam Federici.
The Australian International is always linked with established Premier League clubs and he is key if Reading are to stay up next year.
As it stands it doesn’t look as though the squad is strong enough to compete with other teams.
Although Pogrebnyak impressed for Fulham, half of his six goals came in one game and he often went missing in matches.
A couple more signings could help Reading stay up.
Jermain Defoe and Matt Phillips have both been linked with the club and although McDermott was quick to refute his interest in Defoe you can never say never in this industry.
Jobi McAnuff has never played top flight football, this will be his first season in the Premier League
The problem with the article (like many at the moment) is that it misses out on the fact that Reading finished top of the championship above Southampton and West ham (who are never mentioned as relegation favourites). I haven’t seen either side sign better players than Reading so logic says same again. That leaves sides like Wigan and Aston Villa both of whom will have to be better than last term (notwithstanding Wigan’s final burst)or they will be there too. There are plenty of average sides in the prem, Reading only have to finish above 3 teams and I think that they will do better than that.