WHAT a turnaround!

Last week I was talking about poor performances and Jaap Stam’s job being under threat .

A week later and we’ve got our biggest win of the season over a team in the play-off places.

On Saturday we lined up 4-2-3-1 with Roy Beerens playing the furthest forward. The fluidity made it hard for Derby’s defence to mark our attackers which brought two goals in the space of five minutes from Liam Moore and Sone Aluko.

Stam’s men looked more energetic and made good use of their possession. They looked a better side than any other we’ve lined up with this season and deserved to be 3-0 up through Beerens.

Derby pressed hard after this and Johnny Russell pulled one back.

But their hopes were short-lived as Modou Barrow netted one of the most attractive goals we’ve scored to make it 4-1.

Chris Martin pulled one back in stoppage time but Reading were home and dry.

Defeat for Derby meant an end to their eight-match unbeaten run. Reading fans might be wondering how that run had gone on for so long.

The Rams looked out of touch, unfit and lacking in passion – characteristics Reading have also displayed in recent games.

Here, Stam’s approach was much more positive on the day. He rightly praised our clinical finishing and possession was more or less even across 90 minutes – with Royals making more of theirs than Derby could.

Stam’s plans obvious from the get-go and it was great to witness such a scintillating performance – something that has been sorely missed of late.

So we collect another three points to go with the previous win over Nottingham Forest and now sit 18th – six points clear of relegation and eight adrift of the play-offs going into the international break.

If we can maintain this momentum when we return to Championship action, we could see ourselves slowly but surely creeping back up the table to where, in my opinion, we belong. URZ!