THE INDIE - LOCAL HERO DOYLE KEEPS UNITED OFF THE SUMMIT
The day Manchester United come to town is always a big one for newly promoted clubs and Reading enjoyed every minute of it bar the one in which the irrepressible Cristiano Ronaldo equalised a goal by local hero Kevin Doyle from the penalty spot. Doyle, like many Irishmen was a childhood United supporter, scored just after half-time when Gary Neville handled, but United's attacking brio before and after deserved a point.
One was insufficient to take them back to the top of the table and there were flaws in their performance that Steve Coppell's boys, last beaten at home 13 months ago, exposed.
It was the first-ever League meeting between the teams, in itself a mark of how far Reading have progressed. On United's last visit, for an FA Cup tie 10 years ago, Ryan Giggs was among the scorers but the hamstring injury sustained against Celtic recently kept him out. So Paul Scholes, composed and combative at the same time, played just behind Wayne Rooney, with Kieran Richardson given a rare start out on the left.
There were changes in defence, with Gabriel Heinze and Nemanja Vidic both starting for the first time this season - the Argentine left-back had not played for his club since damaging knee ligaments in the Champions' League a year ago. Rusty or not, he found Reading's winger Seol Ki-Hyeon a handful as the home team went at their distinguished opponents with scant regard for reputation.
The visitors, as is their wont, did not hold back either, so it was full-blooded entertainment, with a dozen worthy attempts on goal in the first half alone. Cristiano Ronaldo, abused throughout as he now expects, had a good proportion of United's. Having hit more shots than any other Premiership player this season is clearly a record he is proud of, though team-mates seemed to imply they might occasionally have preferred a pass.
SUNDAY TIMES - DOYLE ON SPOT FOR READING
There is a sign on the M4 approaching Reading that tells you to use junction 11 if you want to visit The Oracle. If there are any people remaining in Berkshire who think it's referring to a shopping centre, and not Steve Coppell, they weren't in the Madjeski stadium yesterday to witness Coppell's team attempt to remind Sir Alex Ferguson's All-Stars Inc that the worth of a football team is judged on the pitch, and not by the size of their pay packets, because make no mistake, Reading thoroughly deserved this point.
Ferguson, who watched Reading beat Sheffield United in impressive style last Saturday, knew his team would have to play considerably better than they did in losing at home to Arsenal. With Mikael Silvestre and Louis Saha injured — though Saha's "tight hamstring" wasn't tight enough to prevent him taking a place on the bench — Ferguson made five changes. Edwin van der Sar, Nemanja Vidic and Gabriel Heinze — starting his first game for United for almost a year — came into defence and Kieran Richardson and Michael Carrick into midfield.
Reading, of course, made none. They rarely do, a fact that, even allowing for Coppell's extraordinarily good fortune with injuries, has an awful lot to do with their success, and United's formation, with Wayne Rooney a solitary figure up front, paid them a considerable compliment.
It also worked, in that faced with by an extra man in midfield — as United were by Arsenal — Reading found it hard to find the quick-passing rhythm that has characterised their football under Coppell. They almost went behind in the second minute when Marcus Hahnemann failed to hold Rooney's shot on the turn from 25 yards, which was going wide in any case, and only just recovered in time to prevent Richardson turning the rebound home.
It set the tone for an opening quarter in which Reading, as well as being understandably wary, looked as though the occasion had got to them rather; they were hesitant, standing off tackles, and several times they failed to close down; both Richardson and Christian Ronaldo hammered in shots that had Hahnemann scrambling. The goalkeeper also had to save when Ronaldo's short pass into the area gave Rooney a chance to shoot, though the wonderkid failed to connect cleanly.
SUNDAY TELEGRAPH - GLORIOUS READING DENIED BY RONALDO
Reading's most famous victory remains their 2-1 FA Cup replay win over Manchester United in 1927, though they came breathtakingly close to topping it here.
Not that they will feel too disheartened since the spirit and energy they displayed that will form another strand of club folklore suggested that the team whose home is practically on the hard shoulder of the M4 can get used to living in football's fast lane.
It was a triumph of sorts that Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, in order to save himself from one of the most embarrassing defeats of his career, was humiliated into bringing on strikers Louis Saha and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who is more used to being asked to go on and win Champions League finals than to quell a bunch of Premiership upstarts.
