Is Adkins under pressure as Reading come to Dean Court?

Nigel Adkins has not enjoyed a good run of results with his Reading team of late. The Royals have dropped to 16th in the league, but it is the manner of the defeats that will start to be piling pressure on the former Saint's manager. In their last four games Reading have conceded three goals a game in three of the four matches. Losing that many goals has seen their goal difference slip to -5, and the Royals will come to Dean Court looking to reverse the trend of recent games.

Nigel Adkins may just be finding the manager's seat getting a little hot at Reading.

It's the finishing of the Reading strikers that has been poor. While AFCB have been rattling in the goals with Callum Wilson consistently finding the net, it has not been quite the same for Reading. Their big threat is Glenn Murray who joined on loan from Crystal Palace in the summer, and while he has scored three in five games he has not been as available to start matches as much as Adkins would have liked, and two of those three goals came on his debut against Fulham. Simon Cox we know well from his Forest years, but he is back at the club where he started his career and will be another man that Elphick and Cook are likely to be up against on Tuesday night. 

Looking at their last match against Derby I was most impressed with Hal Robson-Kanu who looked most likely to score for Reading. The winger was subbed on 70 minutes in that game and has not scored this season, which may be hurting his confidence as he had good opportunities to score against Derby. That can also be said of Pavel Pogrebnyak who missed a sitter after he came on late in their last match. 

So the front line of Reading has been blunt of late and Nigel Adkins side has also been getting punished at the other end. Against Leeds though they did manage a goalless draw, so Eddie Howe will know they can defend well away from home on their day. Reading need a turnaround in fortune and AFCB must look to again get that all important first goal to really test the resolve of this Reading team who have had no win in their last five.

Reading's away form:
LWLDL

AFCB home form:
LDLWW

I was kindly asked by the Tilehurst End Blog to answer some of their questions on AFC Bournemouth ahead of tonight's game against Reading FC, so if my answers were not too bad they should appear on their site at some point today. 

"Allez, Allez, Allez OOOO, Allez, Allez, Allez OOOO. Allez, Allez, Allez OOOO - AFCB!" I expect a few will be singing that tonight, UTCIAD!