dannyboyk2000
Danyal Khan Sports Journalism Blog Portfolio
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Reading 1-2 Sheffield United: FA Cup Match Report- Blades need extra-time to progress to the quarter-finals
(My Image created on Canva)
An extra time goal from ex-Royal Billy Sharp was enough for the Blades to progress to the quarterfinals of the FA Cup, after Chris Wilder’s side overcame Reading by 2-1.
The Championship side managed to force extra-time after George Puscas’s penalty cancelled David McGoldrick’s early first half header.
Chris Wilder’s Blades are now one more game away from a Wembley semi-final.
The Blades flew out the blocks in the opening minutes of the game and as a result went 1-0 up within the first two minutes after a Ben Osbourne’s cross from the left found the head of David McGoldrick who headed in unmarked in the box.
The early proceedings in the first half felt like a training session for the Blades, and they really should have added to the lead when both John Egan and David McGoldrick had chances which neither could convert.
Reading gradually eased their way into the first half and the best attempt they could muster early on came from a ferocious attempt by forward Yakou Meite which was parried away by Dean Henderson.
The Royals really struggled to create many problems for the hosts in the first half but were handed a lifeline right on half-time courtesy of a George Baldock push on Reading midfielder Andy Rinomhota in the box.
The resulting penalty was tucked away by inform striker George Puscas who made it his 11th goal for the Royals so far this season with that spot kick.
Mark Bowen’s side started the second half the better but only had a half chance from young attacker Michael Olise to show for it.
As the second half progressed, Reading sat deeper and deeper and inadvertently invited relentless Blades pressure.
David McGoldlrick and Luke Freeman had the best two chances before the 80th minute mark, but neither could convert setting up a nervous and frantic final 10 minutes for both sides as the prospect of extra time drew closer.
Neither team could force a winner meaning that extra-time was needed to settle this contest at the Madejski Stadium.
Nothing really happened in the first part of extra time up till the last minute of the first period of extra-time when ex-Royal Billy Sharp popped up at the back post to send the Blades through to the quarter-final of the FA Cup.
Quotes of the Day
Reading boss Mark Bowen admitted the difficulty of accepting tonight’s result after the significant amount of effort that the Royals put into the contest.
He said: “I am proud but it's hard to take when you put so much effort into the game.
“We knew we were playing a top class side and would have to forsake a little bit of ground.
“We had a game plan of soaking up the pressure and hitting them on the counter attack, but when the game settled down after a terrible start we took the game to them for large periods.
“As a coach I'm disappointed because the two goals are from crosses and we do a lot of work on them but we got caught out.It was difficult to take.
“We played Wigan last week and we let ourselves down. I came here hoping to put smiles on the fans' faces because we're in the quarter final of the FA Cup.
“I wouldn't expect them to smile because we've been beaten but hopefully they can go home with a sense of pride that their team put in a real shift and probably deserved more.
Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder praised the Reading fans tonight for how they enhanced the performance of the Royals against the his Blades side tonight.
He said: "It was a tight game. It was a tough game. I thought the Reading crowd were excellent and they really inspired their players."
"It was a really dangerous game for us. So to get the win in a tight game was really satisfying for us."
What does this all mean?
The major implications of the result is that Sheffield United are now fighting on two fronts for the rest of the season. They have a top four race to concentrate on alongside a FA Cup quarter-final now.
In terms of Reading, this was their biggest game of the season with being mid-table in the Championship. No threat of relegation at this moment and little chance of getting back into the promotion picture made this game a significant event in the Royals’s season.
But now being out of the FA Cup means that the side from Berkshire can focus on finishing the domestic season strong.
People need to remember that Reading can’t get complacent now as they could be pulled back into the relegation dogfight in the Championship if complacency slips into Bowen’s side.
The stats that matter
Sheffield United have reached the FA Cup quarter-final for the first time since 2013-14 - but the last time they did so as a top flight side was 1992-93.
Billy Sharp has now scored in back to back games at the Madejski Stadium. Tonight in Sheffield United’s 2-1 win and last season when United beat Reading 2-0.
Reading have lost their last five meetings with Sheffield United in all competitions; only against Arsenal (14), Manchester United (6) and Middlesbrough (6) are they on longer current losing streaks.
George Puscas 11th goal today means that he is now joint top scorer with Reading forward Yakou Meite. Both are tied on 11 goals in all competitions.
David McGoldrick's second-minute strike was his first goal of the season for Sheffield United, in his 21st game with what was his 37th shot.
Man of the match
Billy Sharp
The Ex-Reading striker didn’t start the game, but the impact he made when coming on midway through the second half made the difference and in the end- sent Sheffield United through to the quarter-finals.
The goal he scored at the end of the first period of extra-time really knocked the stuffing out of Reading going into the second period of extra-time.
The 34-year-old was also involved in a bust up at the end of the match with Reading defender Michael Morrison and overall provided the fight the Blades needed to edge past the Royals.
Proposed outlet- Berkshire Live
Picture evidence to show I was at the game
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Manchester City vs Chelsea preview: Manchester City vs Chelsea Preview: Lampard's side looking to make statement in the 'title race'
Frank Lampard's Chelsea travel up north to Manchester to face Pep Guardiola's inconsistent Manchester City side, looking to make a real statement in the 'title race'.
Lampard's side come into this game above the reigning Premier League Champions. The Blues sit in third place with 29 points, with City a place behind in fourth with 25 points.
The Blues picked up an important 2-0 win before the International Break against Crystal Palace. Whilst City lost ground on league leaders Liverpool after their 3-1 defeat at Anfield.
Match Information
What day is the match?- Saturday November 23.
What time is kick-off?- 17:30 (GMT) (5:30pm)
Where is this game being played?- The Etihad Stadium
Is this game on TV?- Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League with coverage starting at 5pm.
Live Updates?- VAVEL.com
Who is the referee?- Martin Atkinson
Team News
City will be without Bernardo Silva this weekend, with the Portuguese midfielder serving a one-match ban for a post made on social media.
However, goalkeeper Ederson should be fit to return after a muscle injury, while Benjamin Mendy is likely to get the nod over Angelino at left-back.
Guardiola must also decide whether to hand a recall to David Silva, potentially in place of either Rodri or Ilkay Gundogan.
As for Chelsea, Lampard may consider dropping one of his flair players in favour of partnering Jorginho, N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic in midfield.
Depending on whether Christian Pulisic has shaken off a hip injury, Mason Mount may have to make do with a spot among the replacements.
Cesar Azpilicueta will almost certainly come back into the side ahead of Reece James.
Predicted Starting XI's
Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Ederson; Walker, Stones, Fernandinho, Mendy; De Bruyne, Rodri, D.Silva; Mahrez, Aguero, Sterling.
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Arrizabalaga; Azpilicueta, Zouma, Tomori, Palmieri; Kante, Jorginho, Kovacic; Willian, Abraham, Pulisic.
Pre-match press conference quotes
Pep Guardiola on Chelsea: "Chelsea in the last many years have been an incredible top team.
"Lampard is consistent in his ideas - the results are there. I'm happy for him.
"I don’t know him very well, but I've had a little bit and got information of him here and he is an excellent person."
Frank Lampard on Jose Mourinho returning to the Premier League:
"They were among the favourites to win the title race.
"I have huge respect for Pochettino. Mourinho has a good group of players."
Lampard on Manchester City game:
"I see them as the same strength [despite injury problems].
