In an already very mixed-bag season, November’s games conjured up an especially eclectic set of Reading results and performances.
The Royals played four games (FA Cup x1, League One x3; at home x3, away x1), resulting in two wins (Stevenage and Blackpool), a draw (Rotherham United) and an extra-time defeat (Carlisle United) under new boss Leam Richardson. So, all in all, a botched opening game followed by seven points from nine isn’t such a bad start for the recently appointed gaffer.
Although November
only had four games, those included Reading’s best and worst performances of the season (going by our Player Ratings): a Carlisle collapse and an away-day triumph at Blackpool, respectively. The excellent Bloomfield Road display was not however good enough to save November from being Reading’s lowest-rated month of the season (5.57 – following 5.85 in August, 5.61 in September and 5.69 in October).
There were some individual standouts though, so I’ll run through some candidates and invite you to vote for your favourite at the bottom of the article.
First of all though, it’s time for some housekeeping. We didn’t get round to announcing October’s winner, and that was none other than Charlie Savage! Congratulations to him. He edged a tight three-way race, with his 36% of the vote enough to see off competition from Jack Marriott (30%) and Paudie O’Connor (28%). Andy Yiadom came fourth with 6%.
He became the third winner of a monthly TTE award this season, following Derrick Williams’ triumph in August and Jack Marriott doing the same in September. Who’ll take November’s award though?
Kelvin Abrefa
Average rating: 6.00 / Man of the match awards: 2nd (Stevenage H), Joint-3rd (Blackpool A)
Reading’s system switch under Leam Richardson (essentially now playing a 3-2-4-1 in possession) has given Abrefa a more difficult role – that of a wing-back – but he’s taken well to it and came on really well in November. His Stevenage showing (bar one really poor pass) was arguably his best performance for the club so far, and he was a real asset at Blackpool too.
Paudie O’Connor
Average rating: 6.67 / Man of the match awards: 2nd (Rotherham H), 2nd (Blackpool A)
A really positive subplot from Reading’s November was the development of Reading’s Dez O’Connor centre-back pairing, so it’s worth picking out Paudie for this shortlist. He was a rock at the back in November, and was rightly rewarded by getting second place in our MOTM voting twice, only missing out on wins due to a particularly good Savage goal against Rotherham and dazzling Daniel Kyerewaa display at Bloomfield Road.
Joel Pereira
Average rating: 6.33 / Man of the match awards: 3rd (Stevenage H), Joint-3rd (Blackpool A)
Because of injuries and cup games, this was actually only the second time this season that Reading’s number one played three times in a row, and he proved his quality in that spell. Getting back into the side after a poor showing from backup ‘keeper Jack Stevens against Carlisle, Pereira conceded just once (Rotherham’s only shot on target) on the way to picking up Reading’s third home league clean sheet (Stevenage) and first away clean sheet (Blackpool) of the campaign.
Charlie Savage
Average rating: 6.00 / Man of the match awards: 1st (Stevenage H), 1st (Rotherham H)
Savage built on an impressive October by putting in some truly match-winning performances in November. Two of the Royals’ headline-winning moments came from Savage’s supposedly weaker right foot: an excellent winner against Stevenage and an even better long-range equaliser at home to Rotherham.
While his overall rating (6/10) wasn’t as high as October’s (6.4/10), that number was dragged down somewhat by the Carlisle game. This was still a consistent, solid month from the Welshman.
Derrick Williams
Average rating: 6.67 / Man of the match awards: Joint-3rd (Blackpool A)
Onto the other part of the Dez O’Connor pairing. Derrick went under the radar a little more than his centre-back partner, but he was assured and dependable in his own right too, as shown by both getting the joint-highest average ratings in the squad for November.
Vote
So which of those players was your standout? Vote through this link.
