Why Reading FC already look like promotion contenders

For all the focus on Reading's league position, the underlying numbers suggest Leam Richardson's side already have the profile of a promotion challenger.

The Royals have taken 15 points from their opening 10 League One matches, winning four, drawing three and losing three. Yet a closer look at the data reveals a team consistently posting the sort of metrics associated with clubs competing at the top end of the division.

Reading have recorded 164 shots across their first 10 league games, averaging 16.4 per match, while outshooting opponents in nine of those fixtures. Overall, the Royals have a shot differential of +53, meaning they are averaging more than five additional efforts on goal per game.

Those numbers are difficult to ignore.

Richardson's side have registered 21 shots against Wycombe Wanderers, 20 against Mansfield Town, 19 against Cambridge United and 18 against Blackpool, regularly creating enough opportunities to win football matches.

The issue has not been chance creation.

It has been converting performances into points.

Reading managed 48 shots across their matches against AFC Wimbledon, Cambridge and Wigan Athletic but scored only once, collecting a solitary point from a possible nine.

Had they been more clinical in front of goal, the Royals could already find themselves firmly among the early promotion frontrunners.

When Reading have found that cutting edge, however, they have looked every inch a team capable of competing at the top.

The 5-0 victory over Mansfield Town was a statement performance, but perhaps the most significant result came in the 5-1 demolition of MK Dons earlier this month. Reading produced an emphatic display away from home, with Paddy Lane, Kyreece Lisbie and Jacob Brown among the scorers as the Royals swept their opponents aside in one of their most complete performances of the campaign.

That result also supports one of the most striking themes emerging from Reading's season.

The Royals appear most dangerous when they do not dominate possession.

Reading had just 44.5 per cent possession in the win over MK Dons and only 34.1 per cent in their 3-1 victory against Blackpool. They also beat Notts County despite seeing less of the ball.

Rather than relying on lengthy spells of possession, Richardson's side have often looked at their best when pressing aggressively, winning the ball back and attacking quickly in transition.

The statistics become even more encouraging when recent injury problems are considered.

Reading have been without top scorer Jack Marriott, who has eight goals this season, since the draw with Wycombe Wanderers. Attacking midfielder George Earthy has also been sidelined during that period. Richardson recently said he is hopeful both players could return within the next few weeks.

That context matters.

Despite missing their leading goalscorer and one of their most creative attacking players, Reading have continued to create chances at a rate matched by few sides in the division.

Defensively, there are positive signs too.

Four of the 13 goals Reading have conceded came in the chaotic opening-day defeat to Luton Town. Across the nine matches since, the Royals have conceded just nine goals while continuing to generate some of the strongest attacking numbers in League One.

The headline statistic is perhaps the simplest.

Reading have outshot their opponents by 53 efforts across 10 league games and have only been outshot once all season.

With Marriott and Earthy closing in on returns and the underlying data already pointing towards a side capable of challenging near the top, there is growing evidence that Reading's promotion credentials are stronger than their current points tally suggests.