Match Day Thread Reading v Preston North End Majedski Stadium 14/8/21

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GROUND

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MANAGER

VELJKO PAUNOVIC

Veljko Paunović (Serbian Cyrillic: Вељко Пауновић, pronounced [ʋěːʎko paǔ:noʋitɕ]; born 21 August 1977) is a Serbian football manager and former player, who is currently the manager of EFL Championship club Reading.

A versatile attacking unit, he could operate as an attacking midfielder or a striker, and spent most of his professional career in Spain where he represented eight clubs,[2] amassing La Liga totals of 212 matches and 38 goals over 11 seasons and having several spells with Atlético Madrid.

Other than in his own country, Paunović also played professionally in Germany, Russia and the United States

Coaching career
Serbia NT
Paunović earned a UEFA PRO coaching licence and a sporting director degree from the Royal Spanish Football Federation. For nine months, he was a UEFA Champions League analyst for RTVE in Spain.[19]

Paunović began working as a manager with the Serbian national team, being of charge of their under-18, under-19 and under-20 sides. While with the latter, he won the 2015 FIFA World Cup.[20]

Chicago Fire

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Paunović at a U.S. Open Cup match away to Cincinnati in 2017
On 24 November 2015, Paunović was appointed head coach of Chicago Fire FC in Major League Soccer.[21] He led the team to the playoffs in 2017, which happened for the first time in five years.[19] In the same year, he coached in the All-Star Game against Real Madrid.[22]

Paunović also reached the semi-finals of the U.S. Open Cup in 2016 and 2018.[23][24] He and the Fire parted ways on 13 November 2019.[25]

Reading
Paunović replaced Mark Bowen as manager of Reading on 29 August 2020.[26] On his EFL Championship debut on 12 September, the team won 2–0 at Derby County.[27] The Royals missed out on a playoff place with two games remaining, after a 2–2 draw against Swansea City at the Madejski Stadium.[28]

LAST TIME OUT

 

Preston North End head to Berkshire on Saturday afternoon to face Reading in the second game of the Championship season.

Frankie McAvoy's side will be looking to build on the midweek victory over Mansfield Town in the first round of the Carabao Cup, following a defeat to Hull City in last week's league opener.

PNE Team News

Frankie McAvoy welcomed both Sean Maguire and Scott Sinclair back from their isolation periods on Tuesday evening in the Carabao Cup, and they will again be available this weekend.

Still missing for the Lilywhites, though, will be Matthew Olosunde, who continues to nurse himself back from an injury picked up in pre-season.

The Opposition

Reading have so far suffered two defeats in their 2021/22 campaign, narrowly losing 3-2 to Stoke City in a thrilling Championship encounter before a young-looking Royals were beaten 3-0 by Swansea in the first round of the Carabao Cup in midweek.

One of their best performers last season, former Liverpool man Ovie Ejaria, has missed both matches so far this term, but could be in line to make his return on Saturday afternoon.

Veljko Paunovic’s side made their first signing of the summer window on Thursday afternoon, amid embargo restrictions, bringing Tom Dele-Bashiru in on loan from Watford, and he is available for selection this weekend.

Key Stats

After winning at the then-named Madejski Stadium last season, PNE will be looking for back-to-back victories away to Reading for the first time in club history.

Reading’s dangerman last season was striker Lucas Joao, who netted 19 goals in the league, and he’s faced North End more than any other team in his career to date, playing the Lilywhites on 11 different occasions, scoring twice.

These two have an even head-to-head record, with both sides having won 25 times since their very first meeting in the FA Cup in 1894. That game wasn’t so even, though, with North End coming out 18-0 winners!

Our Last Meeting





It was a goalless draw back in January 2021 when Reading came to Deepdale on a Sunday afternoon in front of the Sky Sports cameras.

The Royals, who were in the hunt for automatic promotion at the time, had the best chance of the game in the 83rd minute from the penalty, but Joao missed the target from 12 yards.

Man In The Middle

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Joshua Smith will take charge of just his second Preston North End game this weekend, with the only other being last season's away victory over Huddersfield Town.

The referee showed defender Naby Sarr a red card for the Terriers after Alan Browne had turned the game on its head early in the second half.

