Reading 4-0 U's: Where Is Rock Bottom?

It gets worse for United after shipping another four goals at fellow relegation rivals Reading

What a week. What a month. Even by Cambridge United’s standards, it’s been something quite special.

So, to recap: that’s 11 (eleven) goals conceded in Garry Monk’s first three games in charge. And just the 1 (one) scored, the same as the number of points we’ve managed to add to our tally in that time. Despite Lincoln being the best team in the league right now (their other recent results being testament that conceding six is actually maybe what you can expect at Sincil Bank at the moment), the other two results came against mid-table sides. And Saturday’s was probably the most worrying of the lot.

It’s getting tougher and tougher writing these reports. Every week you just get the feeling you’re repeating yourself; the same performances, the same traits, the same ways of describing it all.

Everyone in that away end knew what sort of an atmosphere we were going to be walking into at the inspiringly named Select Car Leasing Stadium on Saturday. Reading FC’s financial problems have been well documented over the past few years, but this week’s events had put that into overdrive - namely, the news that they were selling their training ground to neighbours Wycombe Wanderers (an acquisition which has now been put on hold, according to recent reports).

On Friday night came the news that there was reportedly a prospective owner ready and waiting to buy the club and it could go through early this week - welcome news for all Royals. Conveniently timed too; it managed to bring a further level of unity and togetherness between their fans and players, something which has been evident in the face of all sorts of adversity all season.

So United must have known that. They must have expected it. A decent side on paper, who would be further up the league without their deductions, and a bumper crowd and a fanbase roaring them on - it was going to be hard to play in, and we needed to be up for that if we were going to get anything.

But the total lack of application from United was stark. But completely expected. Not one part of me going into that ground thought we might turn up and play to any sort of acceptable standard in those circumstances. The difference in a Reading team fighting for their lives and playing for their fans, against a Cambridge side seemingly doing the exact opposite, was painful. And it’s starting to get a bit embarrassing.

That predictable nature of it all is what’s most frustrating. You hope that a leaky defence will have put keeping it tight early at the top of their agenda - when you’re low on confidence, stay in the game, and grow into it. Ten minutes in, Reading cruise through our midfield, Smith (who else) finds space in the box, and his shot goes right through Jack Stevens. There’s that gone then.

Then you think, keep it at one until half time, and go again. But a few minutes before the interval with most United fans in the concourse drinking their much-needed medicine, Stevens lets one past him at the near post.

And that’s basically the game gone. United’s brightest spell came in the opening exchanges of the second half, with both Kachunga and Kaikai managing to miss gilt-edged chances in the six-yard box - even if that didn’t help us to any points on Saturday, it would at least have brought the smallest of lifts to a group of players and fans that just need something to feed off right now. Lewis Wing and Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan added to Reading’s tally with two great strikes, after Stevens had notably been hooked for Mannion at half-time. A big statement.

And Monk needs to make a few more of those. The only positive I can find is that he has 12 days now to really try and put his stamp on this team, to drill them into some sort of defensive shape as we go into the run-in. He isn’t the sort of manager that strikes me as someone who can inspire a team through motivational team talks and making people play for him through his passion or desire - he seems like a proper coach, someone who needs time to imprint their tactical vision on a squad and work with them to get something out of them. It’s not about people skills, but tactical ones, and with Ahadme and potentially Okenabihrie back we could also have a welcome boost going forward.

Well, at least I hope so, because after the break we have Barnsley away and Wigan at home - and where we are after the Easter weekend could look seriously ominous.

For now, really do enjoy the break everyone.

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