TTE Crystal Ball 2020: Revisiting Our Reading Player Predictions
It’s safe to say some of our predictions for these Royals’ career paths were better than others...
What were you doing this time five years ago? Perhaps wondering when live football would return, watching Netflix while pretending to work from home, or maybe taking your one hour of daily government-allotted outdoor time.
Well, six of TTE’s finest writers were busy predicting the next five years in the careers of nine young Reading players. Actually, I’m guessing that four of them were good writers, because aside from current match report and ex-match preview wordsmiths Simeon Pickup and Adam Jones respectively, I haven’t benefitted from the pleasure of reading the others’ content. Unfortunately, 13-year-old me cared little for Reading Football Club nor quality journalism.
(Editor’s note: Tut tut...)
So, now I’ll be looking at their 2020 predictions (which you can view in full here), what each person said, and no doubt laughing at how ridiculous some of their calls are. Still, you might be able to do the same for my 2024 set of predictions if you bide your time enough.
Luke Southwood
Prediction: Championship/League One, higher Championship, mid-Championship
Actual level: League One rotational player
Luke Southwood made 25 Championship appearances for us in 2021/22 but has played by far the most in League One, so there were some close calls here.
He’s been in and out of the starting XI for Bolton Wanderers in the season just gone, has broken into the Northern Ireland national team recently, and at just 27, in goalkeeping terms Southwood has plenty more to give to the game.
Coniah Boyce-Clarke
Prediction: Premier League, lower Premier League, higher Championship
Actual level: League One reserves
In 2020 there was plenty of clamouring about Boyce-Clarke’s Football Manager potential and how all the top clubs were falling over each other to sign him, but it hasn’t quite worked out that way.
The one league game he started in 2024/25 was a painstakingly important loss against Leyton Orient where the difference was the young ‘keeper’s mistake, and he’s since been limited to minutes for the under-21s.
It’s hard to judge him at only 22 years of age even now, but unfortunately it looks like he’s more likely to be headed for the National League than the Premier League.
Gabriel Osho
Prediction: Higher Championship, mid-Championship, higher Championship
Actual level: Mid-Ligue 1
The first player that has exceeded expectations, Osho has gone from strength to strength since leaving Reading.
Joining Luton Town on a free transfer shortly after these predictions were made, he went on loan twice from Kenilworth Road, later being instrumental in their rebuild in the Championship and debut Premier League campaign.
Last summer Osho was signed by Auxerre, and has made 20 appearances for the Burgundy club in France’s top flight.
Tom McIntyre
Prediction: Championship, mid-Championship, lower Premier League
Actual level: Lower Championship/League One
Olly Allen said for this one: “Predicting where McIntyre will be in five years is essentially predicting where Reading will be in five years. I hope.”
It hasn’t quite worked out that way for the defender since he jumped ship to Portsmouth in January 2024, where he struggled for form and game time, a year later going on loan back to League One with Charlton Athletic.
McIntyre is definitely not a Premier League-standard player, and for me is a way off Championship level too, so he’s probably found his place at the Valley now. They weren’t completely absurd predictions, but perhaps looking at his abilities with blue-and-white-tinted glasses.
Omar Richards
Prediction: Championship, Championship, League One
Actual level: Evangelos Marinakis journeyman
Despite some rotten injury luck over the past few years, Richards is playing at a very good level, for Rio Ave, on loan from Nottingham Forest.
After more than 100 appearances for Reading he was deemed not good enough in 2021 so took the natural step down to Bayern Munich, and a year later to Forest. The left-back is 27 now, and seems to have found his level after relative success at Olympiakos and Rio Ave, so did well to exceed the expectations us fans had of him.
Andy Rinomhota
Prediction: High Championship, mid-Premier League, lower Premier League
Actual: Lower Championship
Another player that was released in 2022 after hundreds of appearances for Reading, Rinomhota has just been relegated to League One with Cardiff City.
With his Bluebirds contract up this summer, and a few years of relatively consistent but not incredible performances under his belt, it’s likely to be another sideways move for the midfielder.
Again, the predictions have gone a little on the optimistic side, but if his moves worked out a little differently, he could have easily fulfilled his high potential.
Michael Olise
Prediction: Premier League, Premier League, Lower Premier League
Actual level: World class
Well well well. The lower Premier League shout was from Adam Jones, who also said: “My suspicion is that he may be kept on the bench for the likes of Ejaria, Swift and Rinomhota.” No faith in our boy.
It’s safe to say his career has taken an upward turn since leaving Berkshire, signing for Crystal Palace and then Bayern Munich for the small fee of €60m, essentially meaning one of his legs is worth about the same as our whole club.
Now he’s a Bundesliga winner, full French international and winner of a silver medal at the Olympics. A career that not many would have predicted five years ago for sure, so I’ll let the guys off with this one.
Sam Smith
Prediction: League Two, lower Championship, League One
Actual level: Upper League One
Some mixed calls for this one. It was a popular prediction to say that his ship had sailed in Berkshire, after six loans away from Reading with none of them being particularly successful.
Smith departed in 2021 on a free to Cambridge United, for whom he scored 28 goals in two seasons in League One. Smith’s potential was realised on his return to Reading in 2023 as he starred up top for us until Wrexham pinched him in January.
I think he can go on to be a very capable striker in the Championship for them, until the point at which they really start challenging at the top.
Danny Namaso
Prediction: League One, Championship, higher Championship
Actual level: Upper Primera Liga
Again, we left a top talent leave for free and Porto snapped him up for initially their B team, later moving into the first team.
Namaso has won one league title and two domestic cups with the Portuguese side, with many appearances in the Champions League and Europe League for the 24-year-old too.
While Mark Mayo predicted him to be in League One, Adam Jones could “see him being like Dwight Gayle”, in the way he could be unable to cut it in the top flight. I think it’s fair to say Namaso has exceeded all expectations since departing Reading.