LATEST NEWS ON 'The Royals'
December 2006
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  • 31st December 2006 - Hammers Preview

    • Reading must do without Sam Sodje for the visit of West Ham after the defender was sent off in Saturday's 3-2 defeat to Manchester United.

    Skipper Graeme Murty could also miss out after limping off injured during the game, although it is not yet clear what the problem is.

    West Ham welcome back Paul Konchesky and Nigel Reo-Coker after suspension. However, Danny Gabbidon, George McCartney and Bobby Zamora face late fitness tests after minor injuries.

    READING face relegation haunted West Ham looking down on their east London opponents from a comfortable berth in the top half of the table, despite a six-match winless run in which only two points have been banked from the last possible 18. One of those points was against Chelsea on Boxing day, and on Saturday they were only the odd goal in five worse off to Manchester United at Old Trafford.

    The Royals are hoping to stave off a third successive home defeat, having lost the last two Premiership games at the Madejski against Blackburn and Everton. Steve Coppell's side have already accounted for Middlesbrough, Manchester City, Tottenham, Charlton and Bolton on home turf in their first ever season at this level.

    Seol Ki-Hyeon's second minute strike decided the issue when these clubs met at Upton Park in October. Now Reading have an opportunity to complete a first ever League 'double' over the Hammers.

    WEST HAM UNITED manager Alan Curbishley was made well aware that his new club have a real fight for survival on their hands when they suffered a second defeat in his fourth game in charge. Saturday's seventh loss in 10 League outings (0-1, home to Manchester City) leaves them in the relegation zone, three points short of safety. If West Ham lose, and then Charlton beat Arsenal on Tuesday, Alan Pardew's side would leapfrog the Hammers and send them second bottom. One wonders what new chairman Eggert Magnusson would be thinking if scenario happens, given he sacked Pardew two weeks ago.

    The Hammers have not won an away League game this season, and have not scored in 798 minutes (13 hours 18 minutes) of Premiership football on the road since Bobby Zamora's 12th minute effort against Liverpool on 26 August. They've only scored twice and gained two points away from Upton Park in this campaign, courtesy of a 1-1 draw at Watford in their first away fixture and a no score draw at Fulham on their most recent - the Saturday before Christmas.

    The Hammers have met Reading five times in League competitions and are trailing by two wins to three. They're yet to record a maximum on Royals' turf.

    Reading V West Ham United
    Top Lge Scorers Goals Monday 1/1 @ 3pm Top Lge Scorers Goals
    Doyle 8 Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire) Zamora 5
    Seol 3 Games: 17   Yellows: 41   Reds: 2 Mullins 2
    Harper 3 Last 4 Meetings Sherringham 2
    Lita 3 01/10/2006 West Ham 0 1 Reading Cole 1
    Sidwell 2 12/03/2005 Reading 3 1 West Ham Harewood 1
    Lge Discipline       10/08/2004 West Ham 1 0 Reading Lge Discipline      
    Total Fouls 212 03/04/2004 Reading 2 0 West Ham Total Fouls 266
    Yellows 21 Yellows 44
    Reds 3 Head to Head Reds 1
    Lge Goal details:     Reading Draws West Ham Lge Goal details:    
    For 24 League 3 0 2 For 12
    Against 30 FA Cup 0 0 0 Against 27
    Ave scored per game 1.10 League Cup 0 1 0 Ave scored per game 0.60
    Shots / Goals 160/24 Total 3 1 2 Shots / Goals 207/12
    Left Foot 8 Left Foot 3
    Right Foot 10 Games Since Right Foot 7
    Headers 6 6 a win 3 Headers 2
    0 - 10 mins 3 2 home win 2 0 - 10 mins 0
    11 - 20 mins 2 4 away win 10 11 - 20 mins 1
    21 - 30 mins 2 0 a defeat 0 21 - 30 mins 1
    31 - 40 mins 4 0 home defeat 0 31 - 40 mins 1
    41 - 50 mins 6 0 away defeat 1 41 - 50 mins 0
    51 - 60 mins 1 1 a score draw 17 51 - 60 mins 2
    61 - 70 mins 1 4 a no score draw 2 61 - 70 mins 2
    71 - 80 mins 2 0 conceding a goal 0 71 - 80 mins 2
    81 - 90 mins 3 0 scoring a goal 1 81 - 90 mins 3
    Current Form (last 3 games - all competitions)
    30/12/2006 ManUtd Away Lost  2:3   30/12/2006 ManCity Home Lost  0:1
    26/12/2006 Chelsea Away Drew  2:2   26/12/2006 Portsmouth Home Lost  1:2
    23/12/2006 Everton Home Lost  0:2   23/12/2006 Fulham Away Drew  0:0


  • 30th December 2006 - Ronaldo Routs Royals

    • Cristiano Ronaldo provided Sir Alex Ferguson the 65th birthday present he wanted more than any other as Manchester United stretched their lead at the Premiership summit to six points with a 3-2 home win over Reading.