Even then, Ferguson's team, bristling with World Cup stars, were unable to force the win that would have swept them back to the top of the Premiership.
Chelsea hold that position for the first time this season and how their manager Jose Mourinho would have guffawed as he watched on TV.
Ferguson taunted Arsenal last week by describing them as a team in transition yet his own side is still clearly a work in progress. Michael Carrick, bought for almost £20 million to put some cement between the midfield bricks, is still trying to build a niche for himself, while Darren Fletcher and Kieran Richardson, who were both substituted, have yet to prove themselves men of Premiership substance.
Even Wayne Rooney has been out of sorts this season and, as with England, he grew increasingly frustrated here at being asked to play alone up front. And when he pulled wide to set up an open goal for Richardson on the hour, only to see the latter fall over, he bashed the turf in exasperation, Basil Fawlty-style.
Richardson was instantly brought off by Ferguson, perhaps for his own safety, although he had also recognised the need to offer Rooney the support of top scorer Saha, left on the bench because of a niggling injury.
United had previously only played Reading in FA Cup ties so they could be forgiven for apparently mistaking this for another knockout game, one in which they seemed hell bent on delivering the fatal blows as quickly as possible, both Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo fizzing in shots as soon as the white of the goal frame hove into view.
Reading, whose defence was in a tizz early on, pulled themselves together as the game wore on and should have been in front in the 18th minute when Bobby Convey's shot was deflected into the path of Kevin Doyle, only yards from goal.
He was so dumbstruck at his good fortune that Edwin van der Sar was able practically to pluck the ball from his boot.
The excellent Seol made a monkey of Gabriel Heinze, playing his first United game for a year, by beating him on the outside and then going back to fool him the other side, while also testing Van der Sar's reflexes with a fierce left footed shot.
Van der Sar was another returning to the side, having supposedly been left out against Arsenal last week because of a row with Ferguson. Who could imagine such a thing? Three minutes into the second half, he was beaten by a Doyle penalty following Gary Neville's handball.
THE OBSERVER - READING DENIED BY RONALDO'S ROCKET
Manchester United had enough chances to win several matches, but were also relieved to equalise having fallen behind to Kevin Doyle's penalty just after half time. Reading's courageous back line were not easily pierced, but Cristiano Ronaldo managed it with a virtuoso strike. Although the home crowd had dreams of a famous victory dashed, they still near enough raised the Madejski roof come the final whistle.
The last time Reading beat United, entrance cost five shillings. Some eight decades later the Royals were enthralled to host such a prestigious game in the modern age. 'In a way, before the game I was thinking "We can't lose",' said Steve Coppell. 'But a point was a small gift.'
Against opposition Coppell described as 'irresistible', Reading were understandably a little disconnected to start with. They came up against a United side much spikier and slicker than they were last weekend.
Smarting from that capitulation to Arsenal, Alex Ferguson made five alterations to his starting XI, including first appearances of the season for defenders Nemanja Vidic and Gabriel Heinze - who hadn't featured for United for a year. Both looked rusty but were still more composed than United's rearguard had been last Sunday. That performance seemed to have preyed on Ferguson's mind, as the shape of the team was also adjusted, mimicking the way Arsenal played so effectively at Old Trafford. A mobile midfield five supporting lone striker Wayne Rooney helped United to look considerably sharper and spikier.
United created regular chances during an intriguing first half. Kieran Richardson's whipped shot was deflected. Rooney snatched at a couple of half chances. Ronaldo smacked an angled free-kick through a flurry a legs. Then, best of the lot, Paul Scholes ghosted towards the goalline, but just failed to make contact with Ronaldo's fizzing cross. Ibrahima Sonko, a man they call 'superman' here, was a leader for Reading at the back. He needed to be.
Coppell, from his directors' box perch, sent an urgent message to the dugout. The gist of his words, presumably, was for his midfield to start 'connecting'. Reading sparked to life when Bobby Convey ran at the United defence and wriggled into the area, the ball ricocheted to Kevin Doyle, the crowd gasped in anticipation, but Edwin van der Sar stood his ground expertly to smother. But Reading at least went off with some encouragement to accompany a long, deep breath.