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I’m trying to think of a better, more dominant performance than Wednesday evening in recent times and I’m stumped. Fulham away last season was good, but more of a defensive stalwart performance. Bournemouth at home in Pauno’s first season was good, but in the second half we dropped off a little.
On Wednesday against Blackburn, from minute one to minute 90, we were the better, hungrier team. By a country mile. It’s even sweeter when you think about the performance we were subjected to against Rotherham. Everything we didn’t get at Rotherham, we got against Blackburn 10 times over.
Every player to a man was superb. Joe Lumley chipped in with an important save, the defence were rock solid, the wing backs were superb, the midfield was tenacious and aggressive and the forwards ran themselves into the ground.
It was a wonderful performance, and here’s how the fans reacted to the big talking points...
Mamadou Loum
I feel bad for picking out one individual because, like I said, everybody was outstanding. However, this bloke provided, in my opinion, one of the most dominant midfield displays I’ve seen from a Reading player in a very, very long time.
He hunted that ball down as if his life depended on it. He was ferocious, aggressive and won more 50/50s than I could count. He was brilliant.
The fans loved it enough to provide him with his own song, and what a tune it is. Loum, Loum, Loum, Loum...
think by next season we'll all be wondering how mark bowen managed to get mamadou loum in. early doors but looks like an unreal bit of business #ReadingFC
— benjamin (@BenAxon2) August 18, 2022
LOUM LOUM LOUM LOUM I WANT YOU IN MY ROOM LET’S SPEND THE NIGHT TOGETHER FROM NOW UNTIL FOREVER #readingfc
— Nicole (@NS1871xx) August 17, 2022
Mamadou Loum was class tonight, he is the absolute mustard
— Will R (@Will157_13) August 17, 2022
Fornah superb too #readingfc
@Loum_Ndiaye I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH #readingfc
— cher-yl (@yll_cher) August 17, 2022
Brilliant performances by everyone tonight especially Loum who is different gravy #readingfc
— AidenRFC (@AidenRFC_) August 17, 2022
who’s fallen inlove with @Loum_Ndiaye? cos i have #ReadingFC
— skizz (@dylnfrnch) August 17, 2022
€5m for @Loum_Ndiaye is going to be the steal of the century. What a player. #ReadingFC
— Mr Curly Wurly (@adamaust13) August 17, 2022
gotta be best game I've seen us play for years.. Loum unreal in middle #ReadingFC
— jonny keegan's friend (@lewdog_rfc) August 18, 2022
A complete performance
I genuinely cannot remember a more complete performance. From the outside, some fans might think we’re getting a bit carried away over one win, but we saw on Wednesday night everything we’ve been crying out to see for years now.
It’s not been often in recent times when I’ve walked out of a game thinking “we wanted it more than them today”, but on Wednesday evening I did. And it’s such a good feeling. We outfought Blackburn, we were more hungry than them.
The fans absolutely loved it, and who can blame them?...
#ReadingFC were just amazing tonight. Tempo was brilliant, passion and effort were off the scale and to a man the players all performed. Complete team performance and special praise for Joe Lumley who after Saturday could have called in sick. His save to keep it 1-0 was awesome.
— Daran (@LoyalRoyalDaz) August 17, 2022
The most complete @ReadingFC display I’ve seen in years. #readingfc
— JamesSuarezruns (@james6suarez) August 17, 2022
An absolute complete performance tonight. From back to front, couldn’t fault a single player. That’s up there with one of the best games under the lights. @Loum_Ndiaye what a beast. #ReadingFC
— Darren Henwood (@DazzaHendo) August 17, 2022
What a result!! The most complete performance I've seen from us in years! URZ! #readingfc
— Ben (@BenParsons89) August 17, 2022
Genuinely struggling to remember a more complete performance than that tonight. Absolutely superb from the off. Mamadou Loum star man. #ReadingFC
— Matt Smith (@RustyRoyal) August 17, 2022
Last night was the performance every reading fan has craved for years. Sure we have won a few big games over the years but last night was desire, hunger, winning every 50/50, showing pure passion for the shirt. A group of players who clearly care. #readingfc
— Cameron (@ronniemac93) August 18, 2022
That was like getting the old club back and watching it unfold on the pitch. Honestly the best performance I've seen in at least 3 years. We play like that every week and we'd get top 6. #ReadingFC
— Alex (@Pickettlickett) August 18, 2022
It's blown my mind. Honestly overwhelming to see such a complete performance, of non stop in intensity for 97 minutes. No quiet spells, no shakiness, nothing but pure aggression and energy from everyone #readingfc
— Roberto Dawson (@Rob_Dawson93) August 17, 2022
The atmosphere
The Mad Sta- sorry, SCL Stad, was absolutely rocking on Wednesday. I was incredibly worried that Saturday would’ve taken the wind out of not just players but the fans too. This club has been toxic for a long time now and I felt it wouldn't take many bad results for it to become just that once again.
However, I was delighted to be proved wrong against Blackburn. The fans were behind the players from the get go. That’s the kind of atmosphere you get when you’ve got players fighting for the shirt on the pitch.
It was an electric atmosphere and one that I hope continues...
Finally, big up @Club1871 probably the best atmosphere since we started. #ReadingFC
— Jamie Hodder (@Jamie_Hodder21) August 17, 2022
That atmosphere is what we live for.#readingfc pic.twitter.com/2hg8DI0TMe
— micah (@m1871e) August 17, 2022
This is the best we’ve played in years. Atmosphere is electric #readingfc
— Jacob Potter (@pott95) August 17, 2022
Quality atmosphere tonight! #readingfc
— cher-yl (@yll_cher) August 17, 2022
Well.....I wasn't expecting that result tonight. Everything was spot on from the team and Lumley keeping us in it on 1-0 was huge, I actually felt we could've scored more!!! How amazing was the atmosphere from kick off right up to the final whistle?! Roll on Saturday #ReadingFC
— Rob Saunders (@Royalrob1871) August 17, 2022
Game 3 v Blackburn Rovers.
— stacey (@royal4ever07) August 17, 2022
What a game! What an atmosphere! The fans fed of the players and the players fed of the fans! That level of noise is what we need every week! ⚽️ ⚪️ #ReadingFC #football #202223season pic.twitter.com/2LYHz8DN3j
Conclusion
Just a simply fantastic night spent at the SCL Stadium. I still can’t quite get over it. It’s a massive ‘if’ I know, but if we do play like that more times than not this season, we’ll be more than fine for relegation.
It’s all we’ve ever asked for as fans: players who will get stuck in and who look like they actually care. We outfought, outran and bullied our opponents. It’s not often we get to say that.
But, of course, we need to back it up. Not necessarily results-wise, just performance-wise. All we want to see is performances like that one. And I guarantee if we match that performance consistently, the results will follow.
URZ
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