Reading and Huddersfield meet at The Madejski on the Championship’s final weekend

Four years ago this Saturday, Reading and Huddersfield began preparing for a play-off campaign that would see the sides meet at Wembley in the final. This year, things look very different.

The upcoming off-season is significant for both the Royals and the Terriers. For the former, a season that, although ultimately disappointing, has laid the foundations for a strong campaign in 2021/22 must be built upon. For the latter, the contracts of several Premier League-waged underperformers – such as Alex Pritchard and Isaac MBenza – will expire come June, marking the end of one of equally the best and worst periods in Huddersfield’s history.

Reading vs Huddersfield, since the 2017 play-off final, is a fixture that has been held in slightly higher esteem by some Royals fans. Reading have the better record when the teams are pitted against each other head to head, with the Berkshire side coming out on top in six of the 15 fixtures played, Huddersfield four times, and the remaining five fixtures draws.

The return fixture staged at the John Smith’s Stadium saw Reading run out 2-1 winners on January 2nd. At that point, Reading sat in a healthy fifth place, and Huddersfield in 13th. Had these been the positions that either side would occupy regardless of the score this Saturday, both seasons would have easily been marked as resounding successes.

Huddersfield, as a club, have been trapped in a self-destructive cycle since their second season in the Premier League began. Reading embarked on perhaps the two worst seasons in the club’s 21st century history following the defeat at Wembley against the Terriers. Based on previous year’s finishes, sitting midtable by the final weekend would have been welcome for Huddersfield fans and personnel alike. For Reading, a play-off spot would have made Veljko Paunovic’s first season in charge nothing less than fantastic.

But, the reality is very different. Whether they win, draw or lose on Saturday, Reading will finish this season no lower than eighth. Likewise, Huddersfield can only finish as high as 19th should they win and Bristol City lose on the weekend.

Reading’s run in has been nothing short of a horrendous collapse, but a win against Huddersfield would go some way to ending the season on a high.

Neither side have anything to play for come the final weekend. However, in football, and especially at clubs stuck in a rut, even somewhat ‘insignificant’ victories can be vital for morale. Three points on Saturday will cement Reading’s place in seventh, and given what has been a progressive but ultimately disappointing season, send the squad into the break with a little bit of a bounce.

In perspective, Reading have achieved this season. But whether the 2021/22 campaign will be judged a success or a failure may not be truly understood until the 2022/23 season plays out. The Royals simply must build on what they’ve found this season, and judging by previous campaigns, this may well come down to the psychological rather than tactical elements of the game. As such, heading out of the current campaign on a high is a must.

Similarly, Huddersfield are more or less playing for pride. How much of this season’s detritus has been manager Carlos Corberan’s doing is debateable, but the atmosphere around Huddersfield as a club seems to suggest that this season is a bit of a write off. The vast majority of English clubs, who’ve missed fans financially and in spirit, could probably say the same.

Back in Berkshire, Veljko Paunovic somewhat echoed this sentiment, recently talking to the Reading Chronicle.

‘Our attempt to fix previous issues is proven and shown on the pitch. We didn’t contribute to worsening the situation that was done in the previous years… The only direction we have is the right direction which is our approach and what we have done in a COVID year. We should open up our perspective a little bit. I’m asking for this club to be given a chance’.

Huddersfield head to the Madejski with one win in their last five.

Defeats against Bournemouth, Barnsley and a 5-2 thrashing away at Blackburn have made up the main body of Huddersfield’s recent woes. But Reading’s end of season record this year is worse. The Royals have won only three times since the end of February. In this time, they’ve played 12 games, gaining only 14 points from a possible 36.

The away side come into Saturday’s fixture off the back of a 1-1 draw at home to Coventry City. Danny Ward scored Huddersfield’s goal – only his first of what the striker himself has described as a ‘shocking season’ for him personally. Ward’s own struggles have been particularly allegorical for the Terriers’ season as whole – unlucky, underwhelming, and seemingly damned.

‘The most important thing is still the last game of the season. We want to finish the season with a better feeling and for the season to be done. We’re going to play a team that we think will help us go for the game’ – Corberan via YorkshireLive.

Reading, meanwhile, will be keen to offset the 4-1 defeat suffered at champions Norwich City last weekend. Despite taking an early lead through Josh Laurent, a series of errors combined with Norwich’s attacking potency ensured that Reading brought the defeat upon themselves, in truth.

A victory for either side at the Madejski will be morale boosting, and give fans a little hope that their club can push on next season. But, as is the nature of the Championship, nothing is truly predictable.

Team News:

Reading will be missing centre backs Michael Morrison and Tom McIntyre, whilst Filipe Araruna hasn’t played since September. Carlos Corberan has confirmed that Huddersfield will be without Pipa, Harry Toffolo and Fraizer Campbell.

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