"I have been watching them a lot. I have been watching their overload, Raheem Sterling, De Bruyne. They are a great team"
Head to Head
Last five meetings article.
My Score prediction:
Manchester City 2-2 Chelsea
By Danyal Khan
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West Brom vs Sheffield Wednesday preview: Baggies looking to keep two point gap at the top of the table intact
Top of the table West Brom host eighth place Sheffield Wednesday at the Hawthorns looking to maintain two point gap at the top.
The Baggies come into this game unbeaten in their last six, whilst Sheffield opponents haven’t won in their last three games.
So with that in mind, this looks like a home banker, but as we know- football can throw up some unexpected surprises!
Last Time Out
Both sides were in Championship action before the International break on Saturday November 9, with West Brom picking up a vital 0-1 away win against Hull City thanks to a striker from midfielder Jake Livermore.
The Owls drew 2-2 against a promotion chasing Swansea side, after the Sheffield side let a 2-1 lead slip deep into injury time due to a late Ben Wilmot goal from a corner.
Form
West Brom Albion form: WWDDWW
Sheffield Wednesday form: WDWDLD
Match Information
What day is this game?- Saturday November, 23.
What time is kick-off?- 15:00 (GMT) (3pm)
Where is this game being played? -The Hawthorns
Is this game available to watch on TV? -No, but you can catch the highlights on Quest EFL show at 9pm this Saturday.
Who is the referee for this match?- Tony Harrington
Team News (Courtesy of @BrunaSportsJour on Twitter)
Baggies boss will have fewer players available for Saturday’s clash due to suspension.
Nathan Ferguson is one of them and will complete the last suspension out of a three-match ban.
Key midfield players, Romaine Sawyers and Jake Livermore will miss out on the action due to being suspended for one game for the accumulation of yellow cards.
Gary Barry and Kieran Gibbs whom have both been doubts after picking up an injury prior to international break, may be return to return this weekend.
It’s touch and go to whether star player Matheus Pereira will be available to start. However he has returned to training meaning that there is a good chance that he will play in this match.
However there is some good new for the Baggies- Semi Ajayi, Grady Diangana and Ahmed Hegazi all returned from their respective International clubs fit and healthy and ready for selection.
Garry Monk has received some injury boost news that Julian Borner, Sam Hutchinson and Massimo Luongo are all back in contention after being side-lined through injury and illness.
Predicted line-ups
West Brom: Johnstone; Furlong, Ajayi, Bartley, Gibbs, Barry, Krovinovic, Phillips, Pereira, Diangana, Robson-Kanu.
Sheffield Wednesday: Westwood, Iorfa, Borner, Lees, Palmer, Murphy, Luongo, Hutchinson, Bannan, Harris, Fletcher.
Pre-Match Quotes
West Brom’s head coach Slaven Bilic has been speaking in his pre-match press conference about the challenge of he expects from Gary Monk’s side on Saturday.
He said: “We are playing a good team tomorrow – a very good team. They are men; there are no boys in there. They are positive, they are on the front foot and they never stop running.
“This will be another difficult game and we will need our supporters to be with us after 75 minutes still.”
Gary Monk is using this game to see how far his side have come since he took- over earlier this season.
He said: “Any away game is difficult, they are top of the league and it will be a good test for us and how far we’ve come. We have to look forward to it, if we’re at our best we can beat anyone”
Player on each side to watch out for
West Brom- Grady Diangana
The 21-year-old joined Slaven’s side on loan at the start of the season from Slav’s former club West Ham United.
And what a revelation he has been for the Baggies.
In 14 Championship matches so far this season, the wide player has scored four goals and assisted four goals.
He is the second highest goalscorer at the club behind Matt Phillips.
His great form is the reason that there has been talk that West Ham are considering recalling him from his loan early in January to help the Hammers battle against their poor form at this current moment.
But The Baggies boss will hope that those rumours aren’t true!
Other players in the attacking sense to look out for from a West Brom perspective is Matt Phillips and Matheus Pereira.
In terms of defensively- Semi Ajayi has been a revelation since signing from Rotherham in the Summer. What a signing he has turned out to be.
Sheffield Wednesday- Steven Fletcher
The Wednesday man is the top scorer at the club this season with five goals.
You feel like the 32-year-old will have to get on the score sheet tomorrow if there is any chance that Sheffield Wednesday can spring a surprise on The Baggies tomorrow.
Head to Head, Betting Odds and Score prediction
These two sides met eachother 117 times in all competitions over the years, with the Owls having the better of the Baggies.
The Sheffield club have reigned victorious over West Brom on 53 occassions over the years.
There have been 28 draws including last seasons 1-1 draw at the Hawthorns.- That game was also the last meeting between these two sides.
And the home side on Saturday have won in this fixture on 36 occasions. They will be favourites to make it 37 tomorrow.
And the bookies also believe on the whole the West Brom will reign victorious tomorrow with a Baggies win being priced at 17/20 by Sky Bet. A draw tomorrow is being priced at 5/2 by Sky Bet. And a shock Sheffield Wednesday win is being priced at 29/10.
My Prediction:
West Brom 3-2 Sheffield Wednesday. I think we could be in for an entertaining game tomorrow.
By Danyal Khan
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Wolves U23s vs PSG U23s Match Preview: Premier League International Cup
Wolves U23s will open their Premier League International Cup campaign against PSG U23s at the Molineux, as Mark Kennedy’s side start their quest for European glory.
The Molineux club come into this game after their 2-1 win against Midlands rivals Birmingham City U23s in the Premier League Cup.
Their opponents PSG U23s were last in action on the 30th of October in the Premier League International Cup, with the Parisians beating Spanish club Athletic Club (Bilbao) 1-0 away from home.
Last season, PSG were also involved in the tournament and one of their stand-out results was there 3-0 away loss to Manchester United which knocked them out!
Kick-off for this game under the lights at Molineux on Wednesday night is 19:00 (GMT) (7pm)
Form coming into this match (Last four games in all competitions- Most recent result
Wolves U23s- W/D/L/L
PSG U23s- W/L/L/D
Predicted line ups
Wolves U23s predicted line-up- A. Söndergaard; D. Csóka, E. Francis, O. Otasowie, L. Richards; O. Buur, C. Campbell, E. Watt; T. Taylor, B. Ashley-Seal, Boubacar Hanne.
PSG U23s predicted line-up- G. Innocent; M. Bakker, M. Sissako, L. Mbe Soh, T. Balde; A. M'Ze, K. Ruiz-Atil, L. Bernadou; Ayoub Yousfi, K. Nagera, A. Fressange.
Quotes ahead of the match
Former Wolves U23s boss Rob Edwards, who left his role at the club at the start of October to join the FA had this to say about Wolves’s participation this year in the Premier League International Cup.
“It’s a brilliant competition to be involved in and we’re all really looking forwards to it. We’ve just signed Meritan Shabani and he won it with Bayern Munich last year, so he’s got that experience of being in and around a great competition.
“All three games against PSG, Liverpool and Athletic Club pose different challenges and it will be a great experience for the lads. These are going to be top European clubs featuring the top players – tactically they’ll be spot on, physically they’ll be great – so it’s going to pose a different challenge for us as staff, as well as the players.
“To have that game at Molineux against PSG will be great and hopefully we can surpass the 3,000 supporters we had watch Man United last season, because playing these sorts of games against this level of teams, with fans supporting the team will be a big step towards helping the players on their journey to first-team football.”
