Premiership Betting Preview: 2007/08 Season - Reading

31th Jul 2007, 22:58

The frenetic horse-trading of the summer months is the most important phase in the process of Premiership clubs reorganising and strengthening their squads, providing ante-post bettors with vital clues to next season’s competition. Keep checking the Premiership betting market at PinnacleSports.com to see where the smart money is going.

Royals Looking to Avoid Second Season Syndrome

Reading approach their second season in the Premier League looking to avoid the pitfalls of expectation following their excellent first season in the big time, where they finished in eighth position, narrowly missing out on a European place. Recent experiences of clubs in a similar position aren’t encouraging. Following their promotions from the Championship, West Ham and Wigan achieved top ten finishes in the 2005/06 season, yet only confirmed their Premiership status on the final day of last term.

Reading manager, Steve Coppell, is recognised as one of the most grounded in the Premiership. He has been clever enough to avoid making bold predictions, and will approach this season in the same unassuming way, as he began life in the Premiership. Other than the departure of Steve Sidwell to Chelsea, Coppell has kept intact the squad that was so successful season, and he has avoided the temptation of bringing in expensive additional players that can have a destabilising effect – as seen as West Ham.

It was known for some time that Sidwell would be leaving as he refused to negotiate a contract extension. Though he was a very important player last season, the Royals shouldn’t be too inconvenienced by his loss, as Coppell has signed 22 year old French central midfielder, Kalifa Cisse, as a direct replacement. At 6ft 2” Cisse is an athletic and combative midfielder, who appears well suited to the rigours of the Premier League.

Reading’s pre-season preparations have been productive enough to encourage their fans. The Berkshire outfit participated in the Peace Cup in South Korea, alongside Ligue 1 side, Lyon, Argentinean team, River Plate and K-league side Shimizu S-Pulse, winning two of their three games, conceding just once and missing out on the final on goal difference only.

On the downside, Reading will have no time to settle into the new campaign, as they face a trip to Old Trafford on day one, followed by a home fixture against Chelsea. The Royals’ approach to those two games will give a useful insight into what they are capable of achieving in their difficult second season, though PinnacleSports.com rate them one of eight outsiders at 401.00 for overall glory in their Premiership betting market.

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