Weekend Review: A step too far for Reading, Southampton will come good and handbags over Handshakes

Reading:

Reading’s start to their Premier League season has failed to go to plan not just on the field but also off it. With their fixture at Sunderland postponed due to rain three weeks ago it has meant that the match against Tottenham this weekend was effectively another season opener for the Royals after a draw and defeat in their two previous games, and it certainly appeared that they were a little rusty. When Reading succumbed to a 4-2 score line that flattered Chelsea in their last fixture at Stamford Bridge pundits and fans alike were saying that the spirit and quality that Reading showed meant that survival would be no problem for last season’s Championship winners.

On yesterday’s evidence this is not the case. Up against a Spurs team who were without a win in their three games of the season after throwing away leads in their two previous home games it appeared a chance for Reading to pile more pressure on new coach Andre Villas-Boas. However the performance of the Royals was dire from start to finish with the exception of a period at the start of the second half. The players spent far too long on the ball and the decision making was very poor, the delivery at set pieces was truly atrocious for most of the first half and they looked a team stunned to be trying to compete at such a level. The performance was summed up when debutant keeper Alex McCarthy allowed Jermaine Defoe to rob him of possession in his own area only for Reading to be saved by Gylfi Sigurdsson’s poor finish that was cleared off the line by Chris Gunter. Early days of course but on yesterday’s show Reading seriously lack the quality to be able to survive in the Premier League.

Southampton:

Controversially perhaps I believe that  another of the newly promoted sides, Southampton, who have lost four out of four including a 6-1 drubbing at the Emirates on the weekend have the quality and ability to survive this season. With the exception of their home fixture against Wigan, Nigel Atkins men have come up against arguably the three best sides in the league. Against both of the Manchester clubs late goals spoiled what were encouraging performances in 3-2 defeats.

Against Arsenal they were admittedly run ragged but the standard of players they posses is much greater than that of Reading. Adam Lallana has just returned from being selected for the England squad while Rickie Lambert has already showed that he can score at this level this season. New signing Gaston Ramirez will take time to adapt but will undoubtedly add huge quality to the squad while at the back youngsters like Nathaniel Clyne, and experienced keepers like Kelvin Davis add a good blend to Atkins team. So far this season they have really struggled to get points but performances have mostly been promising. All the Saints need is a win to kick start their season and if the forward start scoring I can see Southampton hanging on to their premier league status this term.

Loftus Road:

Before this weekend’s Premier League fixtures all the talk was about the potential Handshake, or lack of one, between Anton Ferdinand and Chelsea’s John Terry and Ashley Cole. As expected Ferdinand didn’t shake either players hand before the game prompting Terry to exchange some words with a look of disappointment and Cole appearing to spit behind him as Ferdinand ignored his outstretched hand. Park Ji-Sung the QPR captain also refused to engage in the pre match formalities by refusing Terry’s hand at the coin toss.

My opinion on the matter is simple; the entire affair is childish and ridiculous particularly from Ferdinand’s side. No doubt what Terry said in last season’s fixture was out of order and stupid but it only acted to expose what happens on Football pitches all over the country. A year on with a court case settled and the matter old news before the weekend it was a chance for Ferdinand to show he was better than Terry and acknowledge that things said in the heat of battle when adrenaline was pumping could be set aside for the fixture. No one was asking Ferdinand to take Terry on a Dinner date so that they could both make up and set aside their differences, it was simply a handshake. A chance that Ferdinand decided not to take and a move that only enhanced his reputation in my eyes as a player trying to gain the public recognition that his brother Rio has enjoyed for his playing ability, and perhaps a sneaky ‘choc ice’ dig at Ashley Cole in the summer. Yes he has succeeded in doing that, but for totally the wrong reasons.