Last time this match was played, Plymouth Argyle were in a relegation battle. They are now in 10th, only two points off Reading, looking for a late playoff push, which I feel I could say about any team at the minute because this league is so close.
The loss at Mansfield Town in midweek was an annoying one. Reading played worse than they’ve done all season and deserved nothing out of that match. This is becoming something I am saying far too often.
Against those around and above us in the league we
play well, but against those we should be beating, we seem to fall apart. Reading had two shots on target in the game: one in the second minute, one in 90+5. It was abysmal.
Plymouth’s last game was a 3-0 win against Wigan Athletic. Aribim Pepple scored twice and Celeb Watts added another to secure victory for Argyle. They are looking strong at the minute and it is going to be hard for the Royals to deal with them on the counter-attack.
The head-to-head between the sides is in the visitors’ favour with 22 Reading wins, 15 draws and 28 Plymouth victories. The last meeting was a 4-1 Reading win on Boxing Day, with Lewis Wing scoring two, Kamari Doyle netting one and Jack Marriott getting a goal at the end of the game to secure the win for the Royals.
In this preview I analyse the game against Mansfield and I will give my predictions.
What? League One matchday 37
Season? 2025/26
Who? Plymouth Argyle
Where? Select Car Leasing Stadium
When? Saturday March 14
Time? 15:00
Opposition manager? Tom Cleverley
Mansfield vs Reading
I don’t know why I am going to do this because I’m only going to be negative. But here we go.
What an awful, awful performance that was. Defensively poor, the midfield were nowhere and the attack was non-existent. Doyle registered a shot on target early doors and then Benn Ward managed to get another shot saved in 90+5.
The Royals appeared tired the whole game and only managed to look like they wanted to create something when Will Keane and Sean Patton came on. But even then, the ball went sideways and backwards far too many times, it was lost in the middle of the park and then on what should have been an attack for Reading, it ended up as an attack for Mansfield because Reading did absolutely nothing with possession.
The last time I saw a game like that was Stockport County last season. In that game Stockport realised they had to man-mark Wing and then Reading fell apart.
In the game against Mansfield, Wing had one of his worst performances in a Reading shirt. It was like Leam Richardson had made them play anti-football, or they tried to be Barcelona looking for intricate passes that were never ever going to do anything – because we are not Barcelona.
It was appalling. Mansfield deserved the goal they got and the only person I feel bad for in the entire team is Joel Pereira. He was at fault for nothing, made some good saves that kept it 1-0, and couldn’t really do much about the goal itself as it was poor defending.
What a waste of a game, and after a day that could have got Reading into the playoffs, they are now looking behind them at who could catch up and overtake. My girlfriend who knows nothing about football: even she said that game was a hard watch.
My lineup
The only saving grace from the last game, Pereira will start in goal.
The back four should be Andy Yiadom, Paudie O’Connor, Benn Ward and Randell Williams.
The midfield will be Wing, Charlie Savage and Doyle.
The attack should be Matt Ritchie, Keane and Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan – the latter going back to the wing where he is more effective.
Score prediction: 1-1
Good luck to those going to the game!
Come on you Royals!
