CHAMPIONSHIP FIXTURES
Four-goal Meite: If manager plays me up front that’s what I can do
TOMORROW
Nottingham Forest v Fulham 5pm Brentford v Charlton Athletic 6pm Reading v Huddersfield Town 6pm Cardiff City v Blackburn Rovers 7.45pm Luton Town v Barnsley 7.45pm WEDNESDAY
Millwall v Middlesbrough 3pm West Bromwich Albion v Derby County 5pm Birmingham City v Swansea City 6pm Wigan Athletic v QPR 6pm Bristol City v Hull City 7.45pm Sheffield Wednesday v Preston North End 7.45pm THURSDAY
Leeds United v Stoke City 5pm
JULY 11
Charlton Athletic v Reading 12.30pm Barnsley v Wigan Athletic 3pm Blackburn Rovers v West Bromwich Albion 3pm Derby County v Brentford 3pm Fulham v Cardiff City 3pm Huddersfield Town v Luton Town 3pm Hull City v Millwall 3pm Middlesbrough v Bristol City 3pm Preston North End v Nottingham Forest 3pm QPR v Sheffield Wednesday 3pm
JULY 12
Stoke City v Birmingham City 3pm Swansea City v Leeds United 3pm
JULY 14
Reading v Middlesbrough 6pm Wigan Athletic v Hull City 6pm Brentford v Preston North End 7.45pm Cardiff City v Derby County 7.45pm Luton Town v QPR 7.45pm Millwall v Blackburn Rovers 7.45pm Sheffield Wednesday v Huddersfield Town 7.45pm West Bromwich Albion v Fulham 8pm JULY 15
Birmingham City v Charlton Athletic 6pm Nottingham Forest v Swansea City 6pm Bristol City v Stoke City 7.45pm Leeds United v Barnsley 7.45pm
JULY 18
Barnsley v Nottingham Forest 3pm Blackburn Rovers v Reading 3pm Charlton Athletic v Wigan Athletic 3pm Derby County v Leeds United 3pm Fulham v Sheffield Wednesday 3pm Huddersfield Town v West Bromwich Albion 3pm Hull City v Luton Town 3pm Middlesbrough v Cardiff City 3pm Preston North End v Birmingham City 3pm QPR v Millwall 3pm
Stoke City v Brentford 3pm Swansea City v Bristol City 3pm
JULY 22
Birmingham City v Derby County Brentford v Barnsley
Bristol City v Preston North End Cardiff City v Hull City
Leeds United v Charlton Athletic Luton Town v Blackburn Rovers Millwall v Huddersfield Town Nottingham Forest v Stoke City Reading v Swansea City Sheffield Wednesday v Middlesbrough West Bromwich Albion v QPR Wigan Athletic v Fulham
Meite 17, 18, 35, 62, Puscas 57
YAKOU MEITE hopes his four-goal super show will convince Reading boss Mark Bowen to play him in the forward role.
The Ivory Coast star was at his devastating best as he took his season’s tally to 16 with the perfect performance at lowly Luton.
But the former Paris Saint-Germain youngster was forced to play on the right wing despite calling a meeting with Bowen and begging to play as a central striker.
And after his heroics, Meite, 24, said: “It’s complicated because when I was in Paris some people said I was better upfront and some said I was better out wide.
“I can play both. I just said to the manager, ‘If you want to play me wide or upfront I will do my best’.
“But if you ask me where I would like to play I will say upfront... I’ve just scored four goals.
“The manager wanted me to play on the right, but I wanted to play upfront. He told me he knows I can play there and score goals, but he wanted to play George Puscas and he played well. We are a team and he told me to play wide, and I said, ‘OK’.
“This was my first hat-trick since school – I was 12. I’m very happy.”
Meite did not look back after opening the scoring on 17 minutes from Puscas’ pass, before taking advantage of woeful Luton defending just a minute later to strike again.
A first career treble arrived on 35 minutes following good play by Ovie Ejaria and then Puscas headed home on 57 minutes, before setting up Meite’s fourth five minutes later.
Meite celebrated the win by enjoying a pizza while the game was still going on after being subbed. He added: “When I came off they gave me pizza and said I had to eat it then otherwise it would go cold. It was a vegan pizza, but I eat meat as well.
“In England there is no good pizza. They are better in France.”
After three good results under returning boss Nathan Jones this was abysmal from the Hatters.
And they must react immediately with matches at home to relegation rivals Barnsley tomorrow and Huddersfield on Friday.
Jones said: “It’s the biggest week this football club has had in a long time. It’s two massive games.
“I have to lift them and we need to recover. On another day I’d have gone mental, but that’s not what’s needed.”
LUTON:
READING:
MOTM
YAKOU MEITE (READING)
Referee: James Linington