Wycombe Wanderers vs Reading: Match Preview
The Royals make a short trip north in one of their toughest games of the season: away to the league-leading Chairboys.
Wycombe Wanderers come into this game top of the league, having won 12 of 17 games this season. They look like a team everyone fears. Richard Kone has been a revelation for them this season, scoring nine goals in 17 league games.
Reading are coming off the back of a solid 3-0 win against Cambridge United in midweek after a Lewis wing masterclass, but that win has now become a distant memory given what else has happened this week.
In this preview I will do a small testimonial for Ruben Selles, as well as analysing Wycombe’s performance against Exeter City - showing where Reading could exploit the Chairboys, looking at Matt Bloomfield and how he has revolutionised Wycombe, and then giving my predictions for the weekend.
What? League One matchday 18
Season? 2024/25
Who? Wycombe Wanderers
Where? Adams Park
When? Saturday December 7
Time? 15:00
Opposition manager? Matt Bloomfield
Ruben Selles
With it being confirmed that Selles has joined Hull City, Reading now have to look ahead with a different person in charge: Noel Hunt.
Selles joined the Royals on July 14, 2023, following the sacking of previous manager Paul Ince. His first game in charge was a 1-0 loss to Peterborough United but then in the following match smashed Millwall 4-0 in the League Cup.
In his time at Reading Selles signed: Chem Campbell, Harlee Dean, Sam Smith, Lewis Wing, Clinton Mola, Harvey Knibbs, David Button, Tivonge Rushesha, Tyler Bindon, Charlie Savage, Ben Elliott, Paul Mukairu, Dom Ballard, Zane Monlouis and Joel Pereira.
That is most of our starting 11 at the moment. He has changed Reading.
With a win percentage of 43.59% - 34 games out of the 74 he managed - Selles guided Reading to safety despite having multiple points deducted last season due to the issues in the club. He has also this season managed to get the Royals to a very respectable sixth place, already on 30 points, only three behind the team that spent the same this season on transfer fees as our club is worth.
He has done more for this club than many before him, having joined in such poor conditions. There were prior examples of players and staff not being paid, 12 points being deducted even before he joined - which ended up getting the club relegated to League One for the first time in 20 years - and he still came to the club.
Keeping us up despite another six points being deducted last season was an achievement, but to then make us a playoff team the season after, while only making one loan signing, was a miracle.
It’s likely that some players will leave due to his departure - such as Tyler Bindon and Andre Garcia - amid interest from big clubs in top countries. Staff including James Oliver-Pearce and Tobias Loveland are joining Hull with Selles, despite Oliver-Pearce being linked with the Reading job himself.
Hunt has once again been asked to step up to manage the first team, like he did in the time between the sacking of Ince and the hiring of Selles.
He has good experience with the players, due to the squad containing so many academy graduates. I think he will implement similar tactics to what Selles was using. Despite players potentially leaving, I think Hunt can persuade most of them to stay at least until the end of the season so they can help the Royals have a promotion push.
I just want to say thank you to Ruben for making a miserable 18 months at the club somewhat bearable, and I wish him very good luck for when we get promoted and meet with him again next season!
Matt Bloomfield
Wycombe have had a great deal of success this season, and a lot of this is down to manager Matt Bloomfield.
When I was in college, I used to listen to Rob Blackburne’s “The Footballers Mindset” podcast and it really did take me through my chemistry A-Level. On this podcast, Bloomfield is incredibly knowledgeable about all aspects of football. Blackburne, Bloomfield and current Sunderland captain Luke O’Nien would talk about all sorts of things on this podcast but it was clear that former Wycombe captain Bloomfield was by far the most knowledgeable.
He was always going to become a manager - it was more a case of when than if.
That happened when Colchester United appointed him in 2022. In this five-month reign he managed 38 matches, gaining himself a 32.1% win rate (nine games). In February he left Colchester and joined Wycombe. He has managed 98 games and has a win percentage of 49%.
Wycombe vs Exeter
As said before, Wycombe currently sit at the top of the table with 39 points. This is due to how Bloomfield sets them up, in a 4-1-4-1 formation. This means he can fit in key players such as top striker Richard Kone, Luke Leahy and - in my opinion - their best player (definitely not biased) Garath McCleary.
Currently their front five have 31 goal contributions between them, plus another 13 coming from Aaron Morley, Daniel Harvie and Joseph Low.
Kone, although not getting himself on the scoresheet against Exeter, was integral for one of the goals. The first was scored from a corner by Low but it was the second that Kone played a part in.
A cross came into Kone and he left it, confusing the defender, allowing Cameron Humphries to curl a shot into the bottom-left corner.
The team managing to come back from being two goals down is the epitome of what this team stands for. Wycombe never give up. All their players have incredible work rates and fight for the badge.
Reading will find it difficult to break down the Chairboys but it is possible. Wycombe tend to over play in their midfield, making too many passes, potentially causing them to misplace a pass or get pressed enough to lose the ball.
They are also prone to a long shot, and we all know where that one will come from. This game at the weekend is one that Wing needs to eat his famous spag bol for!
When it comes to pressing, Harvey Knibbs is our leading man; I think he will be very valuable in catching Wycombe on a counter-attack. Similarly, Chem Campbell or Adrian Akande, depending on who plays on that right-hand side, will be on the receiving end of this counter-attack, making the run at left-back Daniel Harvey.
Harvey is one player who will be a problem. Among all full-backs in the league, he has the second most touches on the ball, also winning 90% of his aerial duels. He also has three assists this season and reminds me of how Leif Davis played for Ipswich Town in their Championship promotion season.
However, Harvey is also one of the worst full-backs for getting dribbled past. This is ideal for both Campbell and Akande as they are both excellent with their feet. If they are both on form they may be able to put a few crosses in for Smith.
My lineup
Joel Pereira will be in goal. Was it ever going to be any different?
The defence is likely to change slightly with Michael Craig, Bindon and Amadou Mbengue joining Garcia, who could come back into the lineup.
The midfield three stay the same in Wing, Elliott and Savage. If Wing performs as he did against Cambridge we have a great chance at getting something out of this game.
The front three will be Knibbs, Campbell and Smith. I think Campbell will have the game of his life.
Score prediction: 2-1 Royals!
Good luck to those Royals travelling the short distance to Adams Park.
Come on you Royals!!