QPR played a 1-1 draw with AFC Wimbledon on their previous outing on Saturday. The Rangers are also preparing for the new season in the EFL Championship
Reading are preparing for life in League One following relegation from the Championship last term, as the Royals finished five points inside the drop zone after receiving a six-point deduction for breaching an EFL business plan.
The Berkshire club parted ways with manager Paul Ince in April, but interim boss Noel Hunt failed to turn things around at the Madejski Stadium, meaning that Reading will play in the third tier for the first time since 2002.
Given that Reading failed to win any of their final 13 matches in 2022-23 – recording six draws and seven losses in the process – they can have very few complaints about last season’s relegation.
The Royals started their pre-season preparations by suffering a 1-0 home defeat to AFC Wimbledon, before Ruben Selles oversaw a 2-0 loss at Sutton United in the first game of his tenure.
Funnily enough, Selles’ second match as Reading manager is against the club that he took down two months ago, so the Spaniard will be eager to get one over his former side and pick up his first win in his new role.
Selles’ replacement, Russell Martin, has also failed to taste victory in his new role, as the former Swansea City boss has overseen a draw and a loss since arriving on the South coast.
Following a 2-0 defeat against Portuguese giants Benfica, the Saints played out a 1-1 draw with Turkey’s Goztepe last weekend, with Carlos Alcaraz equalising for his side after a rare penalty miss from James Ward-Prowse.
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It is no secret that Southampton endured a 2022-23 campaign to forget, recording six wins, seven draws and 25 losses to finish six points adrift at the foot of the Premier League table.
As a result, the Saints are preparing for life in the second tier for the first time since 2011-12, having enjoyed 11 consecutive seasons in the top flight, with four top-eight finishes and a Europa League appearance coming along the way.
Naturally, Southampton are among the favorites for Championship promotion in 2023-24, but Martin and his players will know that returning to the Premier League at the first time of asking will not be eas
