http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/sport/Reading-challenge-relish/article-447058-detail/article.html
Reading challenge is another to relish
Tuesday, November 04, 2008, 07:30
DERBY and Reading dropped out of the top flight together in May but with a notable difference.
Reading were relegated in far better shape than the Rams, who went down as an utter shambles and with the worst record in Premier League history.
When the clubs met at Pride Park Stadium on the final day of last season, Reading won 4-0 and should have scored eight. It was perhaps the most embarrassing afternoon of many in a nightmare campaign because the Rams had been easily shredded by the third worst team in the division.
Watching Steve Coppell's side that day and looking in from the outside, you got the feeling they should never have allowed themselves to be drawn into the relegation mire.
But it was out of their hands on the final day and, despite crushing Derby, they sank because Fulham continued their remarkable late revival by winning at Portsmouth.
Coppell was gutted, but Rams boss Paul Jewell had his own concerns and a tough rebuilding job on his hands.
He promised a shake-up of the squad and a new team and has delivered. The side is slowly gelling and proving difficult to beat. They have lost one in 11.
Reading, however, have started the season as many expected they would. They are up there with the other big-hitters, Wolves and Birmingham City, and full of confidence after thumping Bristol City at Ashton Gate on Saturday.
Wolves are the Championship's top scorers with 35 from 15 matches, followed by Reading on 33. The next best is 23 by Ipswich and Watford.
Reading look formidable at home, where they are unbeaten. They were held goalless by QPR last time out at the Madejski Stadium but scored 21 goals in the previous six home league games and thumped Luton 5-1 in the Carling Cup.
County travel to Reading on Saturday and the fixture should offer a good gauge of their improvement under Jewell.
This Derby team has shown terrific character at times since those disappointing early weeks of the season and the tepid displays against Doncaster and Southampton.
Reading will be a test but the Rams have proved against Birmingham, Sheffield United and Cardiff that they can now cope with tests and are beginning to relish them.
