Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman provides his insight on Reading FC’s situation | OneFootball

Reading have looked very impressive in brief spells of this Championship season under Veljko Paunovic.

The Royals would be 19th with a nine point cushion over the relegation zone if it was not for the six point deduction they received.

That would be a sterling effort given the restrictions imposed on them in the transfer market, however with the gap just three points between them and the bottom three it is a concerning predicament for them to be in.

Some huge clubs have fallen to the depths of League One in recent years and, possibly alongside Derby County, Reading could be the next casualty club competing in the third tier rat race.

Former striker turned broadcaster Don Goodman explained his concerns over the current state of affairs at the Select Car Leasing Stadium when he spoke to Olbg.com.

He said: “I think themselves; Derby County and Sheffield Wednesday last season serve as a warning about living within your means and playing by the rules.

“This club is in an absolute mess, they have spent loads of money chasing the dream and failed.

“When you put all your eggs into one basket and it doesn’t work out, then you leave yourselves in trouble.

“That’s where they are now, they can’t spend money, they’re relying on free agents and loans and they’ve had an unbelievable injury list.

“Veljko Paunovic has been dealt a poor hand and it was a massive overachievement them finishing seventh last season.”

In the middle of the unrest and worries at the club, Liam Moore has been stripped of the captaincy after handing in a transfer request. Derby County have shown some outstanding fighting spirit in recent weeks and if one of Peterborough United or Barnsley can mobilise in the coming months, it may be a very close run thing whether the Royals maintain their Championship status.

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Goodman continued: “As it stands with the captain falling out with the club and they’re leaking goals for fun so they could do with a Liam Moore at his best to stop the awful run of results.

“I think they’re relying on teams below being not good enough to catch them rather than digging themselves out of a hole.

“They’re having to play a load of kids in the first team, and I’d be really worried as a Reading fan at the minute.”

It does not get any easier for Reading as they prepare to host a Luton Town this evening, fresh off the back of a momentum-building 3-2 win over second placed Bournemouth at the weekend.

The Verdict

In contrast the tone of the coverage and the club’s recent results, overall, Reading have made quite a good fist of it this season having had their hands tied behind their back in the summer.

Yakou Meite has not played a single minute this season and Lucas Joao is only slowly being re-integrated into the first team picture at present.

The pair contributed 34 goals in their seventh placed finish in 2020/21, and therefore to be nine points above the relegation zone, discounting the points deduction, at this stage is a decent effort.

The 2-1 defeat at Kidderminster Harriers of the National League North followed by a 7-0 loss to Fulham, is an inexcusable sequence of events, but the application from the squad that went before it, does not suggest that Reading will be relegated this season.

Especially with the dire form of those below them, with the exception of Derby who trail the Royals by eight points.

If the January window is not too detrimental to the strength of their squad, and Joao can return to full fitness, then there is no reason why Reading should not pull away from the relegation conversation in the coming months under Veljko Paunovic.