Reading face top of the table Huddersfield on Saturday in one of the more fascinating games in the upcoming round of the Championship
Reading manager Jaap Stam
The Royals currently sit in eighth position with 14 points, five behind the Terriers.
New manager Jaap Stam has brought a patient, possession based style to Reading which hasn’t gone down well with some fans wanting a faster tempo.
To use a well known cliche, it is a ‘work in progress’ at the Madejski stadium and this clash will show just how far they have come under the Dutchman.
Here are three things that the Royals can do to achieve victory.
Spreading the scoring load
Too much has been left to Garath McCleary and the impressive young midfielder John Swift to score their goals this season. Between the two players, they have scored two thirds of their league goals.
With McCleary suspended for this clash, players like Yann Kermorgant need to have much more impact.
Keep their discipline
Reading have gone down to 10 men in their last two games with red cards to McCleary last weekend against Barnsley then Tyler Blackett in their EFL Cup win against Brighton.
While neither incident was particularly ‘nasty’ and it is great to have a edge about your play, it is always helpful to keep a full component of players on the pitch.
Stop Aaron Mooy
In the eyes of many observers, Aaron Mooy has been a major factor of Huddersfield’s great start to the season winning some extraordinary complements along the way.
The 26 year-old may seem a overnight success to many, but he has put together a very strong body of work in Australia’s A League for the past four seasons, after previous stints with St Mirren and Bolton.
If the home side can find a way to subdue the attacking midfielder’s impact on the game, that will go a long way to collecting the three points.
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