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One more point and a hard-fought blank sheet – these are the two key returns to the scoreless draw of Reading with Aston Villa on Saturday.
But what must have delighted Royals fans on a cold afternoon at the Madejski Stadium was the courage and determination they faced in a dangerous camp at the Villa.
The crowd, swollen by more than 2,000 Midlands fans, was the best gate of the season in the Reading League.
The new boss, Jose Gomes, quickly managed to form an alignment able to compete with the best of the championship. The team is now winning a lot of tackles and heads, while trying to play the pbades.
So often this season, the team threatened with relegation has been bullied during matches because of its lack of physical presence.
This is no longer the case even though it still does not lack a constant threat.
Striker Nelson Oliveira, a lender, was replaced by 20 minutes as a result of a facial injury caused by a clash with Tyrone Mings.
His ability to hold the ball and get the other players to play was a key element, as was the willingness of the great Portuguese striker to put himself at ease and score the goal.
On two occasions, he forced the goalkeeper of Villa Lovre Kalinic to make good stops, while he was trying another goal.
Since Yann Kermorgant's victory two seasons ago, Reading has not threatened such a serious threat.
One can only hope that the wound that Oliveira has suffered will not prevent him from staying long.
Emiliano Martinez, the fourth Royals goalkeeper used the term, is another player to impress.
The tall Argentinean caught most of the crosses in the area with confidence, and his distribution was better than most of the other guards that Reading had used.
Former Reading player Tommy Elphick beat a center in the first period, but his head hit the bar.
Central American defender Matt Miazga, recently recruited by Chelsea, played a solid match against skipper Liam Moore. They both won almost all their aerial challenges and cleaned up their lines whenever the danger threatened.
There is always a slight tendency to play excessively behind the legacy of Jaap Stam's days, but most current players seem to be comfortable with the ball and have several times managed to get out difficult situations.
With the current need for points, I'm not sure that this tactic is wise or good for the blood pressure of the fans – no matter what the boss Gomes might say.
However, if they manage to limit some of the riskier moments while pbading the ball in half of their opponents, most fans will probably be happy.
Finding the right balance in the middle of the field, where the Andy Rinomhota Academy graduate continues to hold the eye, could also prove vital in the weeks to come, when the Royals will face a series of major relegation battles.
Saturday's selection was a mixture of skill, pace and effort, but that was not enough to upset Villa's rearguard.
Too many pbades have been misplaced and the crossing standard could have been better.
John Swift is still striving to regain the consistency he had displayed a few years ago. Lewis Baker fainted after a brilliant start and Ovie Ejaria was sometimes exaggerated while a mere pbad could have been the best option.
The choice of surrogates was also slightly confusing.
The tough wingers Garath McCleary and Mo Barrow were kept on the bench, while Sone Aluko and Omar Richards were used.
This meant that Reading had a hard time finding a lot of joy in the final stages, even if there were eight extra minutes left.
Sometimes goal-free draws can be greeted by screaming and screaming by fans, but Reading has done enough in this game to deserve the applause they received at the end.
This gives the team at least something to support them in preparing to try to maintain their champion status.
Keeping the team fit, focused and well prepared is also vital.
The foundations are in place, but there is still a lot of work to be done by May 5th.
Do not forget to keep an eye on our social media pages for more news from the Royals.
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