Had McAnuff...

While I wallowed in tremendous amounts of self-pity after another night on a bender (well, I'm making the most of my last year at university), I couldn't imagine what was about to come.

A stylish Reading win and more importantly, a clean sheet. It's a Christmas miracle.

Sheffield Wednesday are certainly no mugs and Hillsborough is not an easy place to pick up three points. And Reading, how the current season is going, could have crumbled up there like a Tesco value digestive.

However the Royals' resurgence has given new-found optimism, for the fans and the players are believing again.

I've never warmed that much to Jobi McAnuff in the past and when he signed I rolled my eyes thinking its a poor man's Tommy Smith. The past month has seen something quite different from the winger. He's taken the game by the scruff of its neck and created momentum.

McAnuff's goals has been as valuable as ever and the big tree that stands up front (Gregorz Rasiak) has, gladly, taken advantage of his sublime crossing and scored a few himself.

Brendan Rodgers knew that this team could play like this and its a testament to him that he carried on insisting on playing football, rather than lumping it up like most teams in this division. The second goal against Wednesday showed that with a great passing move and a fine finish from Kalifa Cisse. Goal of the season so far.

The defensive display could be explained by Cisse as well. He's the first real holding player weve had there for a while and gave Alex Pearce and Ivar Ingimarsson some cover that had been missing.

Marek Matejovsky, then, has a licence to roam and link play in a more direct manner, something that was restricted with Brian Howard in the team.

The last five games have a been a vast improvement, let it continue. I want to be jolly this Christmas.

Back in the Big Time

I have never been that excited for a FA Cup draw before, number 32 is what we wanted to come out.

I was thinking, hoping, for a home tie and not really bothering who well play. However as time passed, Liverpool and Manchester United were still there and GET IN! We have Liverpool in the cup.

Four years ago we had never played them and now we've met four times in the league and scored in two high scoring games in the League Cup but now we can complete a welcomed trio. I have no idea what is Brendan Rodgers view on the cup, if it's like his predecessor he would welcome the competition like a parent would welcome a teenage pregnancy.

God bless Steve Coppell but cup competitions were of no interest to him, much like John Oster. But for the fans, it's something to get excited about. The last minute drama against Barnsley in the League Cup was certainly exciting and in the end punishable, the cruelty of letting in that very last minute goal was unforgivable but hey ho! Onwards and upwards.
Memories

But now it's Liverpool, LIVERPOOL! Any Reading fan who do not have that incredibly famous 3-1 win against the Reds embedded in their heads cant be good fans at all.

We beat Liverpool, sadly enough I spent part of my afternoon today watching the game on DVD. Wow! We were good and it was Liverpool's first defeat of the season as well, it was such good football. Stephen Hunt's penalty, Kevin Doyle's glancing header and James Harper, that's right HARPER, sneaking through to score a fine third. It was emotional.

As we have being struggling this season, this will come as a welcomed boost for the players and none of them except Brynjar Gunnarsson, Ivar Ingimarsson and Kalife Cisse briefly, played that day, so it will give this new crop of young talent the chance to prove they are worthy to play against the five time European champions.

This may just act as a catalyst to spur on Reading and start playing to our potential, which is definitely top eight of the Championship. Rodgers please, please give us a day to remember.