Any person in his rational senses and wisdom in his thought process would not refrain themselves from elucidating the fact that Reading have been intriguing to witness. Jaap Stam and his staff have built the side, brick by brick, after they were reduced to crumbles last season where they finished the league in a lowly 17th spot. There has been a turnaround and a good one by the looks of it.
The Royals are poised comfortably in the play-off zones, currently placed third after 28 league games with 52 points. Importantly, they are mounting pressure on the two teams who are in the automatic qualification spots, Brighton & Hove Albion and Newcastle United, and if they can pull out a series of scintillating outings for a major chunk of the remainder of the season, they might even end up in the top two spots.
The gaffer hasn’t underestimated the gravity of the coming fixtures and has made his actions do the necessary talking. Stam has acquired the services of Liverpool’s Tiago Ilori and Steaua Bucharest’s Adrian Popa to bolster the depth in his squad and to infuse some more quality as well. Now that the transfer window is nearing its end, the 44-year-old isn’t satisfied fully yet, so today is going to be a busy day for him and one of the names he is interested in is that of Jordon Mutch.
The Crystal Palace midfielder is believed to be on the verge of making a move to the Madejski Stadium on loan for the remainder of the season. Signed by Alan Pardew from fellow London outfit Queens Park Rangers a couple of years ago, Mutch has failed to find his feet with the Eagles and has been marginalised to a significant extent. So far this season, he has been handed merely 49 minutes in the Premier League and is seeking an outlet for getting more minutes under his belt elsewhere.
Stam is looking for a central midfielder, and the former Cardiff City sensation ticks a lot of boxes of a decent one. Mutch can be engineered as a no. 10 as well, can brag of a strong physical presence, racks up goals and assists and has the stamina to toil relentlessly. The initial loan deal has an option to make it a permanent one at the end of the season. This is a signing that can really excite Reading fans and can help the Royals in maintaining their stronghold in the playoff places.