    For the third time in eight days over the Festive period, Ronaldo struck twice, on this occasion ensuring the brave efforts of 10-man Reading counted for nothing. It took the winger's tally for the season to 11, enhancing still further his player of the year claims and the belief of those within the Red Devils camp that the 21-year-old is currently the best player on the planet.

    But it is the championship trophy Ronaldo, his team-mates and his success-hungry manager crave most of all. And though they were forced to endure a nervy few minutes after Leroy Lita had dragged Reading back into the contest in stoppage time, the momentum is with United now and Chelsea will need to stand stronger than they have ever done under Jose Mourinho to stop them.

    Not that Ronaldo is the only key man at United just now. Overshadowed by the winger's blistering form, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's rejuvenation into a top-class, top-flight performer has nevertheless been one of the stories of United's season. Even as recently as the Red Devils' summer tour to South Africa, Ferguson was expressing doubts over Solskjaer's ability to make an impact at the highest level. Now the Scot has no such worries and 24 hours before kick-off confidently predicted the 33-year-old would reach 15 goals for the season.

    Solskjaer now has eight, showing all those old predatory instincts to escape Sonko's attentions, arriving at the near post with perfect timing to head into the bottom corner.

    Up to that point, it appeared the Reading goal would enjoy a charmed life. Keeper Marcus Hahnemann twice got away with fumbles close to his own line, making up for those handling errors by keeping out Ronaldo's piledriver. Amid the United attacks, though, Reading were holding their own, proving their previous draw with the Red Devils this term and their Boxing Day efforts against Chelsea were no fluke.

    Lifelong Red Devils fan Glen Little should have done much better when Kevin Doyle found him with a cut-back and Lita had already wasted an excellent chance when Sonko capitalised on Van der Sar's rare blunder. It was the Senegal defender's first goal since March and represented swift redemption for his earlier mistake.

    United's response was almost immediate as Ronaldo hit the bar before the break. Then, following the half-time introduction of Ryan Giggs, Solskjaer brought a superb save out of Hahnemann with a glancing near-post header. Rooney also went close with a curling shot after he had been sent through by Ronaldo, part of an attacking onslaught in which United noticeably increased the speed of their game, hitting a level which Reading just could not match.

    The move which brought Ronaldo the latest addition to his glittering season was simply sensational. One touches passes from Giggs and Rooney sent Solskjaer flying into the area past Sonko. The striker's shot might have got the faintest of touches from Hahnemann as it bounced onto the post, but the rebound fell straight to Ronaldo, who gleefully bundled it home.

    By that stage, Reading were being pinned back deep in their own half and the visitors' flagging hopes of rescuing something from the game were virtually ended when referee Mike Dean sent Sam Sodje off for his second bookable offence, pulling back Rooney, just five minutes after his introduction as a substitute. It appeared a harsh decision, particularly as the far side assistant was flagging for offside at the time.

    Ronaldo was in no mood to ease off, though, and was on hand to volley home from close range when Ryan Giggs picked him out with a far post cross. The strike probably came as no surprise to Royals boss Steve Coppell, a legendary Red Devils winger himself, who identified England's World Cup nemesis as United's danger man.

    Coppell could be rightly proud of his side's efforts and saw Lita bag another for Reading his side, who contributed fully to an excellent advert for Premiership football.

    Sir Alex Ferguson has vowed to wriggle out of a debt to Cristiano Ronaldo after the Manchester United winger fired his third successive festive double to send the Red Devils six points clear at the Premiership summit. Ferguson had a pre-season wager with the Portugal international, who he has challenged to get 15 goals for United this season. The 21-year-old's club tally now stands at 12 following the brace which destroyed the brave resistance of 10-man Reading at Old Trafford, with every indication there are many more to come. However, it does not appear Ferguson has any intention of paying up, judging by his reaction to Ronaldo's latest sensational efforts.

    "He thinks I will owe him some money but I am going to change the bet when he gets to 15," laughed the United boss. "I can do that because I am the manager."

    In truth, Ferguson could not be more delighted with Ronaldo, who provided his manager with the best 65th birthday present imaginable. After providing the cross for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's opener, Ronaldo then came to United's rescue after half-time, by which point they had been pegged back by Ibrahima Sonko.

    First, he bundled home the rebound after Solskjaer had struck a post, then he arrived unmarked at the far post to despatch a close-range volley from Ryan Giggs' assist, whose interval introduction helped inspire United to a more effective attacking performance.

