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Le Tissier: saw no goals

Reading were scrapping around and hoping rather than trying to play creative football and carving chances out.

Matt Le Tissier
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Wigan 0-0 Reading
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Matt Le Tissier fears Reading's lack of goal threat could cost them after watching their 0-0 draw with Wigan.

The Royals remain one point above the relegation zone with two games to go after drawing another blank at the JJB Stadium, although the result may be viewed as a good one by manager Steve Coppell.

However, Le Tissier is concerned at Reading's inability to create chances, even though Coppell started the game with a number of offensive players on the pitch.

He told Soccer Saturday: "They played Kevin Doyle out on the right wing, Stephen Hunt outside left with Dave Kitson and Leroy Lita up front, so they had plenty of attacking-minded players out there.

"I don't think they set up their team for a draw, but for the entire 90 minutes all of the forwards on the pitch were dominated by the centre-backs.

"There were no real clear-cut chances. Ivar Ingimarsson and Michael Duberry kept Emile Heskey and Marcus Bent pretty quiet; Bent had one chance from a corner but he headed it down onto the floor and it came up and hit the post.

"At the other end, Kitson and Lita made no impression at all on Paul Scharner, who was really solid at the back. He was probably Wigan's best player and Emmerson Boyce was solid alongside him.

"The forwards didn't get a sniff and it had 0-0 written all over it from very early on."

Reading's remaining fixtures - at home to Spurs and away to Derby - look kind on paper, but Le Tissier says Reading may struggle to win them if their strikers' fortunes don't change drastically.

Reading have not scored in five games and none of their strikers have scored for them since March 8th, forcing Coppell to recall Lita from a loan spell with Charlton.

Shocking

"It's a shocking record," continued Le Tissier.

"Coppell has got to hope that Lita can find a goal because Kitson didn't have much of a sniff at all.

"Doyle, who played out on the right, had two volleys, one of which was a half-decent chance but he fired it right over. It just showed you a boy that's lacking in confidence.

"You do struggle to see where the goals are going to come from. James Harper and Andre Bikey in the middle of midfield aren't really going to get you goals so it's going to be tough for them.

"They were scrapping around and hoping rather than trying to play creative football and carving chances out."

But while things look worrying for Reading, Le Tissier feels the point has secured Wigan's survival and manager Steve Bruce can reflect on a job well done.

He continued: "I would have thought Wigan are safe, even if it's not the case mathematically yet.

"But in the grand scheme of things I think Steve Bruce will be quite happy to be sat on 37 points and he'll be delighted with that considering the position Wigan were in when he took over."