Huddersfield Town 0-0 Reading: One Step Forward

08/02/2025 20:46

The Royals followed up on last Saturday's 1-0 win over Bolton Wanderers by grinding out a 0-0 in West Yorkshire.

There aren't too many games in a season when you'll be happy with a goalless draw, but I'm very pleased with this one. Reading's trip to Huddersfield Town today was - on paper - one of the hardest fixtures left this season, with the Terriers the last top-half side left to play on the road. Getting anything today was always going to be a bonus, with the Royals generally better on their own patch, but in the end Reading were good value for the point.

It's Reading's second 0-0 draw on the road under Noel Hunt, which puts him two ahead of his predecessor (thanks to Biscuit Analytic for this stat). While that doesn't necessarily say Hunt is better than Selles as an away manager (the Spaniard ended his time in Berkshire with some strong results on the road), it does show Hunt is happy to let Reading keep things tight first and foremost and then go from there.

That comes from the duality of Reading's approach to away games under the new(ish) manager. As Charlie Savage said a few weeks ago, the Royals now focus on being "pragmatic" in the first half and then "go for the game" in the second. While that didn't bear out in the trips to Leyton Orient or Burton Albion, it very much was the case today.

It's all summed up by one stat (thanks to WhoScored this time). Reading played exactly 100 long balls today: 61 of them came in the first half, 39 in the second. So there was a clear tactical shift at the break, with the Royals initially happy to sacrifice good attacking football for defensive solidity, but then becoming far more expressive after the interval.

Reading (4-3-3): Pereira; Craig, Dean, Bindon, Garcia; Knibbs, Wing, Savage; Campbell, Wareham, Camara

Subs: Button, Abrefa, Mbengue, Kanu, Rushesha, Bodin, Ehibhatiomhan

That tactical shift was certainly helped by the doubly surprising return of Amadou Mbengue. Not only did he get onto the bench when it was assumed he'd be out for a little while longer, but he played most of the game too, with starting centre-back Harlee Dean forced off due to injury shortly before half-time.

Mbengue's pace and aggression have been big misses for how Reading defend, but his proactivity in possession is irreplaceable too. It was refreshing today to see just how much the complexion of the Royals' build-up play changed when Mbengue had the ball: taking that extra step forward to challenge the pressing forward and put them on the back foot, and sometimes driving up into midfield or down the wing himself.

That wasn't the only factor in Reading coming out of their shell at the break (which did feel like it came from a broader tactical shift), but Mbengue's introduction rippled throughout the rest of the team. A midfield which had previously been ineffective in the first half became far more dynamic and involved in the second. Chem Campbell and Mamadi Camara had much more to work with out wide.

The Royals looked eminently more capable of putting together incisive moves that would yield quality chances. Or chances at all really: Reading managed just one shot in the first half (Camara slamming over from range with his weaker left foot) but then nine in the second half, five of which were from inside the box.

Where the result was decided today though was in the relative minutiae at either end.

For all Reading's improvement going forward in the second half, they still didn't have the quality in the final third to unlock Huddersfield. Sam Smith and Ben Elliott are both big misses in that regard, while substitutes Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan and Billy Bodin (for Jayden Wareham up top and Camara out wide) couldn't provide that cutting edge today.

Down the other end though, simply put, Reading got the job done. It's worth little improving going forwards if you don't back that up in your own third, but the Royals managed the game well. The Terriers were limited to a respectable five shots on target today, none of which really troubled Joel Pereira, and none of which came in the final quarter of an hour of the game.

The reward is that Reading stay eighth, two point off the top six, after Charlton Athletic and Bolton Wanderers both won today. Next up: home games against the 22nd- and 20th-placed sides in the League One away table, a great chance to pick up a couple of wins.