(Quotes Credit- wolves.co.uk)
What is the Premier League International Cup?
The Premier League Cup was created five years ago.
The idea of it was to provide a chance for academies of English teams to challenge themselves against some of the best academies all over Europe.
Previous winners of this competition have included the likes of Manchester City, Porto and more recently Bayern Munich who won the competition last season.
All games in this competition take place in the UK. Either at English Premier League grounds, or neutral grounds around the UK. E.g After the PSG match, Wolves take on Athletic Club (Bilbao) U23s and Liverpool U23s at AFC Telford’s New Bucks Head ground.
This is Wolves’s first year in the competition with the likes of Blackburn Rovers and AS Monaco also making their debut in the competition.
Wolves are in Group E with PSG U23s, Liverpool U23s and Athletic Club (Bilbao) U23s.
Score Prediction
WOLVES 2-2 PSG (Goalscorers: WOL- Taylor and Ashley-Seals. PSG- Fressange X2)
By Danyal Khan
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Chelsea 2-0 Brighton- Match Report (500 words)
Two second half goals from Jorginho and Willian helped Frank Lampard pick up his first Premier League home win and clean sheet as Chelsea manager.
The Blues deservedly won to make it nine wins out of nine league games against Brighton- a record in the top four flights of English football.
The West-Londoners have moved up to sixth in the Premier League table with 11 points. Whilst Brighton move down to 16th place with 6 points, one point above the relegation zone.
Frank Lampard’s youthful Chelsea side came flying out of the blocks and nearly had a penalty within the opening five minutes, but referee Chris Kavanagh adjudged that Brighton defender Lewis Dunk didn’t make sufficient contact with Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount for a penalty to be awarded.
Chelsea’s bright and energetic start nearly led to the opening goal of the game, but Ross Barkley’s free kick was glanced onto the post by the head of Tammy Abraham.
The Seagulls looked to sit back and soak up pressure during the first half, and that tactic was risky as it invited the Blues to constantly attack Brighton’s rear-guard.
And it was a major shock that Chelsea couldn’t score a goal in the first half with all their attempts on goal that they managed to create.
Pedro Rodriguez had a chance to open the scoring midway through the first half but the best chance of the first period came at the end of the half, when Marcos Alonso missed a sitter after a lovely precise ball from the right-hand side was delivered into the box by Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta.
Despite all Chelsea’s pressure in the first half, Brighton managed to hold on and one of the main reasons for due to the brilliance of Seagulls goalkeeper Matt Ryan who made some vital saves in the first half.
The start of the second half followed the pattern of the first half with Chelsea dominance, and the Blues didn’t have to wait long too before having the chance to go in front, due to the persistence of Mason Mount who forced Brighton defender Adam Webster into a mistake, and that mistake led to Webster giving away a penalty for fouling Mount.
The discussion after the penalty was awarded was who would take it. But Jorginho stepped up instead of Barkley on this occasion and converted the spot kick and gave Chelsea a 1-0 lead.
Brighton then came out of their shells and started being a little more adventurous in the attacking phase, and should have equalised from a corner, but Dan Burn’s downwards header clipped the top of the crossbar to Chelsea’s relief.
Callum Hudson-Odoi came on for his first Premier League start of the season and marked his first appearance with an assist for Chelsea’s second goal which was scored by Willian on the counterattack with the aid of a deflection.
After the match, Chelsea boss Frank Lampard admitted that his side ‘needed the win’ to help build confidence and momentum around the squad ahead of a busy week for the Blues.
Graham Potter's views after the match truthfully coincided with the story of the match as he admitted that ‘the better team won’ when reflecting on his side’s performance in the capital.
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Opinion: Frank Lampard's treatment of Christian Pulisic is unfair
Frank Lampard's comments and recent treatment over the last two games of Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic is unfair.
Christian Pulisic, who turned 21 today, was signed by Chelsea from Borussia Dortmund in the last January transfer window for a fee of £58 million with add ons.
The American International hasn't been given any minutes by Chelsea boss Frank Lampard in the Blues last two games against Wolves and most recently Valencia.
The 21-year-old had an impressive pre-season with the Blues, scoring two goals in total. However in four matches in which he has made appearances in the Premier League for the West Londoners so far, the American has failed to score a goal and has only one assist so far.
But he has shown some positive signs in his performances so far for Chelsea, which makes Lampard's decision of giving him no minutes in the last two games unfair.
Pulisic down the pecking order
In Chelsea's most recent match against Valencia last night, Mason Mount suffered an ankle injury early in the match due to a horror tackle by ex-Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin.
Due to the injury, Lampard had to make an early attacking change in the match, and the two main candidates to replace Mount were Pulisic and Pedro, and Lampard to many Chelsea fans surprise went for the more older of the two, Pedro.
That decision completely backfired as Pedro arguably had very little positive impact on the game last night, and as a result, he was part of the reason Chelsea lost the match 0-1 as they didn't have enough creativity going forward.
The decision Lampard made last night has got most people thinking that Willian and Pedro are higher than Pulisic in the pecking order in Lampard's thoughts.
Lampard: Pulisic is 'in the plans' going forward'
The Chelsea boss made it clear that despite the American's lack of involvement in the last two matches, he is still part of his plans, and also revealed that Pedro was picked over Pulisic due to his greater Champions League experience.
‘He’s in the plans. We’ve got a squad, we’ve got wingers to choose from,’ said the Chelsea boss at his post-match press conference when asked about Pulisic’s omission from the starting XI.
‘The way we’re playing… with Pedro’s experience in the Champions League it was a choice to make. But Christian is well in the plans.’
Was it the right decision?
No, due to the fact Chelsea lost the game and one of the main reasons for losing that game was the lack of creativity in the final thirds, and Pedro and Willian were meant to be the ones to help Chelsea score and create chances.
Willian did his job properly and was arguably Chelsea's best player last night, but Pedro was arguably Chelsea's worse player.
And the argument of Pedro having more UCL experience doesn't wash with many Chelsea fans. Of-course he has played more Champions League games, but that's because he is the older player.
Pedro has won the Champions League with Barcelona but that was when he was in his prime.
Pulisic hasn't even reached his prime and he has already scored crucial goals for ex-club Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League over the last few seasons.
The reason why the decision didn't make sense
Lampard has been praised by Chelsea fans for his positive approach to playing youth players.
He has shown his trust in youth with the inclusion of Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori in his first-team selections.
The youth approach should apply to all young players at the club.
Pulisic is the younger of Willian and Pedro and has more of a future at the club compared to the latter.
The 21-year old needs to be played more than Pedro and Willian for the rest of this season as he is the future of the club like Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount.
Pulisic feeling homesick already?
There were images leaked yesterday after the match showing Pulisic watching the highlights of his former team Borussia Dortmund and some Chelsea fans believe he is feeling homesick already, but that's probably not the case- he just had a love for Dortmund and wishes them well and still takes an interest in what is happening there- but judge for yourself.
https://twitter.com/SJohnsonSport/status/1174070903749185536
Pulisic to get minutes against Liverpool?
With Willian starting the last two games, it leads people to believe that Lampard will either start Pedro or Pulisic for rotation reasons to keep the squad fresh.
The 21-year-old has a good record against Liverpool. He scored in a pre-season game in Dortmund's 3-1 win over Jurgen Klopp's side.
The American International also played really well in the Super Cup match between these two sides earlier this season which Liverpool eventually won on penalties.
