O 'tis Reading
Right, hands up who, at half-time, thought we could win this one?
Liar.
It was a poor first-half performance, not helped by inconsistent officials and a reading team determined to fall over at every opportunity. Still, they deserved their 2-0 half-time lead – courtesy of a well-taken free kick (even if the awarding of it was somewhat dubious) and an unchallenged header.
At half-time, Fergie hauled off Chris Whepdale and Toumani Diagouraga, bringing on Lee Frecklington and Dean Keates, and switching to a 4-3-3, or 4-1-2-1-2, or 4-3-1-2 or something.
Whatever the figures, it worked, as first Man of the Match Craig Mackail-Smith headed in a Tommy Williams cross, and then Aaron McLean made no mistake at all as he powered the ball past Adam Federici, following a counter-attack led by George Boyd.
Reading then switched to a more defensive formation and took some breaking down, but the winner came in the end, George Boyd scoring his most Boydesque goal yet, a back-heeled flick from a low Russell Martin cross.
18th in the league, seven points, four games unbeaten – what was anyone worried about?