As we look forward to Saturday’s game against Birmingham, we caught up with Blues season ticket holder and fan Jonathan Bird
As we look forward to Saturday’s game against Birmingham, we caught up with Blues season ticket holder and fan Jonathan Bird (@JGB1989), who we spoke to earlier in the season here. We ask Jonathan about the growing uncertainty of the ownership situation, the reasons behind their poor home form and his prediction for the game.
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1. What were your expectations before the season started and have they changed at all over the course of the season?
To avoid relegation, and that hasn’t changed, the clubs in turmoil so avoiding relegation would be seen as a success.
2. How much have the off-field issues concerning your ownership affected the team?
Very much we can’t buy any players so it’s just loans and parent clubs have recalled on a few occasions which has really hampered the first team both centre backs were recalled at the same time which left us without a centre back for 3-4 games before we got another couple in.
The fans have been great and have started a campaign called ‘delay no more’ a message to the owners in Hong Kong to sell the club, with Carson yeung in Jail nobody really knows what’s going on anymore, we just hope to get enough coverage from the press to get our message across, we have had flags at home and away games, we just hope something can be done before it’s too late.
3. Last time we spoke, you were happy with Lee Clark and the job he was doing under tough circumstances – would you still go with this?
Yes he is doing a fine job under the circumstances, one criticism is he is very tactically naive, we look at our best with 2 strikers 4-4-2 but he always seems to play the one up and waits till we are behind in a game to put 2 up top, overall he has done a fine job considering.
4. It`s fair to say that you have picked up some good results away from this season, but how much has your home form let you down? Why can`t you seem to win many games at home?
I think it’s a mixture of team selections and pressure from the crowd, home games have been awful this year, had we had decent home form we could possibly have an outside chance of reaching the playoffs. Away from home the pressure is off and we look a different team.
5. Who are your stand out players in the side at the moment?
Emyr Huws on loan from man city is some player one for the future looks a class above any player I’ve seen this season, a real crowd favourite, Federico Macheda on loan from man United has scored 5 goals in 9 apps but doesn’t really get in team much one of my criticisms of Clark, never seems to play him, 20 mins here and there always looks to have a goal in him, and Tom Adeyemi one of our players really improved as the season has progressed strong and good vision one for the future no doubt be in the premiership in a few years.
6. If you could take any Reading player at the moment, who would it be and why?
Adam le Fondre just because he scores goals but I’ve also liked the look of Gareth McCleary.
7. What starting XI and shape do you expect to see on Saturday from Clark?
Probably 4-5-1: Randolph, Caddis, Packwood, Martin, Robinson, Adeyemi, Lee, Burke, Shinnie, Huws, Novak
8. What is your prediction for the game?
I’m predicting a close game 1-1.