In this game, the young winger scored an amazing solo goal, which was unfortunately offside, but he did manage to get the assist for Olivier Giroud's goal in that game.
It will be interesting to see how many minutes Lampard gives Pulisic for the game on Sunday against Liverpool in the Premier League.
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Alex Bernal-Ortiz: ‘Playing for a LGBTQ friendly football club has improved my confidence and social skills’
(Photo Credit- Terry Connolly)
London Titans midfielder Alex Bernal-Ortiz has revealed that playing for a LGBTQ friendly football club like London Titans has ‘really improved’ his ‘confidence’ and ‘social skills’.
These comments from the attacking midfielder have come as his side prepare for the new season, after finishing in fourth place in the 11 aside Cherry Red Books Middlesex County Football League.
Bernal-Ortiz, 23, is known to be one of the Titans star players, and he hasn’t looked back since joining the club.
“This is my second year with the Titans.” He said. “Since joining the Titans I have really improved on my confidence as well as my social skills.”
“It has opened my eyes to meet different personalities and hear their stories and it has inspired me and made me become a better person with an open mind and understanding.
“I have made great friendships and some remarkable memories and I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
The Titans aren’t the only LGTBQ friendly club that the midfielder has played for in his career so far;
“So before Titans I use to play for another LGBTQ team called the London Falcons and after being with them for two years, I wanted a change and a new challenge.
“So Titans played in the same league as us but I found out that they also had a first team who played on Saturdays. I spoke to the Titans manager and he was very pleased to allow me to join the club.”
It is great to see the rise in LGBTQ friendly clubs in this country, but football still has a big issue with homophobia. It is good to see the likes of the Premier League support initiatives like Rainbow Laces to make the sport more inclusive.
But this doesn’t stop homophobic abuse occurring in stadiums, with recent cases like the homophobic abuse directed to Macclesfield manager Sol Campbell, when his side faced Cheltenham in League Two earlier this season.
Another example comes with the term ‘rent boys’ which has been used by rival fans (lately Liverpool and Manchester United) to describe Chelsea fans.
In terms of discrimination, the 23-year-old opened up about what he has seen and experienced on the pitch as a football player:
“I have never experienced discrimination on the pitch.
“I have heard of an instance where a player from my team was called a faggot and it quickly erupted into a massive disagreement.
“To be honest if I was in my teammate’s position and was called a faggot, I would just continue on playing my game and be sure to put in a 100% shift.
“I have been bullied before when I was younger and I’ve got such thick skin now that somebody wants to make homophobic remarks will not bother me.”
(Photo Credit- Grant David Williams)
Statistics from Stonewall (LGBTQ charity in the UK) show that one in eight LGBTQ people (12 per cent) avoid participating in sports like football, because of fear of discrimination and harassment.
66 per cent of Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Trans people felt that there are problems with homophobia and transphobia in sports like football, and that this acted as a barrier to LGBTQ people taking part.
So it’s clear that there is a fear from people in the LGBTQ community that certain sports like football aren’t welcoming of LGBTQ people. But Bernal-Ortiz believes that LGBTQ people who are scared to get in football should just ignore the haters and not let them influence people’s love and passion for football:
“Being depressed or scared is a chance to become an even better you and whoever judges you then let them be ignorant.
“Surround yourself with people who are going through the same situation and speak about your experiences.
“Best advice I could give to end this off is never bottle feelings up. I use to think like this and believed that no one would understand me and that I was alone but that’s not the case.
Someone is there to listen to your story- you just need to find the strength to speak because that is the hardest part.”
The current London Titans player has come into the public eye recently, due to his involvement in helping create a very successful video for COPA 90 on YouTube about why there aren’t any openly gay footballers.
(Photo Credit- COPA 90)
And despite initial fears, the attacking midfielder was delighted with the success of the video, and how it was perceived by other people:
“The final outcome was amazing and I’m so proud of my mate who made the documentary and I did him proud so it’s a win-win situation.”
With the success story of the Latin American midfielder, it will be interesting to see the future development and growth of LGBTQ participation in football.
(Photo Credit- Grant David Williams)
Will Bernal-Ortiz’s story inspire other LGBTQ people to get into football, and be as successful as he has?
By Danyal Khan
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Reading vs Birmingham (EFL Championship) Match Preview; 5th May
Reading take on Birmingham City on the last day of the season, looking to end on a high note after a turbulent season for the Royals.
They will desperately be craving the win to celebrate Portugal Day- to remember the brilliant job current manager Jose Gomes has done since coming in to the club.
The side from Berkshire’s last game in the Championship was last Saturday when they lost 2-1 away against play off chasing Middlesbrough.
One bright light that came out of that game last week was that Danny Loader scored his first goal for the first team.
Birmingham come into this game trying to make it 7 unbeaten in the league, after a good run of form towards the end of the season.
They have also had a turbulent season after their 12 point deduction which put them in threat of relegation at the time. However, this brilliant recent from from the Blues has seen them pull away from the relegation battle.
Birmingham drew 1-1 at home to Wigan in their latest Championship game last Saturday.
Recent form for both sides in the Championship
Reading- D/W/D/D/L
Birmingham- D/D/D/W/D
TV/Game information
This game is not being televised.
The best way to keep up with the game is by watching Gillette Soccer Sunday in this instance!
The game kicks off at 12:30pm (UK time) and is being played at the Madejski Stadium.
Team News
Reading
John O’Shea will be hoping to return for his last professional appearance before he retires.
Reading stars Yakou Meite and Nelson Oliveira are out with injuries.
John Swift and Tyler Blackett are likely to miss this game through injury aswell.
However Saeed Ezatolahi and Jon Dadi Bodvarsson are both in line to make appearances in this game after returning from injury.
Birmingham City
Birmingham will have late decisions to make as they bid to stretch their unbeaten run to seven games.
Blues boss Garry Monk says he has some "knocks and bruises" in his squad.
Predicted starting elevens
Reading’’s predicted starting XI (4-2-3-1)- Martinez; Yiadom, Miazga, Moore, Gunter; Baker, Rinomhota; Barrow, Loader, Ejaria; Bodvarsson.
Birmingham’s predicted starting XI (4-4-2)- Camp; Colin, Harding, Roberts, Pedersen; Jota, G.Gardner, Lakin, Maghoma; Adams, Jutkiewicz.
Manager Comments
Reading Manager: Jose Gomes (Quotes Credit- Jonathan Low)
Looking forward to the summer
“The season will finish on Sunday and then it's about tough and hard work preparing for pre-season.
Now is time to prepare the best we can for Birmingham and try to show our fans we can play a good game, play good football, do positive things and try and finish the league with a positive energy.”
Birmingham being easier compared with previous games
“Birmingham are a tough team. When they had nine points taken off they were very near to the play-off positions.
“Physically they are very strong, direct football, tough players, very good dynamic so it will be a very difficult game.”
Aims for the transfer window
“I would like to fix everything before we start. I will talk with all the players I am not counting with after Sunday, it's also a sign of respect for them - giving the time to find a better solution for their career.
“And I will try to bring in and sign the new players as soon as possible. This way I can organise the squad in time for July 1 so we have the players we are counting on for pre-season.”
Birmingham Manager: Gary Monk (Quotes Credit- Official Birmingham Twitter account)
GM: "The ultimate aim is to end the season on a high, that unbeaten tag is still there and we want to finish it off, the players want to give it all they can to end the season unbeaten, with another three points."
