Reading 1 Leeds United 0

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That was disappointing! I had to watch the game on TV as I’m currently on the other side of the world in sunny Western Australia and it was, well, disappointing. I don’t think we should be too pessimistic though as it was another one of those oh so close Championship games that, on another day, could easily have gone our way and not theirs. In the first half in particular Leeds often found themselves behind the Royals defence but that little break of the ball, that little bit of luck, just didn’t go for us whereas Reading smashed in the best of their chances.

In the second half, Leeds played much better yet strangely created less chances and once again the lack of a potent plan B didn’t help our cause; it was another illustration of how wafer thin our squad is that Reading were able to bring on such seasoned campaigners as Lewis Grabban and Jordan Mutch while we withdrew the two wingers we started with as Sacko and Pedrazza were replaced with Doukara and Kalvin Phillips. OK we later sent on Kemar Roofe for young Vieira but when chasing an equaliser surely we need those wide players on the pitch. Sacko once again disappointed and Pedrazza doesn’t look to offer much more. We are what we are though, and the squad has got us this close so we can’t be too critical, just, err, disappointed we don’t have more and better options. Having said that, I for one will not be worried if we have to play the Royals in the play-offs; we will beat them more often than not in my humble opinion.

So we move on, to Brentford on Tuesday night and a win there would just about erase the Reading hangover. In fact even a point, if we can back it up with three more against Preston on Saturday would be enough to calm any jitters that might be developing.  It still looks like four from five for those play-offs now that Huddersfield appear to have thrown away their chance of automatic promotion. When the music stop which will be the four though? That’s the question.

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