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This game was at the top of nobody's priority list, let’s be honest. That was shown by the severe lack of fans who decided to turn up. The mood around the club is pretty rotten, we’re in a dire vein of form and look destined for back-to-back relegations.
So, yeah, Tuesday's game seemed more trivial than anything in the grand scheme of things. However, if there’s one thing we have been good at this season, it’s cup games.
And we continued that again with an entertaining victory against Arsenal’s youngsters. Here’s how the fans reacted...
March to the Arch
A lot of the chat surrounding this competition has been largely tongue-in-cheek from fans so far, but you know what? This is a genuine chance for us to get a trip to Wembley this season.
If our showings so far are anything to go by then there is no reason we can’t be there or thereabouts. Don’t get me wrong, we need to prioritise staying up, but no one’s going to turn their nose up at a day out at Wembley are they?
FT: Reading 5-2 winners, group winners, seeded team, the world is good. Wembley here we come #ReadingFC #AFC #AFC21
— @the_offside_trap001 (@justtalkingfoot) November 14, 2023
If you ever want to gauge how poor a competition is*, just take a look at bottom of League One, #readingfc's aggregate score across three games in the Pizza Motors Cup.
— Anthony Kendrick (@AJKendrick) November 14, 2023
*I will be there at Wembley pic.twitter.com/iJ2OXBAdpj
Anything positive really helps my mental health at the minute so well done lads lets use the momentum to go up the league we are on our way to Wembley urzzzzz #readingfc #BristolStreetMotorsTrophy https://t.co/yPqSyXhKIm
— Johnny Hunt (@Huntyroyal) November 14, 2023
Look no matter how bad this season goes, I would snap your hand off for a day at Wembley in the pizza/car cup #readingfc
— Cameron #DaiOut (@ronniemac93) November 14, 2023
Smells like Wembley
— Larkcomball23 (@TwoTeam_FC) November 14, 2023
Wembley anyone?
— Ryan Hardy (@prestige_boost) November 14, 2023
Need to see it in the league
It’s all well and good putting five past Arsenal’s reserves, but where the fans really need and want to see performances and wins is in the league.
You can’t begrudge the fanbase for not getting that excited after Tuesday night, when the league form has been so diabolically bad...
Reading have now scored 4 more goals and have more points in the EFL cup after 3 games than 16 league games. Make it make sense #ReadingFC
— @the_offside_trap001 (@justtalkingfoot) November 14, 2023
Really quite annoying we can’t do this in the league. #readingfc
— Dean Bennett #SellBeforeWeDai (@DeanBennett1993) November 14, 2023
19 goals in three matches in the EFL Trophy.
— James (@B3rt1e) November 14, 2023
15 goals in 16 matches in League One.
How? Why? ♂️#readingfc
Rubén, come back to us when you start doing it in the League #ReadingFC https://t.co/1X6EhNveIH
— Milo (@MiloRoyal1871) November 15, 2023
We've heard all this before, we then get back to league action and are about as effective as a chocolate teapot #readingfc https://t.co/cwKcyn1yCM
— Tom Maynard (@ttmaynard) November 15, 2023
#readingfc Selles has to find a simple winning tactic and pick a consistent 11 of his best players. He doesn't do either and that's why we keep losing. Winning against Arsenal kids forget it. We are bottom of the league
— drawn2water73 (@drawn2water73) November 15, 2023
I love how our manager sees how well we play in the pizza cup and learns exactly zero lessons from it when setting up for our league games…#readingfc
— Chris Beale (@bealec1988) November 14, 2023
Individual performances
As you’d imagine, Ruben Selles made wholesale changes to the team he’s trusted in the league for the last few weeks. The likes of Michael Craig, Paul Mukairu, Caylan Vickers and Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan all got a run-out and all impressed.
It is baffling that players such as Vickers haven’t got more game time in recent weeks, but performances like Tuesday night’s will do them no harm in their attempts to get back into the first team...
@ReadingFC How many times do I have to post it - Get Vickers in the first team!!! If they are good enough, they are old enough! #rfc #readingfc
— Andrew Steele (@StrictMale) November 14, 2023
Selles NEEDS to start Vickers EVERY SINGLE game!!! @ReadingFC #readingfc
— Nozzaaaaaa (@Nozzzaaaaa) November 14, 2023
Dunno what more Vickers and Mukairu have to do to start in the league. Our best players tonight. #readingfc
— Joshua Lamb (@lambeyyy1871) November 14, 2023
#readingfc decent game, Kelvin, Vickers and Mukariu very good games pic.twitter.com/xcP6RhCXZc
— Dave (@DCads7) November 14, 2023
Rubén Selles (@ReadingFC), please start the next league game with Kelvin E, Vickers & Mukairu! #readingfc
— James (@B3rt1e) November 14, 2023
Michael Craig looks class. Stepping up once again, really good to see #readingfc
— @the_offside_trap001 (@justtalkingfoot) November 14, 2023
The sad thing is, you can bet your bottom dollar that the likes of Craig, Vickers, Mukairu and Kelvin won’t start against Wycombe though, despite being astronomically better than their counterparts… #readingfc
— JP (@JMP1871) November 14, 2023
Conclusion
As we all know, we have bigger fish to fry than games like this at the moment. But a 5-2 win is nice. It’s good to finally to be on the winning side and it was an entertaining affair that was a good watch.
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