GM: "Just because of it being the last game and being in the position we are in, that we are safe, we still want to win the game and finish the season on a high note, we want to do that on Sunday with the right performance and the standard that we have set all season."
GM: "We want to try & win the game, same as every other game, @ReadingFC have got themselves safe, it is their last home game, we have to be ready for what is coming from them, but more importantly we need to try and impose ourselves on them and cause them problems."
Head to Head record
These two sides have met 38 times over the years in all competitions, with Birmingham just shading the head to head record. The Blues have beaten Reading 14 times in all competitions, including their latest win earlier this season against the Royals, when they beat them 2-1 at Saint Andrews in the Championship.
There have been 11 draws between these two sides in all competitions over the years.
And the Royals have beaten Birmingham 13 times in all competitions. So can they win on the weekend to level up the head to head record?
Betting Odds/Match Predictions
Birmingham have been made favourites by Sky Bet to pick up the three points in this match, with a Blues win being priced at 6/4. A draw between these two sides is being priced at 12/5. And a Reading home win is being priced at 13/8.
My realistic prediction for this game as a journalist is a 2-1 tight Birmingham home win. I think we have so many injuries and they are in form at the moment.
My optimistic prediction as a Reading fan is a 1-0 Royals home win, with Barrow scoring the only goal of the game.
Comment down below your score predictions and your predicted line ups.
By Danyal Khan
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Full transcript from my interview today with Cheltenham Town Academy defender Kian Bedford
Here are the basic details of Kian before the transcript;
Details
Name: Kian Bedford
Age: 17
Are you a Scholar at CTFC academy: yes
Here is the full transcript of my interview with the 17 year old.
How long have you been here at the academy for?
“This is my second season.”
How did you get into football and his journey so far as a footballer?
“I have been playing football since I was four years old.
“I joined this summer camp, and got picked up by Albion (West Brom).
“I was at Albion for fifteen months. But at the same time, I was at Walsall.
“Albion released me, so I was just at Walsall. Obviously you can’t get signed until you are under 9’s. So Wolves came in for me, asked me for a trial. I went to them, but I didn’t really like their facilities, and Walsall was near my house anyway.
“So I stuck with Walsall, and got signed for them, which was great. I was there until under 15’s.
“When I was ten years old, I got asked to go to a Man United pre-season camp, which was great.
“And then when I come back, things changed. They muddled up my position. So I went from a midfielder to a striker to a defender in one season.
“So it’s quite hard to adapt.
“And as my time went on with Walsall, I didn’t really enjoy it. Because I raised it up with them, and they let me go.
“Going through a teenage stage, I wanted to do what my mates were doing. So they were going out partying and all of that.
“So I was thinking why can’t I do all of that. So it was quite hard and I wanted to do what they were doing.
“So I went through a hard time where I didn’t want to play football, but I maintained my fitness.
“And then four weeks later after my release, I played Cheltenham in a friendly and we beat them 5-0.
“And then they asked me to come in on the Saturday, which was against Walsall!
Difference between Walsall academy and Cheltenham academy, and what made you choose them over other clubs?
“One thing different to Walsall, is that Cheltenham are more professional in the way that they support people.
“Whereas at Walsall, I couldn’t really go up to a coach and say I have this going on and that going on.
“But here it’s so friendly. You can go up to the coaches and have a good conversation with them. They are so supportive when you are having a bad day.
“Also their philosophy like their goals and aims are different to Walsall.”
Who’s his favourite player from the senior squad and why?
“I’d say Rhys Lovett, even though he is not my position.
“I’ve know him since he was at Walsall before. So I kind of have that strong relationship with him anyway. And whoever he talks too, I’m more or less close to them through Rhys.”
Long term aims
“I want to get pro here. If not, I still want to do something that involves football, whether that’s playing for a lower league club or higher, or even managing or coaching.”
Who do you support?
“Liverpool”
By Danyal Khan
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‘I went through a hard time where I didn’t want to play football’- Kian Bedford
Cheltenham Town Academy defender Kian Bedford has admitted that there was a time in his early teenage years where he didn’t want to play ‘football.’
Bedford,17, has already played for the likes of West Brom’s academy and Walsall’s academy in the early stages of his teenage career as a defender.
The scholar has also had experience with Manchester United’s academy and Wolves’s academy, before making the move to Cheltenham’s academy.
This was the defender’s journey:
“I have been playing football since I was four years old.
“I joined this summer camp, and got picked up by Albion (West Brom).
“I was at Albion for fifteen months. But at the same time, I was at Walsall.
“Albion released me, so I was just at Walsall. Obviously you can’t get signed until you are under nines. So Wolves came in for me, asked me for a trial. I went to them, but I didn’t really like their facilities, and Walsall was near my house anyway.
“So I stuck with Walsall, and got signed for them, which was great. I was there until under 15’s.
“When I was ten years old, I got asked to go to a Man United pre-season camp, which was great.
“And then when I come back, things changed. They muddled up my position. So I went from a midfielder to a striker to a defender in one season.
“So it’s quite hard to adapt.
“And as my time went on with Walsall, I didn’t really enjoy it. Because I raised it up with them, and they let me go.
“Going through a teenage stage, I wanted to do what my mates were doing. So they were going out partying and all of that.
“So I was thinking why can’t I do all of that. So it was quite hard and I wanted to do what they were doing.
“So I went through a hard time where I didn’t want to play football, but I maintained my fitness.
“And then four weeks later after my release, I played Cheltenham in a friendly and we beat them 5-0.
“And then they asked me to come in on the Saturday, which was against Walsall!
Now that the defender is back in love with football- he has ambitions to become a professional footballer with Cheltenham Town:
“I want to get pro here.
“If not, I still want to do something that involves football, whether that’s playing for a lower league club or higher, or even managing or coaching.”
It still remains to be seen whether the young defender can make that jump from academy football to professional football. But the fact that he is in academy football already is an achievement in itself with the increased competition nowadays for places in academy teams.
By Danyal Khan
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The full transcript from Jacob Maddox's exclusive interview with the Chelsea Echo
On his loan spell at Cheltenham:
“I think it has been really good for me.
“We have had ups and downs. We started the season a bit slow. It was tough.
“It was something that I have never experienced at Chelsea in the youth set up.
“But like I said- It has been great for me.
“Playing Men’s football means a lot more in my opinion. Obviously, you are playing for three points and the games are a lot more intense- So I think it has been good for me.”
His view on Chelsea’s season so far:
“Chelsea are always up there. Obviously, they are fighting for the Europa League, and trying to get top four to get into the Champions League next season.
“They are in a good position, and their destiny is still in their hands.
“Looking at the quality of the squad- It’s top quality!
“As shown in previous years- they will get the job done.”
Being part of the loan army:
“I mean you are at one of the biggest clubs in the world, and ultimately there is a lot of good players, so the standards are really high.
“So being part of the loan set up with loads of great talent. For us it’s about improving ourselves and getting that extra experiences that are needed to push for places in the team.
“As shown this season, a few players have broken through more than previous seasons.
“For me and for the other lads- it’s a positive.”
Maddox on Hudson-Odoi’s season:
“He’s been brilliant.
“I’ve played with Callum a lot last year and all through the youth set up.
“We all know what a talent he is. It’s good to see him having a chance. And to be fair to him- he’s took it.
“Obviously he’s gone with England which is a massive boost for him.
“For us looking in on Callum, he’s a perfect example of if you work hard in training every day and if take your chances, then anything is possible.”
