It looks like Reading have, tactically speaking, moved into their second stage under Mark Bowen. The manager, who took over in the dugout in mid-October, had previously been resolute in his use of a back three – more specifically a kind of ‘3-4-1-2’ that was largely similar to what predecessor Jose Gomes had used.
For a while, that worked wonders. With almost everyone in the squad fit and available, Reading had the perfect players for that system: three strong centre halves, attacking wingbacks to provide width, the creativity of Ovie Ejaria and John Swift balanced out by the defensive work of Andy Rinomhota, and a promising strike partnership in George Puscas and Sam Baldock.
However, in the last few weeks, the tapestry has started to unravel, with a number of key personnel ruled out through injury at some point. Andy Yiadom and Puscas are set for weeks on the sidelines, while Swift, Ejaria, Obita, Miazga and Baldock have all also been missing to some extent.
Those injuries may have been out Bowen’s control, but he’s still been left with the tough challenge of adjusting his side to cope. Initially, he was able to opt for minimal disruption, replicating the 3-4-1-2 against Wigan Athletic and Birmingham City but swapping Ejaria and Swift out for Garath McCleary and Pele.
However, the more recent losses of Yiadom, Obita and Miazga, all key players for Reading’s ‘three at the back’ setup, forced him into using a back four at Stoke City – a system that worked in the second half at Wigan but failed badly against Birmingham. On the day, Bowen tried out an experimental 4-4-2 with Charlie Adam on the left and Ejaria on the right, and Baldock paired with Lucas Joao up front, although it became more of a 4-2-2-2 in attack.
In some ways, the formation made sense. The extra centre back (Miazga) wasn’t needed, while Chris Gunter and Tyler Blackett were given the more straightforward jobs of playing as defensive full backs rather than pushing on as wingbacks as Yiadom, Obita and Omar Richards do.
But Bowen can – and should – tweak that setup going forwards. He’ll inevitably need to stick with the back four, assuming Miazga and Tom McIntyre remain unavailable, but rebalancing the team higher up the pitch would give the side more momentum in the final third than they had at Stoke.
To do that, I suggest a 4-2-3-1. Ejaria can be restored to his central ‘number ten’ role, flanked by the pacey Lucas Boye and Garath McCleary and supported by the more defensively minded duo of Rinomhota and Pele. Up front, Joao’s physical presence and link-up play would make him the best lone striker.
Whether Bowen goes for this system or another, he needs to put out a much more positive team than the one seen at Stoke. We surely won’t repeat our ‘zero shots on target’ stat, but something similar could be on the cards if Reading don’t embrace their attacking side.
