Three Matches, Four Goals

By: Prederick | August 18th, 2008

0-0, 2-1, 2-0.

Ibrahima Sonko, Rising Above

That’s how Reading FC began the 2008/09 season, with a disappointing, dull away draw to newly-promoted Nottingham Forest, a 2-1 win over Dagenham & Redbridge in the League Cup and a 2-0 win over Plymouth just this Saturday.

In the latter circumstance, if you’d told me that Ibrahima Sonko would notch both the goals, i’d have called you a liar, but lo and behold, the central defender nodded in twice from corners to give Reading three healthy points and leave the team fifth in the table.

Obviously, things won’t really start shaking out for another two to three months as the cream begins to rise, but a opening day draw with Nottingham did have me jittery. Not to mention, saying goodbye to Nicky Shorey sucked all kinds of ass.

Not to mention the club Chairman recently went on BBC Radio Berkshire, and listed all the usual suspects of why we haven’t exactly been replacing the players we’re losing. Apparently, the players earn too much (I believe every club in existence have said this by now) and the money has all been spent. Crap as it is to admit, Madjeski has a point. The much-vaunted parachute payments teams relegated from the Premier League recieve aren’t a complete salve for all that ails a club. Any team dumb enough to blow all that money right off on transfers (most of which, let’s admit, will probably be iffy) would see themselves pulling a Leeds easily (or is it a Leicester now?).

It still is disappointing however, to have the realization of the exact station your club is in smack you in the face when the papers are all blabbing on about whatever ludicrous sum the MU Rowdies (© The Fiver) are looking to pay for Mr. Berbatov or Chelsea for Robinho (last rumored to be somewhere in the Umpty-Jiggity-Slap-Dash-Zillion range).

That is, of course, the nature of the game these days. Madjeski is not a sugar daddy, loaded with billions of billions to plunge into the club, nor do we have some secret stash of cash hidden away that Mr. Madjeski simply isn’t telling us about. Reading is a Championship club, and unless Steve Allen needs a new toy, we’re going to be a bit skint if we want to come anywhere near financial solvency.

As for the players themselves though, i’m very intrigued by this Jimmy Kebe fellow. Intrigued in that he’s as fast as greased lightning, although I do wonder if he’ll be able to keep his feet and brain going at the same pace for an entire season. James Harper makes a fine captain, I think, he’s very good in midfield for us, although I don’t think I want to see Stephen Hunt appearing at left-back for an entire season. He was fine on Saturday, yes, but I’m not sure if I want him there when Birmingham come calling.

A good test will come Saturday, when Reading will visit Charlton. Three points? Call me bullish, but I think we should be approaching every game as if we can get all three.

Lastly, I cannot believe Mr. Heskey is back in an England shirt. I mean, I can, but are England truly that short of strikers? Really?