Maddox on Loftus-Cheek’s season:
“We all knew what Ruben can do.
“The things he brings, like his physical aspects aswell, but not only that- his skills on the ball.
“We all know what Ruben can do, but it was only a matter of time for him to be in around the team, because he has so much quality.
“So I’m buzzing for Ruben. He’s obviously a bit different to Callum, because he has been around that kind of set up before. But fair play to Ruben.”
Maddox on transfer ban and his future at the club:
“I think if you look at the players on loan- then there is no reason why more youth players can push for a place in the first team squad.
“Look at players like Reece James and Mason Mount- they are doing so well out on loan, alongside many other loan players.
“It’s good for the club that so many of these players out on loan are doing so well.
“It’s another option for the people in charge of Chelsea. All we can do is be the best we can be, and try to improve.”
On Michael Duff’s impact on CTFC:
“Michael’s done well.
“Obviously it was tough before. But he has come in and done really well.
“He’s changed the structure of the club and has put players on the same page.
On his predictions for next season for Cheltenham:
“I am very optimistic for this team next season.
“For them, it’s just about having a good preseason, and getting a few players in. And if they do that then they will go very far in League Two.”
On his gratefulness to Michael Duff:
“He has done really well for my development.
“Obviously first loan, you can come across some difficult situations.
“And when that’s happened, he’s guided me through some difficult situations- constantly talking to me and giving me feedback, and most importantly just letting me play.
“He’s been really good to me. It’s been a two way thing. I’ve helped the team, and he’s helped me.”
On what he can improve on in his game:
“For me, if you look at my stats- I need to get more assists and more goals for my teams. If I do that, then I can go higher.”
On his role model:
“For me, I would always look at the top teams like Chelsea and Arsenal.
“I loved Ronaldinho.”
Personal aims:
“For me I’m an optimistic guy. So I would like to play for a League one club or Championship club next season if possible- that’s my next step.”
By Danyal Khan
Head over to the Chelsea Echo on Twitter to view my interview based article with Jacob Maddox!
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Middlesbrough vs Reading (EFL Championship) Match Preview; 27th April
Middlesbrough face Reading on Saturday, knowing that only a win is good enough to keep their hopes alive of a top six finish at the end of the season.
They come into this game on the back of their disappointing 3-0 loss on Monday, away to Nottingham Forest at the City ground.
That loss means that Derby has the advantage over Boro in the play off race, as they are both level on points- but the Rams are above Middlesbrough on goal difference with a game in hand.
Boro sit in 7th, with Derby in 6th place.
Their opponents Reading come into this game 99% safe of relegation.
This came after their impressive 0-0 draw at home to play off contenders West Bromwich Albion, which moves the Royals six points clear of Rotherham in 22nd, with only two games remaining.
The only way the Royals can go down now is by a massive goal swing, plus Rotherham having to win both of their remaining games. This is unlikely to happen but you never know in football...
Reading only need one more point to guarantee 100% survival. They can also guarantee survival if Rotherham drop points at the weekend away to West Brom.
Recent form in the Championship for both sides
Middlesbrough- L/W/W/W/L
Reading- L/D/W/L/L
Game Information
This game is not being televised in the UK. The best way to follow the game is by following @JonathanLow’s (Twitter) Blog on the day. Also you can listen to this game on BBC Radio Berkshire.
Team News
Middlesbrough
Tony Pulis confirmed in his press conference this week that Stewart Downing is out of this game with a knee injury.
He joins the likes of Dael Fry, George Friend, Dani Ayala and Lewis Wing.
Reading
Jose Gomes confirmed in his press conference yesterday that Yakou Meite and Nelson Oliveira are out for the remaining two games of the season, after both injuring themselves against West Brom on Monday.
Paul McShane and John O’Shea are unlikely to feature on the weekend, despite returning to training recently.
John Swift is still out with an injury.
Predicted Starting elevens
Middlesbrough’s predicted starting XI (3-5-1-1)- Randolph; McNair, Flint, Shotton; Howson, Clayton, Mikel, Besic, Saville; A.Fletcher; Assombalonga.
Reading’s predicted starting XI (5-3-2)- Martinez; Gunter; McIntyre, Miazga, Moore, Yiadom; Baker, Rinomhota, Ejaria; Barrow, Loader.
Manager Comments
Middlesbrough Manager: Tony Pulis (Quotes Credit- Middlesbrough Official Twitter account
On The Easter Period;
"We were poor at Forest, there's no question about it - we didn't get going at all. After a good performance at Stoke on Friday, Monday seemed like it was too far for the players. We've got two games left, two games we have to win, and it's brilliant. It's a case of keeping them going and keeping them focused."
On The Last Two Games;
"Saturday is a must-win game and we have to be positive. We have to give it a right go and it's still all to play for. We have the opportunity and the players have to grasp it. They have to go out and there get the results we need."
On The Players;
"They've been good. There was a real disappointment after the performance on Monday (against Forest), and nobody feels that more than the players. We've got players playing out of position, we got stretched and we got pulled around."
Reading Manager: Jose Gomes (Quotes Credit- GetReading)
On his team being safe;
I believe [we are] but mathematically we are not safe.
We must respect this fact and try to do the best we can to get to the mathematically safe position.
Mood in training this week;
We've been recovering and talking about our problems and where we can find our solutions.
We must keep our focus. Even if you play 43 or 44 games very well, in the last two games if you don't put on a good display - that's the strongest one.
Sometimes football is very cruel. We must put on a good display again and finish the season well because it will be an important sign for next season.
We must be professional in the things we do and give our maximum in the next game.
Challenge of Boro;
They play a different way to West Brom and Bristol City. They and Sheffield United have the best defensive record.
It means they are extremely well organised defensively.
They have tall, physical players, fight for second balls, long balls, they are a typical Championship team who fight throughout the game.
They are very strong on the counter attack and with crosses but they have some weak points though we must use. They are doing very well, considering the way they are playing.
I’m expecting they will be a bit more open than usual.
Usually teams try something a bit more if they are playing for something in the final two games.
Planning for next season;
I'm refusing to talk about next season right now. We have been talking about the main things for a long time now and a lot of people are working on it.
But I want to keep my focus on the league and the team.
We can talk about next season at the end of this one.
Head to Head record
These two sides have met 32 times in all competitions with Middlebrough shading the head to head record. Boro have beaten Reading 13 times in all competitions over the years. There have been 10 draws in all competitions. The Royals have beaten Middlebrough 9 times in all competitions.
The most recent meeting between these two sides came earlier this season in the Championship, when a late George Friend goal gave Boro the three points at the Madejski Stadium. So a win for Middlesbrough tomorrow will mean that they do the double over Reading this season.
Interesting stats ahead of the match
1. Middlesbrough have won their last four league matches against Reading, having won just four of their previous 15 against the Royals.
2. Reading have never lost three consecutive away league visits to Middlesbrough, losing their last two by the same score (1-2 in April 2016 and February 2018).
Betting Odds/Match Predictions
Sky Bet have made Middlesbrough favourites to win this game tomorrow, with a Boro win being priced at 3/5. A draw between these two sides is being priced at 29/10. And a shock Reading win is being priced at 19/4.
My realistic predictions as a journalist for this game is a tight 1-0 win to Middlesbrough. Tony Pulis’s sides always like to grind out 1-0 wins!
