Not Joel\u2019s best day at the office today. He had a baffling goal-kick routine with Dez Williams, whereby Dez would stand next to him (literally) and pass the ball to Pereira, for Pereira to then go long. Luton eventually sussed this routine out and the first time they applied pressure to Pereira when receiving the ball short from Dez, he lost the ball under that pressure and was fortunate to only concede a corner.<\/p>\n
This was followed up later in the first half by coming off his line to flap at a Luton cross from Reading\u2019s left, which he miscued and directed towards his own net. Demonstrating that cats do have more than one life, he was saved this time by Dez Williams diving in to clear off the line.<\/p>\n
I made a note that I thought he should have done better for Luton\u2019s first goal, as he didn\u2019t make himself big by bracing himself low and spreading wide to anticipate the shot. However, he may have been impeded by Doyle.<\/p>\n
Pretty much just fine. Some of his better moments included blocks from low Luton crosses from Reading\u2019s right, and he occasionally got forward well to provide an overlap. The highlight was when he received a ball outside of the box and put in a wicked effort after pouncing on a loose ball from a Randell Williams throw to really test Luton\u2019s \u2018keeper.<\/p>\n
However, all too often he did seem susceptible to balls being played behind him, and while he still has pace to burn, he\u2019s not quite quick enough to snuff out the risk before it reaches the Luton player, instead relying on his reading of the game to block the cross.<\/p>\n
Subbed off for Matt Ritchie in the 72nd minute.<\/p>\n
Much like Yiadom, he was pretty much just fine.<\/p>\n
What impresses the most about O\u2019Connor, and did so today as well, is his willingness to put his body on the line – and he made a number of good and\/or crucial blocks in and around the edge of the box. I don\u2019t think we credit him enough for his ability to read the game in front of him, in order to get in a position to make the blocks.<\/p>\n
He won some headers, because that\u2019s what he does, and was also unfortunate to challenge the Luton \u2018keeper in the first half for a header and give away a free-kick. He was also booked near the end of the first half for getting both arms around a Luton attacker to hold him back from making a dangerous-looking run in behind.<\/p>\n
How many babies do you know called Derrick? Or some variation of this name? Let me tell you: in the next year or two, the census will record many more Derricks being born in Berkshire owing to being named after this man.<\/p>\n
His best moment of the game I\u2019ve already mentioned: diving in to clear off the line from a Pereira mistake. However, he was a constant presence in defence, making countless crucial blocks and headers, and using his reading of the game and strength to ward off through-balls that broke Reading\u2019s lines.<\/p>\n
You know someone has to be very good to shunt Ward over to the left-back position, and Dez is really rather good. It will be noted that our attacking players changed the game today, but we wouldn\u2019t have gotten a win without our BFD (Big \u2018Effin Derrick) marshalling the back line.<\/p>\n
Also picked up a yellow for protesting a referee\u2019s decision – not without good reason, might I add.<\/p>\n
Ward\u2019s ability to come into the side and understand the way Reading play immediately has been really quite impressive. He seems to have developed an ability to read the right-back\u2019s movements and work on a pivot with them; when to push forward and when to drop deeper to cover.<\/p>\n
He won some headers, made some blocks and also played some tidy passes into midfield and occasionally up the line to Randell Williams, proving he is handy with his offensive thinking as well as defensive thinking.<\/p>\n
Not Wing\u2019s best game today. I understand (though, don\u2019t agree) that he nominally drops deeper, but when you are more often starting attacking transitions from behind your centre-backs, you know something isn\u2019t right.<\/p>\n
Wing often seemed to lose the ball in the middle of the park and struggled to pick the right passes today, and his set-piece work left a lot to be desired. The lowlight for this was towards the end of the second half, when he received the ball around the halfway line and had so much space ahead of him to move the ball forward, but instead moved the ball four or five metres to his right and then sent a long ball over the top to absolutely nobody.<\/p>\n
However, he did make a good run through the middle in the second half to relieve pressure and win a free-kick in Luton\u2019s half, and made a couple of defensive contributions by dropping over to the right and clearing the ball.<\/p>\n
I have very few notes for Fraser today. He does often seem to fly under the radar.<\/p>\n
Good points: he does make good passing triangles with those around him to progress the ball up the field. Also played a delightful long ball forward to find Long Kelvin.<\/p>\n
Bad points: I can\u2019t recall a single defensive action he contributed to stop Luton breaking through our midfield lines.<\/p>\n
Subbed off for Sean Patton in the 61st minute.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s just not quite clicking, is it? He is a willing runner and works hard for the team, but he just seems to struggle to make any kind of notable, positive impact on the games. Today was no different, albeit playing in an unfamiliar right-wing role.<\/p>\n
He seemed to struggle to time his runs effectively when pushing forward to attack, and didn\u2019t offer much of a final ball today. He did have a shot on target, but it was saved by the Luton \u2018keeper.<\/p>\n
