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Alex McCarthy: 7
A good performance from the Reading goalkeeper who had little to do in the first half but made some key stops in the second to keep the lead. Couldn't do much about any of the goals and outside of a couple of wayward kicks, he'll be fairly happy with his day's work.
Wayne Bridge: 7
A solid performance from Bridge who defended well and did the simple things right throughout the game. His only problem was a couple of bad long-range balls but he's a good left-back in this league and you know you'll get at least a 7/10 performance most weeks.
Alex Pearce: 6
A slightly clumsy performance from the defender who didn't quite look comfortable against a dynamic front-line. Pearce got up well to create the second goal and did the basic stuff OK but still doesn't look fully up to scratch after his problems last season. If Mariappa does force his way back into the team then based on current performances it'll be Pearce who'll have to make way.
Sean Morrison: 7
Full blooded performance from the Vice-Captain who made a good goal line clearance and generally played it safe. Like Pearce you still have the occasional worry when the ball's at his feet but generally Morrison played well and it's hard to fault him for the goals.
Chris Gunter: 6
The first half was one of his better in a Reading shirt but the Wales full-back looked a bit out of his depth in the second against the impressive Ikechi Anya.
Danny Guthrie: 7
Guthrie would probably have gotten an eight were it not for giving away the penalty and a comfortable lead. Guthrie was constantly nipping the ball away from the feet of Watford's attackers and he kept the play ticking over well, particularly in the first half. Sadly he just struggled to get fully into the game in the second and as his performance weakened so did the team.
Jem Karacan: 8
Personally Jem was my MOTM after a very good performance topped off with two goals. Karacan probably didn't know too much about the first but he took the second well and he was once again all over the pitch helping to close down the play. While we're used to seeing Jem run around at 100mph, one of the most pleasing things from this game was seeing how well Jem handled being on the ball as he frequently got his side out of trouble with a little turn or pass and just helped us keep possession. This is the Jem Karacan we've all wanted to see for the past five years and if he plays like that every week then perhaps he'll establish himself as a Premier League player.
Jobi McAnuff: 6
Jobi started brightly against his former side but like so many others, struggled to make a real impact during the second half. The captain did his best to try and influence the game but it just seemed to pass him by and Garath McCleary and the man who replaced him, Hal Robson-Kanu will both feel they've got a chance to displace the skipper in the long-term.
Oh I do love you Royston. Some of his flicks and movement in the first half were up there with anything I've ever seen from a player wearing a Reading shirt and you just wonder what we'll get from him when he's up to a Championship level of fitness. Other than tiring in the second half his main problem was wasting a few set pieces but he's still our best player and utterly crucial to our title chances.
Nick Blackman: 5
Last week I asked why the hate for Nick Blackman and sadly for the former Blackburn man, this week's performance is only likely to stiffen the opinion of those who've already written him off as a flop. For me, Blackman was a decent enough performer in the first half, linking well with Drenthe and Le Fondre but he looked every inch a League One player in the second as he just couldn't hold the ball up or do anything useful with it at his feet. If this were a team who were aiming for the top six I'd have no real problem bearing with Blackman during this steep learning curve but if Reading are serious about trying to win the Championship then they may not be able to put up with too many of these sub-par outings from the man who seems to be our second choice striker.
Adam Le Fondre: 6
A good goal and a typically hard working shift from Le Fondre but the striker is likely to up pretty late tonight pondering a couple of missed chances, with his first half one-on-one likely to be playing over and over in his head. I've been on record plenty of times saying that Le Fondre isn't ideal as a starter but today with the support of Drenthe and Blackman he looked a bit more at home and if they partnered him with a bit more of a proven player instead of Blackman, then maybe he'll get a better chance to shine.
Substitutes:
I like Williams a lot and in his three cameo appearances this year he's shown that he can be a real difference maker from the bench. He's a bit unlucky in that he's got Drenthe, Guthrie and Karacan keeping him out of the team but today he showed what he can do by playing a key part in the third goal. A couple of times he may have been a bit too enthusiastic and held onto the ball for too long but by and large I think the club have made a shrewd signing and I'd love to see what he can produce over 90 minutes.
Hal Robson-Kanu: 6
Maybe he's not fully fit but sadly HRK hasn't managed to reproduce the performances that saw him storm into the player of the season voting last season. He didn't get too much time to show what he can do today and perhaps he might have got the nod to start had he not spent the week with Wales but I suppose it's a positive if we can get three goals without one of our better players on the pitch.
Garath McCleary: NA
Too little time to really make an impact, McCleary will have been disappointed not to get a start after an impressive start to the season.
How did you see it? Let us know below and vote for your MOTM in our poll.