Speaking to the club’s official website, Reading boss Mark Bowen has said that he will be making changes to his side for their FA Cup Third Round Replay against Blackpool, but added that he will be showing the competition the respect it deserves.
Reading head to Bloomfield Road to face League One side Blackpool in their FA Cup Third Round Replay as the pair look to make it through to the next round. Waiting for the winners of tonight’s tie is either Cardiff City or Carlisle United, who played out a 2-2 draw earlier this month.
Reading and Blackpool also drew 2-2 in the first fixture earlier this month. Blackpool went ahead through Nathan Delfouneso before Sam Baldock equalised, only for the Tangerines to go back ahead thanks to Armand Gnanduillet. But, the Royals were level only six minutes later thanks to youngster Danny Loader.
Now, Reading boss Mark Bowen has been speaking to the club’s official website about tonight’s game, saying that he will be looking to make some changes to the side that salvaged a dramatic point against Nottingham Forest at the weekend. He said:
“I’ll have a look at my options – we’ll see how the group recover that played against Forest and how the others are too. There will be changes, but we have to give the cup the respect it deserves. And like everyone in football, as a professional, every game you play you want to win. So we will have that attitude when we go up to Blackpool.
“There are players that are chomping at the bit to play and it might give an opportunity to some of those players who are waiting for their chance. We will have plenty of fans travelling up to Blackpool – and if they’re travelling up, we owe them the respect of going there and putting in a performance.”
A win would see Reading improve on last season’s FA Cup campaign, in which they were knocked out by Manchester United in the Third Round. As for Blackpool, victory over Reading would make this season’s FA Cup run their best since 2017, having been knocked out in the First Round by Boreham Wood in the 2017/18 season and defeated in the Third Round by Blackburn Rovers last season.
