Ruben Selles’ Resilient Royals

TTE debutant Mel Povey looks at how things have turned around for Reading on the pitch this season.

It’s fair to say that this season had a somewhat rocky start, but since then, Ruben Selles and his Royals have managed to go against all odds and achieve new heights.

Despite all the off-field issues across the season, including players being sold without the management’s knowledge, points deductions for a variety of reasons and the latest controversy of the sale of Bearwood Training Ground to league rivals Wycombe Wanderers, the squad have undoubtedly faced a plethora of hardship.

I’ve been very impressed with the squad, breaking records as they go, with Selles’ side always fighting for victory. Changing formation throughout has definitely helped the side to finish strongly, moving away from the 4-2-2-2 layout, and acting in a more flexible and defensive 4-2-3-1. It took a fair while for Selles to find his team, but it’s safe to say the players he has settled on are crucial for us.

Selles has also improved and altered the play-styles of some, converting players into different roles on the pitch. Clinton Mola is the most recent example of this, being played more often as an inverted full-back over left-back. This has effectively allowed midfielders to move deeper to go towards goal.

Harvey Knibbs is another, who has been used more centrally rather than outwards on the wing, which has vastly improved his game. Jeriel Dorsett’s recent stints at left-back have also proven to be crucial in the line-up, despite being out of his natural position of centre back.

This squad has provided us with many memorable moments since August, with perhaps some of the best in fact not occurring at the SCL.

Exeter City 0-9 Reading

That one evening out at St James Park. The historic night. With a record-breaking result of 9-0 away to league opponents Exeter City, this was a night us Royals fans will never forget. Six different goalscorers - two braces from Paul Mukairu and Dom Ballard - alongside an own goal from defender Zak Jules, brought about three well-deserved points in our EFL Trophy campaign. It’s safe to say that it made all of the effort and struggle in the league worthwhile.

It is fair to say fans were on cloud nine for the next few days, elated with the team. A 9-0 thrashing is exactly what was needed after a rollercoaster of results in the league.

Alongside this, a 5-0 local derby victory at home against League Two rivals Swindon Town, and a 5-2 win against Arsenal’s under-21s, truly conveyed the strength and quality of our squad, with 19 goals scored across three games.

Unfortunately, we ultimately crashed out of the cup in round three after a difficult penalty shootout against Brighton & Hove Albion’s under-21s.

Statistics

Since our final season in the Championship, under the guidance of Paul Ince, we have surpassed our totals in almost every aspect.

Previously, our top goalscorers stood at a tally of nine goals each, with former players Tom Ince and Andy Carroll in joint first for this. However, across our last 40 games, three of our players in all competitions have goal totals in double figures, with Harvey Knibbs, Sam Smith and Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan having scored 15, 12 and 10 respectively.

We’ve seen some absolutely class goals scored thus far, with the most recent being Ehibhatiomhan’s strike against Cambridge United. Other memorable examples include Lewis Wing’s screamer against Port Vale and Femi Azeez’s wonder strikes against Charlton Athletic, all earning us home wins.

Already surpassing our away sum from last season by two points, we still have four games to go, meaning the Royals could extend their form even further.

Shots on target also stand higher than last, with 3 per match recorded last season, versus an increased 4.6 in 2023/24. In terms of conceded goals, the total stands equal, with both sides averaging 1.5 per match. As of now, we also hold the top spot in the league for successful tackles per match, at an average of 11.6, which has increased from 9.7 throughout last season.

Wycombe Wanderers 1-2 Reading

And perhaps the most important (and honestly relieving!) event of this season came as a result of the fixture away at Adam’s Park back in November.

378 days.

A 2-1 victory, with first-half goals coming from Wing and Smith, both assisted by Azeez, earned our first win from home since the 12th November against Hull City. The ‘away curse’ had finally been broken, thanks to Ruben Selles’ Barmy Army. Fans shouted chants of ‘we are staying up!’ and ‘we won away!’, which only further strengthened the relationship between supporters and players.

With a squad built predominantly on free transfers and academy graduates, as well as a few solid loan deals, this season’s group of Royals have been nothing short of likeable. Players have shown what it truly means to wear the badge, and even with all off-field antics, have stayed strong and always put in 110% every match. I believe this squad is one of the most impressive and enjoyable in recent times, and it has the potential to go far.

Honestly, I could see us making playoffs next season.

Come on URRZZ!