EFL Championship: Analysing the hunt for promotion

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Reading

The Royals have been in the Championship since their relegation from the Premier League in the 2012-13 season, and since then they haven’t really threatened to get back there until now. This season the appointment of Jaap Stam has been an inspired one, with the belief and winning feeling returning to The Madjeski Stadium.

Stam’s men lie third in the table, six points behind Newcastle in second, and if Reading are serious about a promotion challenge, whether they can maintain their current level of performance and keep grinding results will be key. So many times the Championship has seen teams fall away in the final couple of months.

Roy Beerens, Yann Kermogant and especially Gareth McCleary have been amongst the goals – McCleary with eight to his name already, the Jamaican’s best scoring season.

Reading’s next game at home to rivals Fulham will be interesting, as they aim to put right their 5-0 thrashing in the season’s earlier fixture. The 7th January will be a date in the diary of all Reading fans, with a lucrative FA Cup trip to Old Trafford, with the small matter of playing Manchester United in their own back yard.

Best Moment – Reading 2-1 Sheffield Wednesday

Prediction – 7th