Vito Mannone: 6

Made one good save in the first half but better positioning for the goal could have made it more difficult for Yanic Wildschut to score.

Andy Yiadom: 6

Steady if unspectacular game. Didn’t offer much of an attacking threat or track Wildschut for the only goal of the game.

Paul McShane: 6

Calm and composed. Caught in no man’s land for the winner.

Liam Moore: 6

Decent enough display. I would like to see him show more courage on the ball given his ability.

Tyler Blackett: 6

Never looks comfortable at left back. Offered little going forward.

Yakou Méïté: 6

There are similarities to Michail Antonio when he first started out. You never know what he’s going to do. Did well to create a chance for himself in the first half. Quiet in the second half and if there had been a winger on the bench probably would have been substituted.

Liam Kelly: 5

Poor set piece deliveries. Was decent in the first half, however he needed to do more after the break. Too prone to going for the easy pass and dropping too deep to be effective.

David Meyler: 5

Reminded me of how I feel playing football in my sleep. I want to run and move, but because I’m asleep I can’t move. The game mostly bypassed him. Not mobile enough to play in two man central midfield.

John Swift: 7

Asked to play in an unfamiliar position. Swift was lively throughout, always eager to get on the ball and showed lovely footwork. One criticism could be that he is drifting into the centre narrowed the play, but he was the only midfielder who seemed willing to take a chance.

Marc McNulty: 6

Promising display and if he had scored he would have been given a 7. Gave the ball away cheaply a few times, however played a lovely pass to Méïté for Reading’s best chance. A bit quiet in the second half.

Sam Baldock: 6

Similar to McNulty. Linked up well with his strike partner and was always at the heart of Reading’s promising moves in the first half. Struggled to get into the game after the break.

Substitutes

Leandro Bacuna: 5

“He always gives the ball away!” Bringing him on for Meyler made sense given he’s more mobile. In the end he made things worse. Shocking to think we paid seven figures for him.

Jón Daði Böðvarsson: 5

Never got into the game.

Adrian Popa: N/A

Whenever I watch Popa I am amazed that he’s amassed so many caps for a country that once produced players like Gheorghe Hagi. He tries, but like Bacuna is an example of some of the terrible signings we made in the Stam/Teveren era.

Average rating: 5.76

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