Reading defender Liam Moore stopped Chris Wood and Leeds United in their tracks on Saturday.
How do you stop the unstoppable? Just ask Liam Moore. Chris Wood might have travelled to the Madejski as the Championship’s top scorer with five goals in his last four games but, as Leeds United fell to a 1-0 defeat at Reading, he barely had a touch. Well, just 26 of them if you want the specifics.
And that had much to do with the stand-out performance of centre-back Moore. With the 24-year-old having been scouted previously by Leeds, his display only poured salt into the wounds caused by this crucial defeat to a play-off rival.
According to the Yorkshire Post, then-Leeds boss Uwe Rosler travelled to Gigg Lane to scout Moore in person as Leicester City took on Bury in a League Cup tie at the beginning of last season.
After arriving at Reading permanently this summer following a disappointing loan at Bristol City, the former England Under-21 international is finally starting to deliver on his early promise. And his performance against Leeds, and Chris Wood in particular, should offer a stark reminder of why the club were so keen to bring him to Elland Road a year and a half ago.
Making a game-high ten clearances, if you thought Wood had disappeared at the Madejski, Moore’s back pocket was the first place you’d check.
If Leeds do recover from this setback to beat Reading to promotion, they could do worse than to renew their interest in Moore. The Whites once again showed that they struggle in the absence of Pontus Jansson, and Moore would doubtless provide the club with additional support at the back.
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