What can we say? There seems to be something curious in the water at Reading. On reflection, a match where the score stood at 4-3 Manchester United with less than an hour played should not have been a surprise. After all, this is where Arsenal arrived to contest a Capital One Cup tie and promptly found themselves 4-0 behind before recovering to win, 7-5. Reading's ground is apparently no stranger to voodoo.

That said, there may be more mundane explanations for one of the most confusing matches the Premier League has witnessed in the past few years. The most prominent is that Manchester United's defence is somewhat lacking in alertness, beginning many matches rather like a slumbering possum, and in order to function needs first to be poked awake by the sharp branch of an early goal.

- Keen: Reading one-upped by United again

The pattern of Manchester United’s season is so well established its scriptwriter should be sacked for cliché. This was, after all, a screenplay we had seen too often before. The away side, harassed in possession by a redoubtable Reading, conceded the opening goal for the 14th time in 22 matches. That is akin to, say, Rafael Nadal dropping the opening set for each round of his road to a Grand Slam Final. It’s ultimately successful, but does absolutely nothing for his stamina or the nerves of his supporters. One wonders how many resurrections this team has left.

This match was odd for all kinds of reasons. One was that Ashley Young, having looked anxious in the early exchanges - one of his erratic deliveries, swung in from the left wing, ended up nuzzling against the corner flag - emerged as one of his team’s most influential playmakers. That, of course, was once they had fallen behind after eight minutes to an angrily-dispatched half-volley from Hal Robson-Kanu. The circumstances leading to this goal were alarming: Jonny Evans’ positioning failed him and he could only nod the ball weakly into the forward’s path only 8 yards out, from where he smashed a shot hard and high past Anders Lindegaard.

Luckily, as in recent matches, Anderson came to his team’s aid. It was he who drew United level, playing his part in a one-touch move involving Patrice Evra and Young, and then finishing with a brutal first-time strike into the top-hand corner. Anderson then proceeded to celebrate with an oddly restrained samba shuffle, its humility perhaps stemming from the fact that even he was surprised by the brilliance of his execution.

But there were still only 13 minutes gone. This felt rather like the first Mission Impossible remake when most of Tom Cruise’s colleagues got wiped out virtually before the opening credits were done. No sooner had fans taken the second incredulous bite of their hotdogs that Manchester United were ahead. Jay Tabb pushed Evans over, and Wayne Rooney placed the penalty kick with unaccustomed certainty into the bottom right-hand corner.

Was that the action done? Was it - hell. Reading were determined to make this match about them again, and inspired by the rapacious Jobi McAnuff – who was showing Rafael a thoroughly unpleasant time on the left flank – they did so. Nicky Shorey swung in a corner to Adam Le Fondre, who headed home while the away defence conveniently chose that moment to evaporate.

Then Nicky Shorey - figuring hey, if it ain’t zonally marked, don’t fix it - did exactly the same thing, and the willing recipient of his delivery was Sean Morrison. Two headers, two goals, and a clutch of defensive absentees. The DVD will not be comfortable viewing for the Manchester United back five Monday.

They were redeemed, though, by a forward line in creative vein. Young played in Evra who squared for Rooney to score, and then Rooney passed on this good turn to Robin van Persie, who tiptoed through the offside trap to sidefoot low past Adam Federici.

Fearing the concession of this lead, Sir Alex Ferguson substituted Rafael with just over half an hour gone; the Brazilian, who had been booked for his mistimed entanglement with McAnuff, was in danger of taking a red before the break. He joined the bench in anger; minutes later, Anderson joined the bench in agony, and will miss the derby against second-place Manchester City next Sunday.

We were only half an hour in by then. Remarkably, before the interval, van Persie had a shot which seemed clearly to cross the line before it was hammered away by Adrian Mariappa: he then went on to provide the only slapstick of a disappointingly sedate second half, firing inexplicably wide after he had dispossessed Federici, who bizarrely indulged himself in a Cruyff turn on the edge of his own six-yard box.

The defensive display from United was so much better in the second half that one suspected Ferguson had had Roy Keane waiting for them in the tunnel after the first 45 minutes, and the game ended largely without incident.

So. 4-3 to Manchester United, taking them three points ahead of Manchester City, who drew at home to Everton. On a day when Chelsea lost 3-1 to West Ham United, it may not even classify as the day’s most eye-catching result. But it was so much more than that. It was the latest iteration of a season where the Old Trafford side seem determined to plunge themselves into ever darker and danker abysses, before clawing themselves desperately back into the light. It’s a headiness, and headlessness, that is symptomatic of a team with no identity other than resilience. It’s thrilling, but galling, and sooner or later it just won’t do.

 

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