Unexpected Lessons Learnt So Far in Reading’s 2025–2026 Season
According to the Oxford English dictionary, a “knee-jerk” is an instinctive, thoughtless reaction. It’s undeniable that “unthinking” is a fantastically excellent synonym for any piece produced by this specific writer/non-thinker, even though a knee-jerk reaction would normally be delivered much more instantly than, say, over the course of a whole month. Now that we have resolved that issue, let me share some impulsive responses based on my observations during August. As you can see, this isn’t a monthly or review of the month because doing so would call for the ability to think critically, and if I ever had to try something like that, the oceans would boil over.
It’s important to note that, due to some fortunate circumstances, our first team transfer business was completed in August and will be discussed here. In contrast, the death of football, which took place in September when Reading drove down the M4 to visit a distant location called Swindon, will not be discussed and will instead be relegated to the dustbin. All right, let’s get started. I had many opinions about the window, some of which I’ve already written about, but then Sim went and produced a very wonderful piece on the window as a whole. Rather, I will provide an overview of the preliminary findings I have made based on the business undertaken.
I would say that it’s pretty nice. I’m inclined to disagree with Ben’s statement on the pod that there didn’t seem to be a clear plan for the window. We selected and hired for every position that required strengthening. Matty Jacob is the left-back. Derrick Williams (more on him later), Paudie O’Connor, and Finley Burns make up the central defence. Jack Stevens is the backup goalie. Liam Fraser is a backup deep-lying midfielder and Lewis Wing rotation possibility. Kamari Doyle is Harvey Knibbs’ replacement. Wingers: Daniel Kyerewaa, Matt Ritchie, and Paddy Lane. Mark O’Mahony and Jack Marriott are the strikers.
We have, in my opinion, also found a balance between bringing in young players to supplement the current group, a select few in the prime of their careers who are prepared to have a more immediate influence, and seasoned players who can assist guide and lead the group. By doing this, the team maintains a healthy balance. Most significantly, the recruitment process focused on players who have a higher ceiling to compete at a higher level and who already have a thorough understanding of the division and its requirements from prior experience.
Last but not least, we appear to have a talent for finding players in a very subtle manner with little fanfare, and they end up being incredibly successful financial ventures. Fraser, for instance, was a huge collective shrug considering that he was a free-transfer from a League One team that had been demoted the previous season. He has clearly offered us the opportunity to give Wing some time to relax after two worldies. When Daniel Kyerewaa was at home, who was he? As it happens, he is an unpolished jewel whose direct management and development of the final product provide us on the left side of the pitch with a risky outlet.
Next up: Williams. When he arrived towards the end of the window to fill the void in central defence, you could practically hear everyone searching for information about his background on Google. What? A. participant. A leader, a left-sided center-half with this level of experience who arrived in match-fit from the United States, has adapted quickly to the team and seems to have been there forever. on a free transfer. That was an amazing commercial venture. I think Brian Carey is a magician.
Hasn’t it been awful? We’ve started slowly and don’t seem to have many aims. There are most likely a few contributing elements. Marriott may need some time to get used to being a goal scorer because we just brought him in. Additionally, O’Mahony is raw and settling in. They will get there because we only have two strikers (Long Kelvin is most likely a backup option now through the centre and on the left), but it can’t help that this is a team that doesn’t know each other well.
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