Sometimes a break is good for a club, but I have been convinced that this international break came at a very bad time for Reading, something that Dave Kitson agrees with.
It was not just the fact that there has been a break, it has been the fact that so many players have been away on international duty which has made it worse, as not everyone can gather together and talk about what has gone wrong recently, should Steve Coppell do that when the players return ahead of the Sunderland game you go into that on a negative note.
Kitson told readingfc.co.uk, “Its always a bit of a nightmare when the rest of the players go away, the sessions aren’t perhaps as spicy as they normally are when the whole team is here. I prefer it when everybody is training together.
“Everyone agrees that this week has been a ridiculous scenario. It hinders my training because our best players are going away for meaningless friendly games. And unless a club steps up to the plate and says we are not sending our players away it will continue. If any club is brave enough to do that then I would like to see it.
“Nobody wants to see players denied the chance of playing for their countries, but it is hindering us at the moment. It doesn’t affect the big boys as much, because they have got another team that can just come in and play for them. But for likes of Reading it is a completely different scenario and it is a hindrance.”
It is back to business against Sunderland on Saturday though, and the Stadium of Light does hold found memories for Kitson, “I do have happy memories of the Stadium of Light. We were behind with only a few minutes to go and managed to get a horrible scrappy goal – a Dave Kitson trademark goal in fact! And then we won a penalty,” he added, also when speaking to readingfc.co.uk.
“We probably didn’t deserve to get anything out of that game actually. If I play this weekend, it’s fantastic that I have the confidence of knowing I’ve already been there and scored against them.”
It has been an indifferent start for Reading, not a bad start despite what the table and results might suggest. Getting back to winning ways, or at least stopping the rot against Sunderland this weekend is crucial though.
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I agree with Kitson, the break came at a bad time, but lets just get back to business and turn the fortunes around. Victories over Sunderland, Wigan and then Derby and suddenly all is rosy again. I will not contemplate the other scenario though.