Worst of all, Luton were able to score their first goal of the day owing to him letting his marker get away from him at the back post (Reading\u2019s right side of the pitch), which I also think caused confusion for Pereira.<\/p>\n
Subbed off for Paddy Lane in the 72nd minute.<\/p>\n
I think these ratings tell you the problem with Reading right now: our midfield. Savage started in the number 10 role and looked to drift to the right or left to help offer a progressive passing opportunity to a team mate. During the course of the game, he did provide good balls to Lane, Ward and Doyle.<\/p>\n
When Fraser came off, Savage was dropped deeper into the midfield pivot with Wing. However, for the most part, he really was just a passenger and, much like Fraser, I don\u2019t recall many defensive actions to support the Reading back line when under pressure.<\/p>\n
Savage did provide a delightful assist from a corner in the first half (I\u2019m not sure who scored, it was right at the other end of the pitch), but Reading were penalised by the referee for some kind of infringement and had to retake the set-piece.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve missed this guy. Taking up a position on the left wing today, he made a number of good runs, often from receiving good passes up the line from Ward. He also almost turned creator with one of his famous long throws in the second half, which evaded everyone in the Luton box and bounced out to find Yiadom, whose effort was well saved.<\/p>\n
However, I think his best contributions today were defensive ones. He has quite the engine and his ability to track back and offer cover and block crosses or nip in and win balls from wingers is quite handy, and helped take pressure off of the Reading defence, particularly in the first half.<\/p>\n
There was a chap in the row in front of me that earnestly pronounced: \u201cI\u2019m telling you, it\u2019s on for a Kelvin hat-trick today!\u201d I filed a note in my head to chuckle at this proclamation later in the day, and his friend told him if he gets this one right, he should get himself a lottery ticket.<\/p>\n
Ehibhatiomhan actually put on something quite akin to a Jack Marriott performance today. He didn\u2019t get much service, and in the first half he seemed to struggle to time his runs quite right or make himself enough of a physical presence\/nuisance. He occasionally dropped back to support the defence, but was always too easily beaten and looked unwilling to commit himself.<\/p>\n
However, he got himself in the right place at the right time for all of his goals and efforts, taken well within the box after timing a run correctly or reading the play to know where the cross needed to be met.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s no exaggeration to say that all he offered was goals, yet those goals won us the game. Clearly, he is learning from Marriott and let\u2019s hope he can continue these types of industrial moments.<\/p>\n
There will be some who question why Long Kelvin isn\u2019t being awarded a 9\/10, given Marriott picked up a 9\/10 for his hat-trick versus Wycombe Wanderers. Here\u2019s why: the difference between the two performances is that, today, Ehibhatiomhan was completely reliant on the service to score the goals, whereas Marriott, against Wycombe, was not just the scorer but also the architect.<\/p>\n
Subbed on for Liam Fraser in the 61st minute, coming in as a number 10 to push Savage deeper into midfield.<\/p>\n
Oddly enough, his performance was much more like one I\u2019d expect of a centre-forward. He was hungry for the ball, always pressing the Luton defensive line and making himself available to receive a pass or carry the ball up the field.<\/p>\n
For me, his movement helped to stretch the Luton back line and it\u2019s clear we have quite a player developing on our hands here.<\/p>\n
Came on for Andy Yiadom in the 72nd minute as Reading seemed to switch to a back three.<\/p>\n
Provided an absolutely delightful assist for Reading\u2019s (and Long Kelvin\u2019s) second goal, but this was made entirely possible because he read the passage of play in front of the Luton defence to intercept the ball and play it into the middle quickly, then eventually receive the ball back over to the right and put in a quite delightful outside-of-the-left-boot effort to find Long Kelvin at the back post.<\/p>\n
Not content with that, he decided to play in Long Kelvin for Reading\u2019s winner. Ritchie\u2019s starting to develop a niche within this squad as not just a \u201cfinisher\u201d (ie someone who can help guide the team to see out the game), but also a super sub who can create chances.<\/p>\n
It took me a good five minutes to realise he had entered the pitch. I initially thought Ritchie came on for Kamari Doyle, but it was actually Lane who had done so, also in the 72nd minute.<\/p>\n
He received a good through-ball from Patton on Reading\u2019s left, outside of the Luton box, but was unable to beat his man and it led to nothing. Lane also provided a good cross deep into the second half but was unable to find anyone.<\/p>\n
His best moment was probably receiving a good pass from Savage right at the end of the game, which he duly ran into the corner to try and run down the clock. However, he seemed to use his arm to control the ball and the ref did eventually stop play, presumably for that offence.<\/p>\n
Came on for Ehibhatiomhan in a direct swap. Yep: you read that right. Instead of coming on to make a back five to see out the game, Leam Richardson (seemingly) actively trolled Luton by bringing on a centre-back to play up top.<\/p>\n
Burns doesn\u2019t qualify for a rating because he came on after the 80th minute and just as well as it made no sense, but nor did it have to. Total LOL vibes, and it\u2019s not often that happens when you\u2019re a Reading fan. I could even go as far to far this was a total \u201cBurn\u201d for the Luton support. I\u2019ll close the door on my way out\u2026<\/p>\n