My optimistic prediction as a fan for this game is a 1-0 Reading win. I hop ewe can snatch the three points in a tight game. I think that if we win 1-0, Barrow will score the goal for Reading.
Comment down below your score predictions and predicted line ups.
By Danyal Khan
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Cheltenham vs Oldham (0-0) 200 word BBC Style Match Report (On the Whistle)
Oldham miss a chance to make a statement in the play off race, after drawing 0-0 to Cheltenham at the Jonny Rocks Stadium.
This draw for Cheltenham makes it nine unbeaten at home for the Robins. Whilst a point for Oldham does them no good in the race for a playoff place in League two.
The Robins remain in 16th place with 54 points, whilst the Latics remain in 13th place with 59 points.
Both teams played out an even first half, with Luke Varney being the Robins brightest player. And Oladapo Afolayan and Jose Baxter looking the Latics most dangerous players in the first half.
Cheltenham thought they had taken a first half lead, but had a goal disallowed in the 38th minute, after Charlie Raglan powered in a header from a corner. However, the referee had adjudged the defender to foul an Oldham player.
Both teams had great chances to win the game in the second half, but Kevin Dawson’s one on one attempt was saved well by Daniel Iversen in the Oldham goal. And Oldham’s captain Peter Clarke missed a free header from a corner.
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Cheltenham Town vs Oldham Athletic (EFL League 2) Match Preview; 19th April
Cheltenham come into this game looking to make it 9 unbeaten at home in the league.
The Robins last home defeat came on the 12th January, when they fell to a 3-1 defeat to Tranmere Rovers.
The side from Gloucestershire picked up an impressive point on the road in their last game, when they drew 1-1 with top of the league and promoted Lincoln City last Saturday.
Their opponents Oldham Athletic are looking to make it five unbeaten in the league.
The Latics drew 2-2 at home last weekend against Swindon Town.
This impressive run of form, since the surprising Paul Scholes saga has led to the Latics moving up to 13th in the table.
An away win tomorrow could take them into the top half of the League 2 table.
Recent form in League
Cheltenham Town- L/W/W/D/D
Oldham Athletic- L/W/W/W/D
Team News
Cheltenham
Luke Varney is in line to make a return to the line up tomorrow after missing Lincoln away due to a concussion protocol.
Alex Addai, Tyrone Barnett and Nigel Atangana are all out with long term injuries.
But Alex Addai is close to being considered.
Oldham Athletic
Zak Dearnley is out of this game, despite coming back to training this week. Seems like this game has come too early for the forward.
The manager also revealed in his press conference that a few players had knocks, but didn’t want to give away any names until he knew for definite, so do expect changes to their line up tomorrow.
Predicted starting elevens
Cheltenham’s predicted starting XI (3-5-2)- Flinders; Boyle, Tozer, Raglan; Hussey, Tillson, Dwson, Thomas, Long; Waters, Varney.
Oldham’s predicted starting XI (4-4-2)- Iversen; Hamer, Clarke, Edmundson, Iacovitti; Branger, Missilou, Maouche, Nepomuceno; Baxter, Lang.
Manager Comments
Cheltenham Manager: Michael Duff (Quotes Credit- Official Cheltenham Town website- www.ctfc.com)
"There are two home games left and we want to keep this home record going," he said.
"We want to deliver another good performance. There does seem to be a feel good factor at the minute, quite rightly so, because the players have delivered good performances and the fans have bought into that as well.
"Pete has done a good job. They obviously had the high profile of Paul Scholes coming in and all the press that with it - it lasted a month - and Pete had them on a good run before that, a good cup run.
"Paul Scholes came in, left, and Pete has taken over again and I think they've lost one in seven so they're on another good run. He's got them going."
Following the launch of the club's 2019/20 season tickets today, Duff added:
"There's a definite buzz around the ground on home games at the minute off the back of a really good unbeaten home record. We'll be looking to add to that.
"Off the back of the season tickets getting cut, the kids and the free shirts with their season ticket, I think the club have done all they can, the team are doing all they can, and hopefully the supporters buy into it as well because we want to keep that momentum going."
Oldham Manager: Pete Wild
"All the preparation bumps forward a day, so we've had a good week, the lads are raring to go again and we're looking forward to what is going to be a really exciting but tough Easter weekend."
He added: "This time being in the job a little bit longer we've had time to plan and time to prepare so we feel like we're ready for the tests ahead.
"We can now manage our days and manage our schedule a little bit better having had that time to come into it."
Despite their league standing, Wild knows The Robins will be a difficult game against a team who have been in excellent form over the last ten games.
"You're going to see a completely different side that you saw at Boundary Park earlier in the season.
"Fair play to Michael [Duff] he's got them playing, he's got this 3-5-2 system that is really heavily based on possession based football and getting the ball wide, so I think you're going to see a completely different game.
"And what a run they've been on by the way. A fantastic run they've got themselves into, so they're a really good threat and probably if the season was a couple of months back you'd say Cheltenham would be bumping themselves into the top-half.
"So I'm really looking forward to playing them because they give us something different to combat, but what an exciting fixture, I've enjoyed doing my homework on them and watching their games."
Whilst he admires Cheltenham, Wild knows he wants his side to get back to its best and overcome the struggles they faced against Swindon last weekend.
"Structurally I think we got it a little bit wrong and we spoke about it on Monday with the lads and we showed them some clips against Swindon and showed them some clips of Tranmere and how that looked differently structurally.
"So we've addressed that now and looked at their threats on the training pitch and looked at how we're going to combat that. So hopefully we'll get it a little bit structurally better on Friday and we can then get back to being this team that's on the front-foot."
With a quick turnaround after Friday, the Latics Head Coach is focused on one task at a time.
"It's game by game for us. We're going to look at what we need to do for Friday and then on the bus back on Friday it'll be a case of 'right what are we going to do Monday'. I don't want to get ahead of ourselves."
Head to Head record
These two sides have met 13 times over the years in all competitions, with both teams winning the same amount of games against eachother. Cheltenham have beaten the Latics four times in all competitions. There have been five draws between these two sides over the years. And Oldham have beaten the Robins four times in all competitions over the years.
However, just comparing league head to head record- Oldham do better in that category. Oldham have beaten the Robins four times in league competitions. There have four draws between these two sides in league competitions over the years. And Cheltenham have only beaten the Latics one time in league competitions over the years.
Most of Cheltenham’s wins against Oldham have came in the FA Cup.
The last meeting between these two sides came earlier this season in League two, when Oldham picked up a comfortable 2-0 win over Cheltenham at the end of October.
Betting Odds/Match Predictions
Sky Bet have made Cheltenham slight favourites to pick up the three points from this encounter, with a win for the Robins being priced at 6/4. A draw between these two sides is being priced at 9/4. And an Oldham win which would keep their mini unbeaten run in the league going is being priced at 13/8.
Jon Palmer’s (Sport Reporter for Gloucestershire Live) prediction for this game is a 2-1 Cheltenham win.
My Prediction for this game is a 3-2 Cheltenham win. Hoping for a high scoring and entertaining match tomorrow.
Comment down below your score predictions for this game tomorrow in League Two. Both teams have certain unbeaten records that they want to hold on to. But whose mini record will go tomorrow? Cheltenham’s impressive home form? Or Oldham’s mini resurgence?
By Danyal Khan
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Reading vs Brentford (EFL Championship) Match Preview;13th April
Reading host Brentford at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday looking to move further away from the relegation zone.
