Hunty's Column: Get Ready For A Wild Spring

Happy Easter everyone!

Well, the chocolate tastes even nicer after the victory at Aston Villa. something I never expected to happen. I was expected the worse to the point where I even cleaned the house as I was to anxious to not follow the game! So miracles do happen.

I think we've learnt to expect the unexpected with Jaap Stam's Reading, both the good and the bad, but to think we're sitting in fourth and potentially just one win away from the play-offs is simply astonishing.

A couple of weeks ago I was bemoaning the lack of another go to player, other than Super Yann, so sure enough, completely out of the blue Joseph Mendes pops up and scores two on his full league debut.

Those goals came at just the perfect time, as we can hopefully now go into the play-offs with a plan B that other teams weren't expecting, and another option I expect most of our fans didn't expect either.

We may not have won the league, and may not even get promotion via the play-offs but I'm ok with that, as no one would have thought we would be there in the first place. Be proud of our efforts.

But what about the other runners and riders?

Congratulations to Chris Hughton and Brighton, proof that if you stick with a decent young manager you can build a team over a few seasons to get promoted, something we can hopefully aim to do under Mr Stam.

Newcastle were always odds on favourites to go up, so it'll be great to see them pipped to the title and wave at Sunderland as they come the other way.

Surprise packages for a play-off place are Huddersfield, Fulham & Leeds Utd. Garry Monk is a manager whose departure at a previous club, Swansea, started their free fall towards the Championship, another lesson for 'big' clubs.

Sheffield Wednesday continued in the same form of last season without going to to another level (I don't mean a Dane Bowers concert).

Dear Birmingham, it could have been you had you not sacked Gary Rowett for a big name & now you've got your just desserts.

The 'Massive Underachiever Award' is shared by Derby County & Boomerang McClaren (You throw him away and he comes back again) and the farce that is Aston Villa. Villa got a new manager alongside our old one in the summer, spent loads of money spent including loads on a Royal now counting his money at Notts Forest in Aaron Tshibola. Fed up with not winning the league after ten games they sacked Di Matteo, got in Bruce and he still couldn't do the trick.

A lot of of other old big clubs flapped around like a drunk on the dance floor at a disco, Notts Forest, Wolves, Ipswich, Norwich & the fake hoops to name but a few.

Goodbye and good luck to Rotherham as well seemingly two former Premier League clubs yet to be decided, a fate which could have been us in the past two seasons!

Also hello again to Sheffield United and maybe Bolton as well.

It's been a hell of a race so far with our Reading team that has gone back to the old way of unity and team spirit but also included a lot of talent, hard work & some serious bipolar football! Long may it continue.

Strap yourselves into your favourite seat with a fridge full of your favourite drink because this is going to be an interesting last few weeks Urzzzz!