Nottingham Forest’s game against Reading at the City Ground was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch at the weekend.
Referee Geoff Eltringham’s decision to call the game off was quickly backed up by a statement on the club’s official website.
It’s fair to say that the announcement was met with surprise from a number of supporters on social media. The Reds were the only side to call a game off due to the weather in the entirety of the second-tier.
The game was called off around three hours prior to kick-off due to large areas of the pitch being in an unplayable condition, with more rain having been forecast in Nottingham in the further hours leading up to the game.
There’s no doubt that the postponement of the weekend’s game could arguably be seen as a blessing in disguise for the Reds.
Sabri Lamouchi is currently missing a number of key players through injury. The likes of Samba Sow, Michael Dawson and Alfa Semedo were all unavailable for selection. They may well be back for whenever this game is rearranged.
‘Thankful’
However, Reading manager Mark Bowen has suggested it’s a similar case for the Royals.
The Welshman told BerkshireLive: “We’re gutted the match had to be called off. We were feeling confident going into the game we could get a result.
“They had lost their past two matches – away at Wigan and at home to Hull City – and we have been in the ascendancy.
“But maybe we should be thankful too. We had some injuries and our physical output over the past two matches has been the highest of the season.”
These comments suggest that the postponement will have little impact on the eventual result of the fixture.
The Reds would’ve been hoping to bounce back from their recent defeats to Wigan and Hull. However, having another week to work on the training field and get some of their key players closer to fitness can’t be a bad thing.
They’ll now be looking ahead to their trip to Kenilworth Road to face Luton Town this weekend.
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