Reading FC blog run by fans, for fans.
So, here we are at the dawn of another adventure. We get so used to the voice of the incumbent manager that we feel we can predict what they are going to say and how they are going to say it. When a new guy comes along, everything is fresh and unpredictable. I’ll be honest, […]
about 1 month ago | 1 read
The Royals have acted quickly to appoint a successor to Noel Hunt, who was relieved of his position as first-team manager following Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Doncaster Rovers. Say hello to Leam Richardson, who’s agreed a deal until 2027. Danny Schofield and James Beattie have been appointed to his coaching team. A couple of media […]
about 1 month ago | 0 reads
It finally happened then. Noel Hunt has received his P45 and departed the club after close to 11 months in the managerial hot seat. It’s a strange feeling, because while it seems a large chunk of the fan base wanted change, I for one didn’t expect it to happen so soon. There will be many […]
about 1 month ago | 1 read
We’ve got one final bit of TTE admin to do on former boss Noel Hunt, who was relieved of his position as first-team manager on Sunday afternoon. Having run our regular manager approval rating feature on him at the end of last season, now’s time for another one to cover the start of 2025/26. I […]
about 1 month ago | 0 reads
Reading Women bounced back from their midweek Berks & Bucks Cup defeat to Ascot United with a 2-1 league victory over Sholing on Sunday, to climb to fourth place in the table. Goals from Keren Banduka and Nat Cowell either side of half-time put the Royals into a comfortable lead before Ella Wilson grabbed one […]
about 1 month ago | 0 reads
After two home matches that lead to four points but poor performances, Noel Hunt has been removed as Reading manager. Ben and Ross pick out what did for Noel in the end, and debate the true level of the squad. The boys round up the likely managerial candidates and discuss what they want out of […]
about 1 month ago | 0 reads
I really, really wanted it to work out for Noel Hunt. In the end though, it just wouldn’t. On Sunday afternoon, his second spell in the Reading dugout finally came to an end. Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Doncaster Rovers was hardly the worst result of the Royals’ season so far, but it was an all-too-familiar […]
about 1 month ago | 0 reads
The Royals picked up another point but looked tired in their 1-1 draw against Doncaster Rovers at the SCL Stadium on Saturday. Ex-Reading striker Billy Sharp gave the visitors the lead in the second half before Kamari Doyle equalised to share the points. The point leaves us two points clear of the relegation zone in […]
about 1 month ago | 0 reads
I don’t really know where to begin with this report, so here’s the abridged version of how this afternoon went/made me feel: And to be honest, I’d much prefer to be able to write about The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilization by Bryan Ward-Perkins or Powers and Thrones by Dan Jones than […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
Jack Stevens: 6 An erratic but mostly effective performance. Had a shaky moment early on when he palmed a cross back down into a danger zone, but was able to clean it up. Made a really great save when Doncaster Rovers worked the ball into Reading’s box just before the break, sliding down to stop […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
Form Doncaster Rovers secured promotion back to League One last season after finishing as League Two champions, four points clear of runners-up Port Vale. Promotion ended their three-year spell in the fourth tier, having been relegated from League One in 2022. They are currently smack bang in the middle of the table, sitting 12th in the […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
The Royals finally managed a win on Tuesday, beating Northampton Town in the 65th minute… again, with the goalscorer being Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan… again. A very weird turn of events that was. To have the same scoreline as the 2023/24 fixture, the same scorer and in the same minute, very weird. Doncaster Rovers started the season […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
Our win against Northampton Town on Tuesday evening came just three days after a disappointing loss at Cardiff City, and I say disappointing because I still believe that, if you are 1-0 ahead at half-time, you need to be securing a point at the very least, against any team in this division. While the Cardiff […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
Reading Women exited the Berks & Bucks Cup after a close match saw them finish on the wrong end of a 1-0 scoreline against Ascot United at the Racecourse Ground on Tuesday night. A clinical finish from Ascot’s Kate Fox in the 14th minute, a stunning top-corner save from Reading goalkeeper Lilly Hadrava in the […]
about 2 months ago | 1 read
The Royals picked up an important three points with a 1-0 victory against Northampton Town at the SCL Stadium on Tuesday night. Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan scored the only goal of the game in the second half to take us out of the relegation zone and move up to 16th. Here is what manager Noel Hunt had […]
about 2 months ago | 1 read
Jack Stevens: 6 Found the ball far away from his goal for most of the early stages. Made a good catch and a poor clearance with his first two major interventions of the first half. Bravely dove at the feet of the onrushing Northampton attacker to make an excellent save in the 25th minute. Alert […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
Three points. Job done. A not-so-spectacular performance with a relieving result at the end of it is just what the doctor ordered for Reading at this point in time. I was strangely confident going into the match. Although it has been a run of not-so-positive results, the performance at Cardiff City was as good as […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
Form Northampton Town finished 19th in League One last season, two places and five points clear of the relegation zone. This will be their third straight season in the third tier, having won promotion from League Two in 2023 when finishing third. The Cobblers are having a better season this term and currently sit 11th – […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
Ben and Ross are just straight chilling, yo. Maxin’ out and analysing a first Reading loss in a month against the high-flying Bluebirds. Ben challenges Ross to go looking for the positives, and the pair discuss what it will take for Paddy Lane to find the back of the net again. Plus, a healthy mailbag […]
about 2 months ago | 1 read
Another day, another loss for the Royals, but we actually played well against a Cardiff City side who are now top of the league. Another screamer from Lewis Wing and another sitter missed from Paddy Lane saw the Royals dominate the first half. But a Jack Stevens error for the first Bluebirds goal, and some […]
about 2 months ago | 1 read
Editor’s note: This article was written before Reading’s game at Cardiff City on Saturday, although stats have been updated to include that match (unless otherwise stated). One of the major talking points so far this season is the position of Noel Hunt as Reading manager. Hunt became our manager following Ruben Sellés’ move to Hull […]
about 2 months ago | 1 read
Hindsight in football is an unavoidable yet dangerous thing. Once the raw emotion drains from another road trip that yielded nothing, you can almost convince yourself it wasn’t all bad. In isolation, this was actually a good performance. We created more chances here than in several previous games combined. The passing was sharper, the movement […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
The Royals suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Cardiff City in what manager Noel Hunt called our most complete performance of the season. Lewis Wing put the Royals ahead in the first half to take us into the break ahead. Cardiff scored twice in the second half to take all three points. The […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
Football’s a deeply ironic game, really. For instance, Reading can go on an unbeaten run despite being very poor going forwards, and then lose that unbeaten run despite putting in – by far – their best attacking performance of the season. My main gripe with Noel Hunt’s management has been just how stale, flat and […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
Jack Stevens: 5 Brought in to replace the injured Joel Pereira, having played pretty well in his cup games. Helped smother away a dangerous play into his near post right after Reading took the lead. Let Cardiff’s equaliser through his body early in the second half, but had to deal with a very late deflection […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads