Exclusive: Sky Sports pundit lauds "remarkable" Reading FC with League One play-offs in sight | OneFootball

With a favourable fixture list for the rest of the season, we're likely to see the Royals - against all the odds - land in the top six

With just a few games left of the regular 2024-25 League One season, Reading are defying all the odds stacked against them at the start of the campaign to try and finish in the play-off spots.

Hampered by registration embargoes and several off-field sagas in relation to ownership - ones which have yet to go away - you could have forgiven the Royals for being in a relegation battle, but that is not the case whatsoever.

A 3-1 win away at Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday night saw the Berkshire outfit end the night in sixth position thanks to the faltering of both Bolton Wanderers and Huddersfield Town, but with Dai Yongge still having not sold the club after being disqualified by the EFL, it isn't even known if Reading will be able to finish the season.

Don Goodman lauds Reading FC as League One play-off chances edge closer

There will be many more twists and turns to come when it comes to the League One promotion race, but if it stays how it is now, Reading would have a date with Wycombe Wanderers over two legs in May in the play-off semi-finals.

Given the real lack of depth within Noel Hunt's squad, that would be some achievement to be there, and speaking exclusively to Football League World, ex-EFL striker turned Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman believes it would be miraculous if they were to finish within the top six.

"Certainly, Reading, the effort from the players, the manager, the fans and the coaching staff has just been phenomenal," Goodman told FLW.

"Obviously they lost Ruben Selles and that was a bit of a blow, and I don't think anyone in their wildest dreams would have expected that Noel Hunt could keep it going or even do better.

"So, they've won four of their last six games, they're going into their final run of games with a very, very good-looking run of fixtures on paper, so it's in their hands, and it would be the most remarkable effort if they could pull it off.

"When clubs go through the ringer like they have been through, it's just great that the fans can enjoy supporting a winning, successful team, so they've done absolutely brilliant, and I for one am very pleased about that."

Squad depth is something that Reading have perhaps lacked this season, but their bare best starting 11 is perhaps one of the best in the entire division when it's all said and done.

And when you look at who they have left to face, coupled with the fact they have only lost once since the start of February, and you start to think that Reading will not be dislodged from their current position of sixth.

Only two of their last five outings may be at home, but travelling has not been much of a problem in recent times for Noel Hunt's side, apart from their thrashing at Blackpool, and they should be able to rack up some points in the coming weeks.