Steve Clarke sprung some big surprises tonight as he made huge changes to his winning side. Reading traveled to Huddersfield Town and were soundly beaten 0-3, with the home side taking the lead after just ten minutes. After an impressive away win at Ipswich on Saturday most were expecting few, if any changes, to the Reading line-up. Instead Clarke chose to shuffle the squad around, making six changes and fielding an unrecognisable side as Reading crashed to opposition that had started below them in the table.

There was no sign of either Simon Cox or Pavel Pogrebynak as Yakubu made his first ever Reading start. Neither player were even included on the bench as Yakubu was joined by Garath McCleary up front. Oliver Norwood, Hope Akpan, Jake Taylor and Danny Guthrie all returned to the starting eleven with Guthrie and Taylor playing wide. The only area where Reading remained unchanged was at the back with the back four and Adam Federici managing to hold on to their places. Chris Gunter was back on the bench after returning from injury but failed to see any action.

The ups and downs keep on coming for Reading. The Royals had established a good run of away form recently despite two poor home defeats against Wigan and Leeds. This defeat can certainly be grouped alongside those two and Reading struggled against opposition in the bottom half once again. It seems our best chance of success remains against higher placed opposition away from home. This was Reading's first away defeat in seven fixtures - a run that stretched back to January's 1-2 reverse at Fulham.

Adam Federici has been in fine form recently but this was a night to forget for Reading's keeper after his mistake cost an early goal. Reading looked like they might get back into the game throughout the rest of the first half as they enjoyed the better of the possession. Even at full time the statistics showed Reading had 59% possession throughout the game. However two second half goals from Huddersfield killed off any resistance from the Royals. Wells scored on 55 minutes when Federici failed to hold a shot, and Miller put the ball over Federici and into the Reading net with sixteen minutes left to play.

Clarke defending his decision to change the side around and thought Reading might have got something from the game during their first half showing: "I'm a little disappointed for the boys who came in, they tried hard and at one stage it looked like we'd get something but it was strange, like I say it slipped away from us. I'm ten weeks into the job, and it's always difficult to know when is the right time to make the changes. I just felt that in this run of horrendous fixtures, it was right to give one or two a rest and I had to look at some players as well. In the first half, you could see the players that I put on the pitch were good enough to win the game, it just wasn't our night. I didn't change the defensive players and if you look at the goals we concede, they can be a consequence of a little bit of mental tiredness and mental fatigue.

Huddersfield had remained the most dangerous throughout the game with Reading rarely threatening and managing just three shots on target. It seems likely that there will be big changes once more on Saturday as Nottingham Forest visit the Madejski Stadium - it seems unthinkable that Clarke would re-use this same eleven again.

Well that was a waste of a 1 and a half hour journey from uni to Huddersfield, I just have to feel for the other members of the 187 who travelled from Berkshire and are still a couple of hours from home. Going to the game I was confident that we would be able to build on Saturday's win. However, this confidence disappeared somewhat when I saw the team.

I thought that 2-3 changes would be made, maybe four, but to make 6, with Pog and Williams not even on the bench baffled me. Looking at the team he selected, it was difficult to guess what Clarke was going to do. However, I don't think anyone would have guessed that Guthrie would be played as a left-winger, yes Guthrie as a left winger, and McCleary behind the striker. I have to wonder whether Clarke would have made these changes if the game was at the Madejski - I'd have like to have seen a home crowd reaction to Guthrie on the left wing.

All three goals were poor one to concede, the first an unmarked header and the other two poor errors by Federici. Lastly, what a poor ground the John Smith's Stadium is, you are so far away from the pitch that you can barely work out what is going on down the other end.
gdroyal

Just back.The first half wasnt too bad but no idea what Clarke told the side at half time because the second half was shocking.Could have been more were it not for the fact Huddersfield eased up after the third.Federici at fault for the second.

Another cracking Tuesday night game to look forward to next week.
Ascotroyal83

Ishmael Miller scored his first Huddersfield goal as the Terriers returned to form by beating Reading. The striker, signed from Blackpool in January, rounded off the hosts' win with a brilliant lofted finish. Harry Bunn had put Town ahead against the run of play with a powerful header as Alex Smithies denied Hope Akpan and Oliver Norwood at the other end. Nahki Wells pounced on Adam Federici's error to double the lead after the break before Miller grabbed the third. It was Huddersfield's first win in the Championship since 7 February and takes Chris Powell's side up to 12th.

Reading had celebrated impressive victories at Wolves, Derby and Ipswich in February but, after a period of sustained pressure at the end of the second half failed to yield an equaliser, Federici's mistake left them with too much to do. The Australian goalkeeper spilled Jacob Butterfield's tame shot straight back to Wells to slot in from close range. Miller had gone close, forcing a good save out of Federici, before rounding off a superb counter-attack to score his first goal after four goalless games for his new side.
BBC Sport

A much changed Reading side slumped to a first away defeat in six games on Tuesday night as they were brushed aside 3-0 at Huddersfield Town. Boss Steve Clarke replaced six of the team that won so impressively at Ipswich at the weekend, but the move backfired as Royals were well beaten at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Harry Bunn headed the hosts in front early on before goals from Nahki Wells and Ishmael Miller wrapped up an emphatic win for the Terriers after the interval.

The defeat, Reading’s first away from home since their 2-1 reverse at Fulham on January 17, saw them slip to 15th in the Championship with Huddersfield moving above them into 12th.

It was another hugely disappointing midweek performance from Royals in a season which has been plagued with inconsistency. And Clarke will know his team selection will be called into question. Royals’ boss has said in recent weeks that he would have to utilise his entire squad to get through the demanding schedule that Reading currently find themselves in.
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