"The Royals fought back from a goal down to get this 1-1 and can honestly say they showed enough (in the second half at least) for that result to have some justification." Promising signs for #ReadingFC at Stockport, as @simfrombucks.bsky.social writes.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't see positives today Next step is putting together a consistent 90 minutes of football, rather than abdicating a half of the game before getting into it

RATINGS: Joel Pereira, goalscorer Jack Marriott and substitute Matt Ritchie were @webberross.bsky.social's standouts in a flawed but dogged #ReadingFC performance at Stockport.

Full time, 1-1! First half really poor, second half much better, although it was still a real mixed bag and the hosts had chances to win it Great impact from Ritchie, lovely finish Marriott, and ultimately #ReadingFC did enough to hold on Good result and some positives to build on

HT: 1-0 Stockport Seen worse performances than that, but it's again not good enough Stockport finding it straightforward to keep #ReadingFC at arm's length, Reading finding it difficult to get into their half with any real conviction. (1/2)

No Williams for #ReadingFC as expected. Fraser not involved either Presumably a 4231 Pereira; Ahmed, Burns, Jacob, Dorsett; Wing, Savage; Lane, Doyle, Kyerewaa; Marriott Subs: Stevens, Abrefa, Stickland, Elliott, Ritchie, Ehibhatiomhan, O'Mahony

OPPO: Last season's playoff semi-finalists Stockport have had a decent start to this season, sitting eighth in the league at the moment. Find out more about them in Steven's scouting report. #ReadingFC

⚽️ It's matchday! A difficult away game is in store as #ReadingFC travel to Stockport County, a side that well and truly had our number last season. Will we fare any better this time? @rhyswhite72.bsky.social has your preview.

"It felt like Wrexham never had to do anything particularly complicated tactically to break us down." @tomh1871.bsky.social's post-Wrexham analysis focuses on a new role for Mark O'Mahony and #ReadingFC's defensive errors.

Andre Garcia is confirmed to be the very first player in #ReadingFC's history to play 50 times for the first team before the age of 18! 📊 Many thanks to Nigel Meek for providing the data.

READ: A sharp first half wasn’t enough to quell the frustrations of the fans after a disappointing collapse saw #ReadingFC bow out the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.

🎧 New episode of the pod in your feeds right now @mrblthomas.bsky.social and @webberross.bsky.social recorded during last night's game at Wrexham, so there's as-live reaction to #ReadingFC's cup loss, plus analysis of Saturday's win over Leyton Orient.

"It was disappointing to lose the goals but I’m so proud of how we performed and tried to play." Noel Hunt's take on last night's League Cup loss for #ReadingFC in North Wales.

RATINGS: A promising first-half showing couldn't be backed up against Wrexham as #ReadingFC slumped out of the Carabao Cup. Here's how Harry rated each of the Royals.

"Aside from 15 second-half minutes, the Royals were steady off the ball, moved it well in possession and only really lacked the sort of clinical touch that Broadhead provided for Wrexham." #ReadingFC

Royals didn't always have it their way and the hosts threatened at times, but Wrexham have struggled for momentum #ReadingFC causing problems by being dynamic in midfield - Savage, Elliott and Doyle all want the ball and have ideas when they get it (1/2)

Half time, 0-0 Really bright 45 from #ReadingFC, just lacking a goal. Royals roared off by the travelling fans for their positivity in possession - we've just played some of our best stuff all season

A strong #ReadingFC XI tonight with an attacking-looking midfield three! Sean Patton involved too. Stevens; Abrefa, Stickland, Jacob, Garcia; Elliott, Savage, Doyle; Kyerewaa, O'Mahony, Ehibhatiomhan Subs: Pereira, Duah, Ahmed, Ryan, Rushesha, Fraser, Wing, Lane, Patton

🎙️ @webberross.bsky.social and @mrblthomas.bsky.social are recording the pod tonight, during the Wrexham game. 📽️ And also live streaming on the YouTube channel from halftime! Fire over any questions, thoughts or anything else #ReadingFC related you have for them

OPPO: Steven takes a closer look at Wrexham, the side standing between #ReadingFC and advancement in the League Cup tonight. Including: key players, likely lineup, a familiar face in the dugout, and lots more.

⚽️ It's matchday! #ReadingFC make a hefty trip northwards tonight, facing Championship side Wrexham in the League Cup. Can the Royals pull off another surprise win? @rhyswhite72.bsky.social has your preview.

Matt Ritchie was the difference. Absolutely phenomenal when he came on, and never stopped organising. Seriously. He didn’t stop. At all.

"It was the first time in a long while when I've heard a Reading player so active in talking on the pitch." Alex paid close attention on Saturday to Matt Ritchie, #ReadingFC's new veteran, and he was impressed by what he saw and heard.

"There were some great performances, effort and passages of play." @petermatthews25.bsky.social talks us through an emphatic win for #ReadingFC against Manorcroft United, for whom this was a special occasion: a first-ever FA Cup tie for any of their teams.

