View From The Dolan: Back With A Win

Reading returned to the SCL with a pre-season 1-0 win over QPR, thanks to Femi Azeez’ goal, and Ben was there to witness it from the SJM Stand.

Welcome back to another year of the Dolan. Yes, it’s been renewed for this season. You’re welcome.

I hope you’ve enjoyed your summer thus far and are ready for yet more twists and twisters and turns and things in the next chapter of one of the oldest clubs in the land.

Of course, pre-season has been carrying on like a grandparent on the dance floor at a wedding for a few weeks now, but the game against Qpahahahahahaha marked the first time the paying punters were allowed in to the Stade de SCL, so it seemed fitting to kick off the musings this season with a rundown of events against the Championship lightweights (and they are lightweights).

Because of the relentless roadworks on the A33 recently, I hadn’t been up to the stadium much. As a result, I hadn’t seen the new kits and training wear up close. Fair play, the overall look of it was decent. I like the green bits, the away shirt and the goalie kit. Certainly the away one is on the shopping list, but I’ll await the arrival of the third shirt before any concrete purchases are made.

The crowd looked healthy as I re-emerged from the mega shop and bustled along the cobbled bricks towards the SJM, taking an expectant and deliberate look at Gate 5 as I went. I’ll see you soon, old friend.

The seated bowl was showered in sunlight: of course, most places look good when the sun’s out, but shiny blue is statistically proven to be the best enhanced colour when Vitamin D covers it. It seemed glorious setting to welcome back the future League One 2024/25 champions and those in attendance were drinking it in like complimentary lager at a christening.

Team-news-wise, no real shocks there. The selection tended to follow the pattern of previous games and, personally, I was looking forward to seeing Abraham Kanu and Andre Garcia strut their stuff on the hallowed turf. Their inclusion in the squad shows that the departments at the club are talking: here are two players that many fans hadn’t heard of at the end of last season, but yet have featured heavily in pre-season and that can only be a positive.

I felt we did well in the first half, certainly in terms of intensity and shape out of possession. The lads looked fit and restricted Qphahahahahaha to half chances, smothering their potential creativity while using the ball effectively, certainly across the back line and in midfield.

I think we lacked a little bit of directness up top and, while I like Jayden Wareham for his physicality and work rate, there were a few occasions when he had his back to goal and couldn’t quite link up with big Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan and Femi Azeez on the wings. Charlie Savage seemed to be playing a more advanced role and I like that: it’s an area I think we can develop and I’d like to see that again in the next two games.

Defensively, Garcia and Kanu were sound. Both got caught out a little bit positionally, but their tackling and recoveries were good. I like them, I have to say. Whether Kanu starts much once our Olympian Tyler Bindon is back remains to be seen, but Garcia has a strong chance to be on that team sheet at St Andrews in a few weeks. Is he ready? Time will tell, but very few youth players are completely ready for League One football - they grow into it and he has all the raw ingredients.

Photo by VALERY HACHE/AFP via Getty Images

At HT, I wandered down to the concourse to see if the menu had changed much. Some people were eating pies (too hot for that mate!), the ice cream truck in the fanzone was clearly doing well and the beer selection looked like the same. I’ll have a full update on the new caterers once I’m back in the Dolan, but there didn’t seem anything radically different.

Like the food, there were no changes to the team at the water break. I have to say, I was a fan of that. Let them play a bit more. This led me to think that the shape and personnel selection will likely stay consistent for the next few games and possibly into the league opener. The ice creams around me were still cold as Azeez (who has hit the gym by the way) slotted home the opening goal, mere minutes into the second period. A cool finish (like the ice creams) which was finished with, well, coolness.

Around the 60th minute it got spicier than those purple crisps from America as Savage clipped Paul Smyth and players from both sides indulged in handbags. Scenes that literally everyone wants to see, which added some meat to the bones of an already fairly decent game.

Sam Smith, Emmanuel Osho and Michael Craig arrived, with the latter heading to right-back. I wonder how serious the injury to Andy Yiadom is currently and what Ruben Selles’ thinking for that role is long-term. I thought Tivonge Rushesha did well there, as did Craig for the last 30 minutes or so, but whether they are long-term solutions remains to be seen.

Qphahahahaha did score but it was ruled out because everyone hates them, and the game ticked along nicely until the ref blew up for full-time. Overall, a decent game (can you call a win in pre-season a result?) with Joel Pereira and Amadou Mbengue playing very well. I’m interested to see the shape of the team against Cardiff City on Wednesday night before heading back to the Whitley Bowl next Saturday against Hull Tigers FC.

Onwards and upwards. It’s a huge improvement on this time last year and I think there’s more to come from this team.

Until next time.