So this is it?!

Brian McDermott’s side have just returned from a very succesful pre season tour of Slovenia but the one thing that was blindingly obvious was our lack of defensive options. Surely now the players have returned this will now be addressed, and at least one new defender will sign before the opening game of the season against Scunthorpe. Well apparantly not, the search for new players appears to be over due to lack of funds.


McDermott told the Reading Chronicle, ‘We’ve got what we’ve got, it’s as simple as that. With finances as they are, we have to do what we can. The fact is there is no money, and I’m alright with that.’


Instead of dwelling on it though, McDermott preferred to highlight the versatility within the squad. ‘We have Alex Pearce and Matt Mills and Ivar Ingimarsson is coming back from injury. Andy Griffin has also been playing in central defence on pre-season tour and Brynjar Gunnarsson did an excellent job at centre-half in Tuesday’s friendly game against a very good Slovenian club side. So I’m not disappointed at all. We have a great bunch of players and I’m absolutely chuffed with what I’ve got.’


Ok so I see his point but Griffin is our first choice right back, so who plays there if he is at centre back? Julian Kelly played well in Slovenia but is short on the number of first team games he has played whilst Shaun Cummings is so out of favour he didn’t even make the plane to Eastern Europe.


With no new arrivals expected the club clearly have faith in the clubs academy prospects and they may be needed if injuries and suspensions strike!