Veljko Paunovic deserved credit where it was due last Saturday for naming the team he did for Reading’s clash against Huddersfield Town.
After four successive defeats, the Serbian had to change something in the way that the Royals set up. And so he did, naming two strikers – Lucas Joao and George Puscas – in the starting lineup. It was only the fifth time under Paunovic that the two had begun a game together.
Paunovic was also boosted by the returning Andy Yiadom and Baba Rahman at full-back, back from the Africa Cup of Nations earlier than expected after Ghana’s shock group stage exit.
No doubt it was hugely disappointing for those two players, but all Reading fans were supporting minnows Comoros last week when they knocked the Black Stars out. Youngsters Ethan Bristow and Tyrell Ashcroft did what they could as understudies, but neither seems quite ready for the vigour of the Championship just yet.
In part, the change in system clearly worked. After two home games without scoring, Reading found the net inside five minutes against the Terriers through Joao, assisted by Rahman. It showed what the Royals had missed from the former Sheffield Wednesday frontman, who had been sidelined since August with a hip injury.
There was a goal for Puscas too – his first in 28 Championship games since April 2021 – highlighting how the Romanian performs considerably better in a front two than as a lone striker. Add in Michael Morrison’s header just before halftime and it meant Reading scored three goals in a game for only the fourth time this season.
The problems came at the other end of the pitch, as four goals went past Luke Southwood – with one in particular as a direct result of a rare error from the academy graduate. The defence remained open and easily penetrable, as if Reading had learned nothing from their woeful display in this season’s reverse fixture when Huddersfield stuck four past them at the John Smith’s Stadium in August.
Thus, ultimately, Reading were beaten again. And that is all that really matters. Yes, there were signs of improvement, but right now the Royals just need to stop the rot results-wise and scoring three goals is futile if you’re going to concede four. Because until Reading win a game, or at the very least keep a clean sheet, the statistics are only going to point to a team in deep trouble.
It is now five defeats in a row and just two victories in 15 matches. The 1-0 win over Barnsley on October 16 was both the last time the Royals managed not to concede and also the last time they won at home.
We’ve seen Reading lose in every way possible this month. We’ve had the embarrassing cup exit to non-league opposition, the humiliating thrashing on home turf, the last-minute defeat after being ahead, the loss with a complete lack of effort and now the utterly chaotic seven-goal thriller.
With a trip to Queens Park Rangers to come this weekend – a side who have won four matches in a row and sit fourth in the table – it is no longer a question of whether Reading will lose. It is by how many.
By Olly Allen
