Reading vs West Ham

Sam Sodje is suspended for Reading and club captain Graeme Murty faces a late injury test. West Ham have injury doubts over Gabbidon, McCartney and Zamora, but welcome back Reo-Coker and Konchesky after their suspensions.

Reading, after a superb start to the season, have not won in six games, so they are lucky to face West Ham today who of late have come up against any number of depleted off form teams and lain over and died. Additionally West Ham have failed to win away this season and have now lost seven out of their last ten league games.

Curbishley seems to have stuck to pretty much the same line-up except when changes have been forced upon him. So Reo-Coker and Konchesky should walk straight back into the team, Mascherano presumably will be off somewhere hammering out a contract with another team and Tevez will be thrown on in desperation late on when the game has already been lost.

Oh well - there goes my new year's resolution to be more optimistic.