The Royals come into this game on the back of picking up a vital and sensational point away to high flying Norwich City on Wednesday.
Andy Rinomhota scored an absolute screamer in the 97th minute of the game, to prevent the Royals from leaving with nothing, after they played so well.
Brentford come into this game playing for very little, after being placed in lower mid-table in the Championship.
They are currently 14th in the Championship table, with 54 points, and a goal difference of +9.
However the Bees will be playing for pride, and they come into this game on the back of a 2-0 win over bottom of the table Ipswich Town.
Goals from Neal Maupay and Ollie Watkins helped the club from West London pick up the three points.
Recent form in the Championship for both sides
Reading- L/D/W/L/D
Brentford- L/D/L/D/W
Game Information
This game will take place at 3pm (UK time). The game is not televised, so the best way to follow the game is either through live blogs. You can also follow it through watching Soccer Saturday, or listening to live commentary on BBC Radio Berkshire.
Team News (Credit- getreading journalist- Jonathan Low)
Reading
Mo Barrow and Liam Moore should both be fit to play despite recent injuries.
Barrow went off with a knock in the midweek draw at Norwich while Moore aggravated a shoulder injury in the same game.
The game is expected to come too soon for striker Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, however, as he continues to make his way back from a back injury.
Oliveira is back for this game, after being ineligible to face his parent club on Wednesday.
Saeid Ezatolahi, Paul McShane and Omar Richards are all set to miss out, while John Swift is not expected to play a part.
Brentford (getreading journalist- Jonathan Low)
South African midfielder Kamohelo Mokotjo is a major doubt while French defender Yoann Barbet is definitely out with an ankle problem.
Goalkeeper Daniel Bentley is out for the season with a shoulder injury.
Predicted starting elevens
Reading’s predicted starting XI (4-2-3-1)- Martinez; Yiadom, Miazga, Moore, Blackett; Baker, Rinomhota; Ejaria, Meite, Barrow; Oliveira.
Brentford’s predicted starting XI (3-4-2-1)- Daniels; Konsa, Jeanvier, Bech; Odubajo, Dasilva, Sawyers, Henry; Watkins, Benrahma; Maupay.
Manager Comments (Credit- Get
Reading Manager: Jose Gomes
"It will be a difficult game and a completely different one to Norwich.
"Brentford on a good day play very good football, the same kind as Swansea so a passing game and they are able to play very well.
"The spirit must be the same in all the battles until the end of the season.
"It's a very difficult way we've still got, like everybody knows. We must keep this spirit and the players are doing very well."
Brentford Manager: Thomas Frank
“It's a massive game because Reading will fight for their lives.
"We know they’ll be extremely difficult, especially at home with a big crowd behind them so it's a very big challenge for us.
"Hopefully we can add three points to our away form, that would be nice. But we are looking forward to it.
"I think we had two very good offensive performances the last two games at Griffin Park, so I expect us to take that into the next game as well."
Head to Head record
These two sides have met 90 times over the years in all competitions, with Reading having the better of it. The Royals have beaten Brentford 36 times in all competitions over the years. There have been 25 draws between these two sides. And the Bees have beaten Reading 29 times over the years in all competitions.
In terms of league head to head record. Reading also have the better in that category. These sides have met 85 times in league competitions, with the Royals beating Brentford 33 times in league competitions. There have been 24 draws between these two sides. And the Bees have beaten Reading 28 times in league competitions.
The last meeting between these two sides came earlier this season in the Championship, when a Yoan Barbet header rescued a point for the 10 men of Brentford.
This game took place at Griffin Park, and I was there with my brother, and I was gutted that Reading couldn’t hold on for an away win. one thing that I experienced was standing and that was hectic. Being pushed around all the time wasn’t ideal at all!
Betting Odds/Match Predictions
Here are the betting odds from Sky Bet:
Reading win- 11/5
Draw- 5/2
Brentford win- 23/20
My realistic prediction as a journalist for this game is a tight 1-1 draw.
My optimistic prediction as a Reading fan for this game is a 2-0 win.
Comment down below your score predictions and your predicted line ups.
By Danyal Khan
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Norwich vs Reading (EFL Championship) Match Preview: 10th April
Norwich play Reading on Wednesday at Carrow Road, looking to make it nine straight wins in the Championship.
On the weekend, Norwich picked up a convincing 4-0 win at home to manageress QPR.
Reading come into this game on mixed form.
Jose Gomes’s Royals suffered a 3-1 defeat to inform and hard to beat Hull City. But before that, they picked up an impressive 2-1 win at home against play off chasers- Preston North End.
Reading will view any positive result in this game as massive, if they were to surprise Norwich on Wednesday- which is highly unlikely.
Recent form for both sides in the league;
Norwich- W/W/W/W/W/W
Reading- W/W/L/D/W/L
TV Information
This game is being televised on Wednesday night on Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports action. Kick off is at 7:45pm (UK time)
Predicted line ups
Norwich’s predicted line up (4-2-3-1)- Krul; Aarons, Zimmermann, Godfrey, Lewis; Trybull, McLean; Hernandez, Stiepermann, Vrancic; Pukki.
Reading’s predicted line up (4-2-3-1)- Martinez; Yiadom, Moore, Miazga, Blackett; Baker, Rinomhota; Ejaria, Swift, Barrow; Meite. (Remeber Oliveira can’t play against his parent club as he is on loan.)
Head to Head record
These two sides have met 76 times in all competitions over the years, with both teams winning the same amount of games as each other. Both games have won 29 times against each other. There have also been 18 draws between these two teams.
In terms of league head to head record, these two sides have met 71 times, with both teams beating each other 28 times. And there have been 15 draws between these two sides in league competitions over the years.
In terms of last meeting between these two sides- it came earlier this season in the Championship, where Norwich picked up a 2-1 win at the Madejski Stadium, thanks to goals from Pukki and Vrancic.
Betting Odds/Match Predictions
Norwich are clear favourites to win this game on Wednesday night. A Canaries win is being priced at 2/5. A draw between these two sides is being priced at 19/5. And a shock Reading win is being priced at 13/2.
My realistic prediction for this game as a journalist is a 4-1 Norwich win.
My optimistic prediction for this game as a Reading fan is a 2-1 Norwich win.
Sorry Reading fans- just can’t see us getting anything against the high flying canaries.
By Danyal Khan
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Fulham U23s 0-3 Reading U23s (BBC Style Match Report)
Sam Baldock scored on his return from injury, to help Reading U23s pick up a 3-0 win over Fulham U23s at Craven Cottage.
This win for the Royals means that they move up to third in Premier League 2, Division 2- two points off the leaders Southampton U23s.
The Royals dominated the first half and took the lead in the third minute, after the Fulham goalkeeper Luca Ashby-Hammond took out Ben House in the box. Sam Baldock converted the penalty to give the Royals the lead.
The side from Berkshire then doubled their lead in the 17th minute, when Teddy’s Howe’s through ball found the run of Ben House, who slotted past the onrushing Ashby-Hammond to make it 2-0 to Reading.
Fulham had a few chances in the first half to pull one back, but Neeskens Kebano’s two attempts were both well saved by Ansi Jaakkola in the Reading goal.
Substitute Tyler Frost made it 3-0 in the dying moments of the second half, to make it a more convincing win for Scott Marshall’s side.
This was Reading U23s second win of the season over Fulham U23s. They enacted revenge on the Cottagers after they beat the Royals 2-0 in the Premier League Cup.
Word Count- 200
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