    "Cristiano is a fantastic lad, and he is getting better all the time," said Ferguson. "He is a more experienced player now and more mature. He practises a lot and works really hard at his game and now he is getting the rewards."

    It was not an assessment that Reading boss Steve Coppell, himself a legendary United winger, was about to quibble with. "He is a good player," said Coppell. "He is probably the player every manager in the league would like to have in his team. Old Trafford is a magnificent arena and he is dominating the action at the moment. It is not just the goals he is scoring but the way he is doing it. He is playing with more responsibility and is winning friends everywhere."

    Coppell did question the first and last United goals, wondering if both were offside, although he accepted visiting teams are hardly likely to get the benefit of marginal decisions at Old Trafford. He was equally concerned about the dismissal of Sam Sodje for a second bookable offence just five minutes after his introduction as a second-half substitute. "It seemed pretty harsh to me," he said. "I saw the flag go up for offside and then the referee started gesturing that Sam had pulled Wayne Rooney. Maybe there was an element of naivety about it but it certainly made things difficult for us."

    Ferguson now sets his sights on a tough trip to Newcastle on New Year's Day, boosted by the knowledge his side could lose twice and still lead Chelsea on goal difference.

    "It has been a good day," he said. "We didn't expect to be six points clear tonight but I think the best thing for us to do is look at the next game because it is a hard one."

    As a former Red Devil, there is no question who Coppell would like to see crowned champions, although he warned his old club Chelsea are not likely to throw in the towel just yet. "In my heart I would like United to win it but I have said all along the key factors will be European football and injuries," he said. "Chelsea are suffering the most in that respect just now but they have the resources and finance to buy heavily in the transfer window and that is what I would expect them to do."



  • 29th December 2006 - United Preview

    • Michael Carrick returns to the Manchester United squad for Saturday's clash with Reading at Old Trafford. The England midfielder has missed the Red Devils' festive programme so far with an ankle injury but is now fit, and, with Paul Scholes suspended, he will go straight back into Sir Alex Ferguson's starting line-up.

    Nemanja Vidic also misses out after picking up five bookings, so Rio Ferdinand is set to return along with Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and Louis Saha, who all sat out the Boxing Day win over Wigan.

    Reading have no new injury worries ahead of the clash. Winger Bobby Convey is back in training following a knee operation but will not be considered for the Old Trafford clash.

    Striker Dave Kitson is also on the comeback trail but no date has yet been set for his first game since the opening day of the season.

    MANCHESTER UNITED are already assured of going into the new year in pole position - only the size of the lead over Chelsea remains to be established. The champions are at home to Fulham, while the Red Devils are hoping to make Reading their sixth victims in seven outings. Victory at Old Trafford would retain a four point margin at the very least. Twelve months ago, they ended 2005 in second place, 11 points behind Chelsea.

    United scored three goals in both of their festive fixtures to date (0-3 at Aston Villa, and 3-1, home to Wigan), and Cristiano Ronaldo has been integral - scoring twice in both games. Sir Alex Ferguson's side have won twice as many League games as Reading (16 to eight), and scored twice as many goals (44 to 22). They will want to produce a winning performance on the eve of their managers' 65th birthday.

    The only previous League match between these clubs was drawn 1-1, at the Madejski in September, when Ronaldo salvaged a point for the Red Devils.

    READING head for the Theatre of Dreams having left Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day with an unexpected point from a 2-2 draw. They've only managed one win in six away League games, but if they could hold United, it would be their third draw in a row on the road. On the other hand, if the Royals could win, they would become the only club of the 92 in the Premiership and Football League who could boast more League wins than defeats against the 15 times champions of England and twice champions of Europe.

    Steve Coppell returns to his stamping ground with a side desperately hoping to hold onto their place in the top half of the Premiership table. They have been the surprise package, with half of their League wins coming in a four game streak between 12 November and 2 December. But since then, they've managed just two points out of a possible 15.

    The Royals are paying their fifth visit to Old Trafford. They're yet to win there, having drawn one and lost three FA Cup ties.

    Manchester United V Reading
    Top Lge Scorers Goals Saturday 30/12 @3pm Top Lge Scorers Goals
    Ronaldo 10 Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral) Doyle 8
    Rooney 8 Games: 20   Yellows: 63   Reds: 4 Seol 3
    Saha 8 Last 4 Meetings Harper 3
    Solksjaer 5 23/09/2006 Reading 1 1 Man Utd Sidwell 2
    Fletcher 2 27/01/2996 Reading 0 3 Man Utd Lita 2
    Lge Discipline       12/01/1955 Man Utd 4 1 Reading Lge Discipline      
    Total Fouls 230 08/01/1955 Reading 1 1 Man Utd Total Fouls 201
    Yellows 26 Yellows 19
    Reds 0 Head to Head Reds 2
    Lge Goal details:     ManUtd Draws