READ: Another afternoon at the SCL, another eventful game for the fans to get their teeth stuck into. The win, some all-too familiar problems and good impact from the bench were all on the agenda. #ReadingFC

"We keep getting tested for our resolve and character, and we keep coming back." Noel Hunt on #ReadingFC's character yesterday, being delighted for Jack Marriott, Matt Ritchie, the other second-half subs, and lots more.

"Yes, a win is a win, and that matters most, but since the season began we’ve been searching for signs of growth, of cohesion. Even with the three points, those green shoots remain elusive." #ReadingFC

REPORT: Another mixed bag of a Royals performance - better going forwards but messy and unconvincing out of possession - as #ReadingFC see off Leyton Orient 2-1 at the SCL. @simfrombucks.bsky.social recaps the action.

Dez 'n Fin sounds like a pair of old British gangsters, but the pair were anything but dodgy at the back for #readingfc today 😜

RATINGS: Dez Williams solid at the back and Matt Ritchie impressive off the bench as #ReadingFC make it back-to-back home wins. See how @webberross.bsky.social graded the rest of the Royals in his ratings.

Half time, 1-0 #ReadingFC! So far so good in another really mixed performance Struggled for a lot of that 45 with Orient bypassing our press too easily. (1/2)

It's the same midfield three for #ReadingFC as the Wimbledon game at home... Pereira; Ahmed, Burns, Williams, Dorsett; Fraser, Wing, Savage; Lane, Marriott, Kyerewaa Subs: Stevens, Jacob, Garcia, Doyle, Ritchie, Ehibhatiomhan, O'Mahony

OPPO: Get everything you need to know about Leyton Orient, who sit mid-table so far and have a couple of former #ReadingFC players in their ranks.

⚽️ It's matchday! #ReadingFC host last season's playoff-race rivals Leyton Orient this afternoon and are in real need of a win to help turn around a slow start to the season. @rhyswhite72.bsky.social has your preview.

🗳️ The results from our Couhig/Trosclair poll are in, and it's a solid start for #ReadingFC's new(ish) owners. They got the 8th-highest approval rating we've had in the series. More on the results and how they stack up historically in here:

Zonal marking for the first goal against Barnsley - haven't heard a peep about it elsewhere It's not a system that can never work, it's just funny which managers get yelled at for it, and which get to skate by

READ: In the first of a new series, Harry looks at the past, present and possible future of some standout #ReadingFC players. Where better to start than with skipper Lewis Wing?

OPINION: For Alex, the start to #ReadingFC's season feels an awful lot like how the opening stages of 2023/24 unfolded. Squad turnover, missing key players, a youth breakthrough - all that and more show parallels.

🎧 pod pod pod, episode 431! @mrblthomas.bsky.social and @webberross.bsky.social talk through #ReadingFC's defensive mistakes in the defeat at Barnsley, the shape of the team and whether it's too soon to expect more from Noel Hunt with the 2025/26 squad.

READ: Despite Jack Marriott’s bright performance, there was really only one topic of discussion on the agenda for #ReadingFC fans after the 3-2 loss to the Tykes - Noel Hunt’s future.

🗳️ Approval rating 🗳️ It's four months to the day since the takeover, so how are #ReadingFC's new(ish) owners getting on? - @simfrombucks.bsky.social assesses the Couhig/Trosclair era so far - Grade the owners yourself in our approval rating poll

🗳️ Approval rating 🗳️ It's four months to the day since the takeover, so how are #ReadingFC's new(ish) owners getting on? - @simfrombucks.bsky.social assesses the Couhig/Trosclair era so far - Grade the owners yourself in our approval rating poll

"We are getting better, we know we are in certain aspects of the game, and we are growing better as a team to create more chances and growing more fluent. It is cutting out those little mistakes and staying alive when the ball goes dead." #ReadingFC

Kids do kid things sometimes - Ahmed will learn from today and improve I'm sure. Issues outside of him didn't help him

"Mentally, this side looks riddled with fear. Not the fear of opponents, but the fear of making mistakes. And that fear creates mistakes. Confidence should prevent them, but confidence is what’s missing." #ReadingFC

"A fortnight on the training ground hasn’t yielded the substantial improvements in performance that were badly needed." @simfrombucks.bsky.social tries to make sense of a smorgasbord of a #ReadingFC performance at Barnsley.

RATINGS: Daniel Kyerewaa and Jack Marriott the standouts for #ReadingFC on another frustrating afternoon, this time at Barnsley, but it was a poor showing from Ashqar Ahmed at right-back. ✍️ @webberross.bsky.social

Half time, 1-1, somehow #ReadingFC terrible for a while and should have been more than one down. Got an equaliser out of nothing and improved, but from a very low base Need much better after the break

Pereira; Ahmed, Burns, Williams, Jacob; Elliott, Wing, Savage; Lane, Marriott, Kyerewaa Subs: Stevens, Dorsett, Fraser, Garcia, Doyle, Camara, Ehibhatiomhan Long Kelvin back involved, no room for O'Mahony #ReadingFC

OPPO: Find out more about this afternoon's hosts, Barnsley, with Steven's scouting lowdown. They count former #ReadingFC forward Caylan Vickers among their ranks, and he's already grabbed a couple of goals this season.