Pride before a fall?

Young defender Alex Pearce, a product of the clubs youth academy, has featured for the Royals in the last 2 games - a 1-1 draw with Watford and the goal less encounter with Leeds. He has performed well after some less than encouraging displays earlier in the season, and indeed last season, and Brian McDermott has heaped praise on him.


Speaking to the Reading Post he said, 'In the last two games he`s come in and has done really well. He`s one of our own so I'm delighted for him. He`s got great character and he is still very young as far as being a centre-back. He`s still learning and he`s played a lot of games for someone so young.'


However is the praise he is getting simply buttering him up for when he is dropped against Coventry on Saturday to make way for the returning Matt Mills? He only played at Watford because Zurab was knackered after a trip back from Georgia on international duty, and kept him place after Mills picked up a 5th yellow of the season, at Vicarage Road, so missed the Leeds game.


There is no doubt Mills and Zurab would be the first choice centre back pairing on paper, but form is everything and we shipped a lot of goals before Pearcey came into the line up. I have never been his biggest fan but even I believe he must start at the weekend.

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