Six Conclusions From Reading’s January 2024 Transfer Activity

Six Conclusions From Reading’s January 2024 Transfer Activity

Reading kept hold of their match-winners

The most significant advantage of the January transfer window is this. Four important attacking players for Reading

have the ability to win games and have done so in their previous stints with the Royals: Harvey Knibbs, Sam Smith,

Lewis Wing, and Femi Azeez.

All of the aforementioned players remained in place in spite of concerns about a major sell-off. All four of them were

apparently of interest to Reading, and it was imperative that they do so regardless of the specific causes of the drop in sales.

Azeez, who was closely associated with a move to Plymouth Argyle, was the subject of the most of the Deadline Day

rumours. Admittedly, I experienced a mild heart attack a few times after reading conflicting stories and claims that

he was in route to

As did Wing, Knibbs and Smith, and to be honest I’m surprised there wasn’t more speculation about those three

leaving. Wing in particular is at least top-end League One standard, if not Championship standard, so would have

been a shrewd acquisition for a number of clubs.

To stay up this season, Reading will need to be able to roll out the formula of ‘keep things tight and then grab a goal

or two from a moment of magic’. We won’t always be at our best (obviously), so will need to be able to fall back on

individual ability: think of Azeez’ winner against Exeter City and Wing dragging us back into the game at

Cheltenham Town as two examples.

Flogging the future to save the present

The long-term cost of Reading’s transfer activity, however, is the most significant drawback from the January

window. The Royals have capitalised on young, gifted players with long-term potential who were nurtured in the

academy, and this is a recurring trend. Farewell to Taylan Harris (18), Cameron Frederick (16), Nelson Abbey (20),

and Cameron Vickers (19).Despite some similarities, Tom McIntyre (25), like Tom Holmes (23), is more seasoned

and does not fully fit into this category.

In a better world, we could have watched Abbey, Vickers, and company grow here at least through the end of this

season before they were sold in the summer for a higher price.

Sure, there’s a level of inevitability to seeing some young players leave. Reading frequently sell under-18s to bigger

clubs: Luca Fletcher and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens to Manchester City for example. If a youngster is rated highly enough

to attract suitors before they’re proven at first-team level, Reading will struggle to keep hold of them, regardless of

ownership stability.

And you certainly can’t begrudge any of them for joining the clubs they’ve joined. Abbey heads to Olympiacos (and

maybe then on to Nottingham Forest), Vickers to Brighton & Hove Albion (who have a fantastic record of developing

and then selling talent), Harris to Premier League side Luton Town, and Frederick to Southampton – a club with an

excellent academy.

Abbey aside, there’s not too much of a short-term hit to Reading’s strength. Vickers, Harris and Frederick were

probably each at least one full season away from being able to consistently impact games at League One level.

But this all comes at a long-term cost. Even if everything goes well on and off the pitch from here, Reading will need

younger players to step up next season and beyond that. And emotionally too, it’s gutting to see so many cases in

quick succession of Reading’s talent being poached by higher clubs.

Clinton Mola and Amadou Mbengue are suddenly really important

By cashing in on Abbey and McIntyre without obtaining loan-backs for either, unlike the sale of Holmes, Reading

lost some very valuable first-team-quality defensive alternatives during the January transfer window. Reading’s back

four consists of Andy Yiadom, Holmes, Tyler Bindon, and Jeriel Dorsett, with only two backups, Clinton Mola and

Amadou Mbengue, if players with little to no experience outside of academy games are excluded.

Even if there are no injuries, it’s safe to assume that both will play a significant amount of football for the rest of the

season. In the upcoming hectic schedule of games, any team will need to rotate a lot, but Reading in particular will

need to do so because they frequently use full-backs in the second half of games to keep players fresh.

Are Mola and Mbengue up to the challenge? On the one hand, encouragingly both are energetic players with a decent

amount of potential, and their versatility (each can play anywhere across the back four) will be handy. But we’ve also

seen too many error-strewn performances from them, and at this level mistakes get punished.

As is Ben Elliott

Ben Elliott will soon be a crucial option for Reading, although he hasn’t been discussed much lately because he is

travelling to AFCON with Cameroon for a few weeks. Elliott will undoubtedly get a lot of playing time because

Vickers’ exit leaves him as the only truly creative option on the bench.

Given that Elliott, the summer acquisition, has shown glimpses of promise but has struggled to effectively impact

games, it’s safe to conclude we haven’t yet seen his best. He’s only recently graduated from Chelsea’s academy, so

some of it has been caused by inexperience, and he doesn’t really fit into the wide spots in the 4-2-2-2 and the 4-1-4-1.

Zane Monlouis could be an ideal replacement for Nelson Abbey

Zane Monlouis, who Reading signed on loan until the end of the season, was the lone addition made in January. His

style is that of a left-sided centre-back who can move the ball forward with a pass or dribble.

It does sound somewhat similar to Abbey, doesn’t it? Although they have somewhat different characteristics,

Monlouis is less seasoned than Abbey and is right-footed rather than left-footed.

That presents a few promising opportunities. First, greater variation in possession will result from some strong

build-up play from the left side of defence. Holmes, Reading’s current left-sided centre-back, and Jeriel Dorsett at

left-back don’t really get this. McIntyre (in either role) would have been the source.

For our other choices, it also makes sense to sign a left-center-back. Though they can both play on either side of a

duo, Holmes and Bindon are more effective on the right, especially when possession is involved.

Annoyingly, Reading couldn’t move on all their deadwood

Deadwood, or players who are paid but are unable or unwilling to contribute to the team, is the last thing Reading

needs right now. By letting go of Ovie Ejaria and loaning out Dean Bouzanis (whose contract with Sutton United was

extended) and Nesta Guinness-Walker, Reading has at least made some headway in this regard.

Sam Hutchinson and Harlee Dean are still available, though. They are Reading’s only players in their 30s, along with

Andy Yiadom and David Button, and their extensive experience should have been crucial for a youthful team that

needed to grind out points wherever they could.

In actuality, they haven’t contributed much this season; both of them performed poorly in the first few months

before being eliminated from league play with the 3-2 loss to Shrewsbury Town. Keep in mind that’s the game.

Since then, there have been glimpses from both. While Dean played against Eastleigh in the cup and was benched for

Exeter City’s victory and Charlton’s cup encounter, Hutchinson played against MK Dons and Charlton Athletic in the

cup before most recently making an appearance for the under-21 team against Chelsea.

However, both are currently squandered wages. Reading isn’t getting anything from them in the first team; it’s

telling that a rookie centre-back named Monlouis was brought in and that younger players have routinely been

selected before them in the matchday squad. Although there wouldn’t have been many suitors prepared to take their

pay on, moving Dean and Hutchinson on would have been a painless method to cut

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