What: English Championship Playoff final
Who: Reading vs Swansea City
When: Monday 30th May, 2011, at 15:00 UK Time
Where: Wembley Stadium, London, England
Swans Hoping to End 30-Year Absence from Top Flight
Swansea City boss Brendan Rodgers hopes his class of 2011 can match the achievements of John Toshack’s class of 1981 by achieving promotion to the top flight of English football. Rodgers is well aware that these occasions only come around once in a generation and the Northern Irishman is eager for his players to make the most of it.
“This is a great, great chance for us”, said Rodgers. “The great thing with these players is that they realise that themselves”.
After a long, arduous campaign in England’s notoriously tough second tier, the Championship, the Swans travel to Wembley with a fully fit squad after captain Garry Monk fought off an illness to prepare to lead his men out at the home of football.
On the back of the best home record in the division and good recent form – Swansea have conceded just two goals in their last six games – the large playing surface will suit Swansea’s possession football and the Welsh side will start the big-money clash as slight favourites.
Royal Appointment at Wembley
An extraordinary run of eight league victories in a row earlier in the spring was the catalyst for Reading’s playoff push and they now find themselves 90 minutes away from a return to the Premier League; Reading were relegated from the top flight in 2008.
Manager Brian McDermott has worked a minor miracle in the final quarter of the season to get Reading into the playoff picture after mid-table mediocrity beckoned. Ironically, McDermott’s chance in the hot seat came after his opposing number, Brendan Rodgers, left the Royals by mutual consent in December 2009 after a poor sequence of results.
The Reading manager has been full of praise for Rodgers as the final approaches. “He’s done a great job at Swansea and he’ll be getting a hell of a lot of credit there and rightly so”. McDermott then added “When he went to Swansea I thought it would be a good fit and it has proved to be the case”.
Despite the niceties the former Reading reserve manager will certainly be hoping to get one over on his former colleague as they both compete for the chance to play Premier League football next season.
Recent form
Swansea City:
Swansea City 4-0 Sheffield United (07/05; Championship)
Nottingham Forest 0-0 Swansea City (12/05; Championship Playoff semi-final)
Swansea City 3-1 Nottingham Forest (16/05; Championship Playoff semi-final)
Reading:
Reading 2-1 Derby County (07/05; Championship)
Reading 0-0 Cardiff City (13/05; Championship Playoff semi-final)
Cardiff City 0-3 Reading (17/05; Championship Playoff semi-final)
Key absences
Swansea City: None
Reading: Jimmy Kebe (doubt)
Players to watch
Swansea City – Nathan Dyer: The Swansea Supporters’ Player of the Year has been one the Championship’s outstanding performers this season. Dyer’s expressive style of play has personified the Welsh side under Brendan Rodgers and he will present a genuine attacking threat to the Reading defence. Royals’ manager Brian McDermott will need a plan in place to nullify the threat of Dyer otherwise the former Southampton man could prove to be the match winner.
Reading: – Shane Long: Following in the footsteps of Kevin Doyle, Long is making a name for himself in the blue and white hoops of Reading after his transfer from Irish outfit Cork City. Long has been a revelation in front of goal for the Berkshire side this season which has alerted a number of Premier League clubs. In what could be his final game for Reading, the Irishman’s clinical finishing could prove to be the difference between the sides.
Tactical analysis
With both managers knowing each other so well this could well be a fascinating tactical battle. Brendan Rodgers is a big advocate of possession football and Swansea are capable of keeping the ball for long periods which will be a worry for Brian McDermott; the Reading boss will not want his players endlessly chasing the ball and needs his team to press the Swans in possession to try and limit their time on the ball.
With the ball both sides like to play with genuine width. Scott Sinclair, Nathan Dyer, Jimmy Kebe (if passed fit) and Jobi McAnuff should all have the space to express themselves which should make an entertaining spectacle.
But the big question is how expansive will both managers want to be? Stretching the play on a pitch as big as Wembley’s can lead to open spaces at the back. Finding the right answer to this could be the key to winning the match.
Key battles
Andy Griffin vs Scott Sinclair: Reading full back Andy Griffin is looking forward to marking Scott Sinclair and relishing this key battle. “You want to play against the best players in any division you play in”, said the defender. Griffin will need to call on his years of top flight experience at Newcastle United and Stoke City to handle the tricky winger who is also Swansea’s top goalscorer this campaign.
Ashley Williams vs Shane Long: Williams faces a challenging afternoon trying to keep in-form Shane Long quiet. The Welsh international has had a very good season which has been testified by his inclusion in the Professional Footballers’ Association Championship Team of the Year and he will need to reproduce the fine form he has shown to compete with the former Cork City forward.
Ian Harte vs Nathan Dyer: Ian Harte has played in the Champions League for Leeds United and at a World Cup with the Republic of Ireland, but facing an in-form Nathan Dyer in the playoff final could be one of the toughest assignments of his career. If the full back can’t keep Dyer in check the Royals could be in for a long afternoon.
Match Prediction
Both teams are in excellent form and it will be a close match. But the attacking ability of Nathan Dyer and Scot Sinclair will be too much for the Reading on the wide Wembley pitch. Come the final whistle it will be the men from South Wales celebrating promotion to the Premier League and with it a £90M windfall.
