Emphatically Wrong

For the last three months, I’ve been getting large amounts of stick from (in no particular order) my other half, my housemate, my cousin, various other mates for writing off the rest of Reading’s season way back in February.

The jist of my argument was that we were too one-dimensional and reliant on Shane Long, Jobi McAnuff and Jimmy Kebe with the rest of the team lacking creativity and being a bit too workmanlike to sustain a promotion challenge. Cue us going on an unbelievable run at the end of the season, with one defeat in 15 games catapulting us into the play offs.

Despite this, I still had the feeling that we weren’t quite good enough and that we were going to be found out at some stage by teams who would double mark our wingers and stop the service to Long thus neutering our attacking threat. Perhaps it was some sort of self-defence mechanism to not be allowed to believe that we had a chance to get promotion through the play-offs. After all, four times bitten, very much shy by now.

After tonight, one can’t help but think that this view was completely wrong. Tonight was the perfect away performance; this generation of Reading fans equivalent of THAT away day at Prenton Park where Tranmere were blown away three goals to nothing by Nogan, Lovell et al in the glorious 1994-95 season.

Spectacularly solid at the back, barring some scares, and devastatingly effective on the counter attack, one could not have asked for more from this team. Cardiff looked to collapse under the pressure of their own fans and their play-off history whilst this Reading team rose magnificently to the occasion; even with a full back at right wing and three of our four first team wingers absent.

From back to front, there were standout performances aplenty. Adam Federici dealt with everything that came at him, although most of it was indeed, straight at him. Zurab Khishanishvilli and Matt Mills, particularly the latter, had the dangerous Cardiff front pair in their pockets all game long. Jem Karacan and Mikele Leigertwood harried, hassled and if you will be hard pressed to find a blade of grass on that pitch not covered by one of them. Jobi McAnuff and Shaun Cummings, were exactly what they needed to be; willing to help out their full backs and providing a threat on the break, capped off by McAnuff’s superb coup de grace. And what to say about Shane Long? The man has simply been a revelation this year and his first goal showed the new class and composure he has found in front of goal and his penalty showed his guts and bottle. As in the first leg, he single handily terrorised the Cardiff defence, particularly the experienced Kevin McNaughton.

But the most important component is the manager. Pulling a play-off position out of a shoestring budget has been nothing more than a miracle but let’s not focus on the politics of it all. The team spirit imbued in this team is exceptional, has could be seen at full time whistle. Like in 2005/06, this is a team that generally cares about one another and this makes them more than the sum of their parts. The combination of academy graduates and experienced pros have gelled well together and the lack of a genuine superstar probably helps too. It is this spirit and probably lack of fear from the younger players that gave the team the edge over the frightened-looking Cardiff team.

So, ahead of the final? Despite myself, after tonight, I’m starting to believe that this team is the real deal. The grit and talent shown tonight says to me that this team has a chance in 12 days time but, come what may, this team has exceeded all expectations this season and it is testament to what McDermott has built that our season is still alive.