Stoke City 3-2 Reading: Player Ratings

Rafael: 6

Obviously Rafa won't be happy to concede three goals, but I don't think he did too much wrong. Could do nothing about the first, and then the second and third took deflections that took him out of the game - particularly the winner.

Andy Yiadom: 6

With two inexperienced players playing on either wing, and Tom McIntyre filling it at left back, there was a huge onus on Yiadom to provide some quality from the wide positions - which I thought he did pretty well, and he looked solid enough in defence.

Michael Morrison: 6

Yes there were a few leaky moments in defence, but I don’t think Morro was at fault for many, if any, of them. Threw himself into one standout block in the first half and was unfortunate in his attempts to replicate that in the second half, deflecting Surridge’s strike into the corner for the winner.

Liam Moore: 7

This was a tough one whether to give the skipper a 6 or a 7. He was unfortunate to be penalised for the free kick that lead to the opener and I can't remember any stand out individual errors. Combine that with his equaliser (#SteamTrain) in the second half and I think the Skip deserves a 7. He'll be disappointed with conceding 3 goals though.

Tom McIntyre: 5

Looked comfortable at left back and seemed to find himself as a consistently used outlet, particularly from Rafa’s goal kicks. Struggled on a few occasions though, with all three goals coming from down Reading’s left-hand side, albeit the opener being a set piece.

Andy Rinomhota: 6

Nowhere near his dynamic best, but still a reliable performance from Rino. Stoke found space in the middle of the park on a few too many times for my liking though, so that will be something worth looking at for next weekend.

Josh Laurent: 6

Ditto for the above in all honesty. As reliable as ever on the ball and picked up the pieces a few times in midfield. Again not quite at his best in my opinion, but I’m sure that will come in time.

Femi Azeez: 6

A really promising performance from the youngster. Can tell he’s still very raw, but there were definitely moments where you could see his potential and quality. His ability to run in behind, in the absence of Meite, will also be a huge bonus for us, as it was on a couple of occasions today.

John Swift: 8

This is the John Swift we need to be seeing week in, week out. He absolutely ran the show in the 75 minutes he was on the pitch, picking up a goal and an assist in the process. And it’s no coincidence that as soon as he left the pitch, things started to go downhill for the Royals. He’s so important to us and was a joy to watch today.

Ethan Bristow: 5

Looked a little bit out of his depth in my opinion, however it’s important to note that he was starting his first Championship game today in a position that he won’t be all that used to. A few moments of occasion with McIntyre behind him, but I'm sure it’s a day he’ll learn from.

Lucas João: 5

Ah, Lucas. What can I say that hasn’t already been said? He might be the most hot and cold footballer I’ve seen in a Reading shirt. When he’s hot, he’s red hot, but when he’s off his game like he was today, the game seems to pass him by and, in all honesty, he doesn't look that interested. Come on Lucas, we need you.

Subs

Dejan Tetek: 5

Had the unenviable task of trying to fill the void that Swift left in the middle of the park, and he’s just not that kind of player.

George Puscas: 5

He wasn't on the pitch that long, but again we need to see better from George. It’s clear he’s not at full fitness yet, so hopefully we can see an improvement in the coming weeks.

Tom Holmes: N/A

Not on the pitch for long enough to make an impact. Sign of the times that he’s our go-to sub when trying to get back into the game...

Average: 5.84/10

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