- Oct 17, 2006
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TEAM FORM: Spurs WWWDW ==== Reading DWLLL = (All Competitions)
We continue our preparations for the new Premier League campaign Today as we take on Reading in North London. Reading head into the contest having began their pre-season campaign with success over Gillingham.
At a time when many of the club's rivals are being linked with new signings, Jose is focused on ensuring that our current crop of players are well drilled ahead of the new season. With Joe Hart and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg already through the door, further additions could be limited, but Jose may be content with paying full attention to life on the training pitch.
Mourinho would have been delighted with the application of our players in our first pre-season friendly at the weekend as we easily got the better of Ipswich. While Son dominated the headlines due to his double against the Tractor Boys, Mourinho would have been far more satisfied with the efforts of our team as a whole as we bid to start the campaign on the front foot.
Although fixtures with Birmingham City and Watford are still to come, Mourinho will want further improvements to be made against opposition who are at a similar stage with regards to schedules. Reading also got their pre-season underway with a victory last week as they overcame League One team Gillingham by a 2-1 scoreline.
Like us, more attention is being paid to fitness levels than results, but Mark Bowen will acknowledge that this is an important period for his current group of players. Despite several players having either found new clubs or been released on a free transfer, only Josh Laurent has arrived through the entrance door from Shrewsbury Town.
We have met in competitive matches on 61 occasions, with us claiming 29 wins in comparison to 16 victories for Reading. While eight of those matches came between 2006 and 2013, the first 43 encounters were all staged before 1930. We have won six of the last seven encounters, a run which includes four triumphs on the bounce.
Banner courtesy of @chrissivad
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