Reading take on Cardiff City in South Wales this weekend aiming to climb back into the Championship playoff zone following a recent winless run.
The pair are separated by just two points heading into Saturday afternoon's match, although Cardiff themselves have now gone over a month without picking up a victory.
Cardiff City
Russell Slade has had to contend with murmurs of discontent pretty much from the first day he walked into his office at the club's Vale Resort training complex.
The 55-year-old was deemed by many to be better suited to the lower tiers, where he had plied his trade for the first two decades of his managerial career.
At the time, Cardiff simply needed someone to steady the ship following a real shaky spell under inexperienced boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with Slade - a man capable of working within a limited budget - deemed the perfect candidate at the time.
While supporters grew more and more tired of results, as highlighted by the average attendance figures, Slade could justifiably point to the fact that the Welsh outfit were now far tougher to beat.
The flipside of those particular unbeaten stats, however, was that Cardiff were dropping an alarming number of points against sides they really should be beating if a playoff challenge is to be on the cards.
A 1-1 draw away at pacesetters Brighton & Hove Albion was certainly respectable, likewise a snatch-and-grab 1-0 home win over Middlesbrough, but draws against Preston North End and Bristol City in particular set alarm bells ringing, prior to the rarest of defeats against Leeds United in midweek.
More so than the results themselves, Cardiff's bland style of play is still proving to be a major turn-off for supporters who have grown used to success of sorts in recent times.
It has now been 274 minutes since the Bluebirds last found the net - a George Friend own goal - while you must go back six games to find the last time a Cardiff player made a breakthrough. This, coupled with just the single goal being shipped during that run, goes a long way to showing why frustrated fans are calling for a change.
Recent form in Championship: DDWDDL
Reading
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While opponents Cardiff have forgotten how to find the net of late, Reading are having no such trouble as they prepare for the trip down the M4 this weekend.
The Royals have found a way through in each of their last eight outings, scoring two goals on five of those occasions to find themselves behind only Middlesbrough and Fulham in terms of goals scored.
Nick Blackman is largely to thank for this, proving to be one of the division's standout stars so far this term thanks to his nine goals and two assists.
No team has had more shots this season than Steve Clarke's men, who have fired in a total of 179 to date, but they come up against an in-form David Marshall on Saturday - the Championship's best keeper in terms of save percentage (85.29%).
Those stats may suggest that Reading are currently flying high, yet while they are indeed in contention for a playoff spot, finding themselves down in seventh place at this stage is a far cry from a few weeks back.
Six wins from seven games between the end of August and mid-October had many dreaming of a Premier League return; coming on the back of a bland campaign last time out that offered little hope for the future.
Some smart purchases changed that in the summer, but the Royals must now get back to winning ways following four games without a win in the Championship.
That seven of those points were dropped against sides in the bottom half only makes matters worse, though it is certainly not time to panic as Clarke prepares his troops for one last fixture before another two-week break.
Recent form in Championship: WWDLDD
Team News
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Ola John's goal from the bench against Huddersfield Town last time out is likely to earn him a start, but Clarke revealed during his pre-match press conference to having "significant" injury problems elsewhere.
On top of long-term absentees Aaron Tshibola, Stephen Quinn and Hal Robson-Kanu, four other players are in serious doubt of missing the trip to South Wales.
Clarke would not reveal exactly who those players were, though, so we can only speculate as to just who will make the starting lineup come 3pm on Saturday afternoon.
As far as the hosts are concerned, they are preparing for life without explosive full-back Fabio da Silva for the next six weeks, meaning that Scott Malone will continue to deputise in the Brazilian's absence.
A fifth caution of the season for Peter Whittingham at Elland Road will see him sit this one out, with Joe Ralls likely to move into a central position and Anthony Pilkington therefore restored out wide.
Kenwyne Jones is now also in contention to start, having been introduced from the bench in midweek, but injured summer signing Idriss Saadi is still nowhere to be seen.
Cardiff City possible starting lineup:
Marshall; Peltier, Morrison, Connolly, Malone; Pilkington, Ralls, Dikgacoi, Noone; Mason, Jones
Reading possible starting lineup:
Al-Habsi; Gunter, Hector, McShane, Obita; Williams, Norwood; McCleary, Blackman, Piazon; Sa
Head To Head
Cardiff have won four and drawn six of their last 10 regular league meetings against Reading, but they did suffer playoff semi-final heartache against the Royals in 2011.
The Berkshire outfit have scored exactly one goal in each of the last four fixtures between the pair, while also finding the net in the previous six matches.
These sides played out a 1-1 draw in their last encounter earlier this year, with Cardiff claiming bragging rights in the reverse fixture 12 months ago.
We say: Cardiff City 0-0 Reading
Both sides have struggled for form in recent weeks, but it is Reading who will head into the game in a more confident mood. That said, the Bluebirds have become the masters of grinding out goalless draws this term, which will continue this weekend with a Cardiff City Stadium stalemate.
Daniel Lewis
