Reading Roars!

On a day when many of us were nursing headaches (myself included), Reading FC players looked “bright and breezy”, stunningly slotting six past West Ham at the Madejski. Like turkeys one week earlier, the Hammers were truly stuffed.

Brynjar Gunnarsson (12 minutes), Stephen Hunt (15), Leroy Lita (53) and Kevin Doyle (twice; 36, 78) all found themselves on the scoresheet, as did, amusingly, Anton Ferdinand, with an own goal in the 30th minute.

New West Ham manager Alan Curbishely gave the following explanation for the hammering:

Reading had everything that we didn’t. They were full of enthusiasm, pace, shape, aggression, and above all, hunger. They have commitment, they want to be in the Premiership, they want to drive the baby Bentleys. We don’t have anything of that right now. The players have shown me why we are down there. We are very fragile.

The win was Reading’s biggest for over 16 years, and West Ham’s heaviest for more than five. Shame that both sides will probably not meet again for at least another season.