With the 2018/19 Championship season drawing ever closer, Football League World previews Reading ahead of the new campaign…
Key Player: Liam Moore
The 25-year-old former Leicester defender has a big season ahead of him.
Reading were not good enough last term, being in a relegation scrap for much of the second half of the campaign but Moore was still one of the club’s better performers.
Moore being the leading man at the back has had to take some criticism, and he can - playing in all 46 league fixtures for the Royals last term.
He and his team will need to improve no-end for Paul Clement this season; he can, and they can, too.
The defender is still relatively young and has plenty of time to improve his form to when he was one of the most sought-after defenders a few seasons ago.
The defender averaged 7.3 clearances per game and 1.9 interceptions per match last year, and you can see the basics were there for the centre-half.
He scored three goals last term and will look to improve on that, as well as not letting them in at the other end.
It is a make-or-break campaign for the defender as Clement and Reading look to reassure fans last season was a one-off.
One to Watch: Yakou Meite
The 22-year-old winger spent last season on loan at Ligue 2 side Sochaux.
He played 31 times in the French second division side, scoring three times.
That experience on the continent will be beneficial for the club and the player in getting the first-team experience needed with the expectation of fitting seamlessly into Clement’s style of play.
There will be plenty of competition for places for the young Ivorian with a plethora of wingers to compete against.
He might even be converted into a striker with the Royals seemingly lacking in that department, despite Marc McNulty's arrival from Coventry.
Meite has a mix of pace, acceleration and strength and has been compared in stature to the likes of Romelu Lukaku.
An aerial threat with a direct, speedy style of play is something that Reading will appreciate.
Coming back from a loan sometimes you can be seen as a new signing, and it is down to Meite to make that statement right and put his stamp on the team.
It could be a significant breakthrough season for the youngster this season if he can nail down a starting berth for the Royals.
Odds: 16/1
Reading’s odds reflect the consensus that in a division so dynamic and competitive, they will have little chance of mounting a push for promotion.
There are surprise packages every year, but the Royals won’t fall into that category.
A solid mid-table finish would suffice after last season’s mad dash for Championship survival.
Anything other than 12th-15th come next May would probably be seen as a bonus for Paul Clement and his developing side.
The side is still learning, and Clement will need to figure out his best XI before they can get a run going.