Wycombe Wanderers Fans Verdict: Loyal Royals React To Ugly Win

Sometimes, all that matters is the three points. It doesn’t matter how you get there, it just matters that you’re three points better off at the end of the night than you were at the start. Tuesday night was one of those nights.

Furthermore, sometimes those types of wins are just as, or even more, pleasing than a dominant 4-0 win. For want of a much better word, it shows real character. How many times have we ended up on the losing end of ‘ugly’ games in the last few seasons? It’s a sign of a very good team when you don’t play that well, but still get the result.

As much as you have to give credit to Wycombe Wanderers, and how well they pressed us and slowed the game down, Pauno’s men were really, really sloppy in that opening 45. The likes of Omar Richards, Yakou Meite and Lucas Joao - who have all impressed so far this season - were well off the pace, with Ovie Ejaria looking like our only real source of attacking threat. Again.

In the second half though, particularly after the introductions of Alfa Semedo and Tomas Esteves, the Royals started to find their feet a little bit more, and after Joao’s moment of magic, the players saw out the game really well.

Here’s how the fans reacted to some of the hot topics to come from the 1-0 win...

Lucas Joao

He didn’t have his best night. Not by any means. His hold up play was, frankly, pretty awful in the first half, and his performance was summed up when he picked up a yellow card for a really rash challenge just before half time.

However, he’s one of those players who can produce a moment of magic from absolutely nowhere. We’re lucky to have a few of them in the squad, with the likes of John Swift and Ejaria too. But it was the Portuguese frontman who produced the goods against Wycombe.

Big players produce big moments to get you big results, no matter how well or how bad they are playing, and Joao is one of those big players. Credit also to Pauno, who could’ve easily taken him off as early as half time.

The fans are certainly loving his form so far this season, and were left drooling at his winning goal...

Winning ugly

This was a definitely the phrase on the lips of the Reading fans on Twitter after the game. Like I said previously, it’s a sign of a really good team and something that you need to do a few times during the season to maintain momentum and keep that engine running.

Imagine, if we’d ended up losing that game, at home to second bottom after the start we have had, it would’ve definitely soured the mood at least a little. But, we won, and the performance ends up not mattering at all.

Although the performance may have disheartened the fans a little, we ultimately got three points on the board, and they can't be unhappy about that...

Top of the league!

Now, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, and whisper it very, very quietly... but we’re top of the league by three points.

I know it’s very early on in the season, only six games in in fact, but it’s still pretty nice to see us at the top end of the table rather than what we’ve become accustomed to in the last couple of seasons, isn't it?

We should enjoy it, yes. But we should also stay extremely cautious because we all know the Championship by now and how quickly it can turn very quickly. Let’s just keep taking it game by game.

But definitely do enjoy it, like these Loyal Royals...

Conclusion

As good as the start has been, I still feel there is a huge amount this team can improve on. We’re 24th in the league for shots for one...

If we can just iron out those creases and really get kicking, I’m sure we’ll be a force to be reckoned with this season. In Pauno I trust.

URZ