Monday 14 December 2009

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.

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