So far this season, Smith has been in charge of the League Two fixture between Mansfield Town and Bristol Rovers, before overseeing Cardiff's Carabao Cup victory midweek over Sutton United.

LAST TIME AT THE MAD STAD

MACS VIEW

Apparently Reading have a lot of issues of the field, they don't have the biggest of squads and have a few injury issues, could be a good time to play them having lost both games this season.
Having started well last season before tailling off and missing the play offs. It was interesting to see that the lads from teh Podcast who appear on Quest have them as going down mind you they had us finishing 21st.
For us decent win on Tuesday, Sinclair has to start, however getting the right balance in midfield is the key, never seen us win against them down there luckily playing cricket so we have a chance
Cut and paste match report only

 

Match Report: Reading 2 PNE 1
15 Hours ago

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@pnefc

Goals either side of Daniel Johnson’s penalty saw Preston North End beaten 2-1 away to Reading.

Femi Azeez opened the scoring for the hosts 28 minutes into the game, and DJ, making his first league start of the season, equalised from the penalty spot in the second half.

A 69th-minute goal from John Swift, though, sealed the three points for the hosts at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

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Frankie McAvoy made four changes from last weekend’s defeat to Hull City, with Daniel Iversen, Sepp van den Berg, Scott Sinclair and Daniel Johnson all coming in.

DJ was involved early on, firstly slipping in Sinclair who saw his effort blocked at close distance, before the ball made its way back to Johnson later in the move, but he sent a left-footed shot wide of goal.

Reading then came extremely close to the opener and would almost certainly have found it were it not for an outstanding piece of defending from Van den Berg to throw himself in front of Ethan Bristow’s shot.

The hosts would soon have the lead, though, as a cross from the left was palmed out by Iversen, and the ball fell kindly to Azeez who found the net at the far post.

After heading into the break a goal ahead, Reading almost doubled their lead just three minutes into the second 45, with John Swift playing Lucas Joao through into the area and he struck a fierce effort against Iversen’s left-hand post.

At the other end, North End were awarded a penalty, as Alan Browne’s volley goalwards was handled by Michael Morrison, who was shown a yellow card. Johnson took the responsibilities from 12 yards and calmly slotted home to draw PNE level.

Reading responded quickly, though, with Swift playing a one-two with Joao before seeing his effort hit the post, run across the line and into the back of the net off the other post.

PNE had a flurry of late chances, as captain Browne saw his header from six yards hit the side netting before a superb save by Rafael prevented substitute Brad Potts from levelling the scores. From the resulting corner, the goalkeeper’s punch came out to DJ who struck a powerful effort goalwards, but it was blocked by a Reading body.

North End then had a free-kick deep into stoppage time, what proved to be the last kick of the game, but Rafael was equal to Ben Whiteman’s effort, which was heading right for the top corner.

Reading line-up: Rafael; Morrison, Moore, McIntyre; Yiadom, Rinomhota, Laurent, Swift, Bristow; Joao (Puscas, 85).

Subs not used: Southwood, Holmes, Tetek, Dele-Bashiru, Leavy, Clarke.

PNE line-up: Iversen; Storey, Lindsay, Hughes; van den Berg, Browne, Johnson, Ledson (Whiteman, 70), Cunningham (Maguire, 81); Riis (Potts, 63), Sinclair.

Subs not used: Rudd, Bauer, Rafferty, Rodwell-Grant.

Referee: Mr J Smith


Reading manager Veljko Paunovic told BBC Radio Berkshire:

"I'm very pleased with the win, although it was a dramatic win in the last five minutes as we ground out a very important three points.

"It was a game where we were the better squad, we played very good football and created super opportunities that we should have converted and not had to suffer so much at the end.

"The win helps align everyone and get back to what we were and what we want to be. We recovered the warrior spirit, the urgency and the sports anger to deal with adversity when we had to. When we have these ingredients, we win games."

Preston North End manager Frankie McAvoy told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"I'm disappointed we lost the game but I didn't think we did well enough first half. The second half was better from us.

"But I just thought both goals, from our point of view, were poor defensively. When you are conceding goals like that, it is always going to be difficult."



They had two shots on target both went in