As a work in progress, Brendan Rodgers' young team gave Reading supporters plenty of cause for hope on Saturday.
We created by far the best chances to win the game, and although nobody can get too carried away after only the first match of the season, there were plenty of encouraging signs in the draw with Nottingham Forest.
With five Academy players in the starting XI, this was arguably the proudest day in the history of our youth setup at Madejski Stadium.
In the past our young players have been trusted in the Carling Cup, but this was a completely different scenario and a far, far bigger test. There can be no question that youth will be integral to our performances this season and as Brendan has said, he has an inherent belief in young players.
Our young quintet all made their mark on the day, but one player who was perhaps less well-known to the Reading faithful is Scott Davies - but there can be no question that his goal against Chelsea and then another all-action display at the weekend mean he has put himself to prominence in a very short space of time. At 21, he actually has plenty of League loan experience at Aldershot under his belt, and with fingers crossed we can continue to reap the rewards. Every young player will have their ups and downs, but with fervent backing from the Reading faithful they can hopefully continue to progress. With patience and understanding from all concerned, allied with good management, they have a large stage on which to show their talents.
Davies was joined by Hal Robson-Kanu and Ryan Bertrand in making full Reading debuts, but it was also a first outing for a new tactical system and passing style of play.
Brendan has quickly outlined his 4-3-3 system to the players, and judging by Saturday's display they have taken it on board nicely. It was obvious from just one game that Brendan demands the ball to be on the floor, and he would rather keep the ball in defence than look for a long speculative pass. He clearly follows a European model and an environment where supporters are happy to see their team keep possession and do not demand a quick ball up the pitch just for the sake of it. With a new system there is a learning curve for players and staff, but so too supporters as we all become accustomed to a slightly more patient build-up. We all want to see the ball in the final third, but if it takes ten seconds more to find a pass into feet, we'll all be happy to wait.
On the subject of supporters, the Club were pleased with the attendance at the weekend and again grateful for the support. Early season games during school holidays are not always easy to attend, but at just shy of 20,000 we had a good turnout and our faithful were so nearly rewarded with all three points that we craved.
So as a first game of a new era, we can come away with a nice balanced view - satisfaction and optimism, with a smidgeon of patience thrown in for good measure.
Craig Mortimer-Zhika
Head Of Communications
cmortimer@readingfc.co.uk
