285: Jobi McAnuff and Jimmy Kebe, Reading, Panini Coca-Cola Championship Official Sticker Collection 2010

For today’s post Emlyn Jones brings us not just one but two flying wingers who were terrorising full-backs up and down the country as Reading pushed back towards the Premier League. Both men also played for Crystal Palace and must therefore be considered as among the finest footballers to ever grace the game. The latter somewhat underperformed at Selhurst whereas the former inspired one of the all time greatest terrace chants with a little help from KC and the Sunshine Band. Na-na na-na na-na na-na na-na…over to Emlyn.

The 2009/10 season for Reading was one of cautious optimism when it began; legendary boss Steve Coppell had resigned following play-off defeat to Burnley, however, young manager Brendan Rodgers was brought in with the goal of building on a third place finish in the Championship to help us return to the Premier League. He attempted to instil a patient, passing game into the squad, however had been sacked with the club in 21st place when this backfired. New boss Brian McDermott had worked under Coppell for several years and returned to the more direct style that had served him so well; central to this was a pair of speedy, tricky wingers who could get forward and provide balls into the box.

Jimmy Kébé had been at the club since the second season in the Premier League, and had established himself in the side through his speed and excellent dribbling. Jobi McAnuff was one of Rodgers' signings in his brief stay, having followed the manager from Watford, following something of a journeyman career around London in the second tier, including Wimbledon, West Ham United and Palace, with a brief stay in the Welsh capital with Cardiff City. McDermott recognised the havoc they could wreak on the opposition, swapping flanks and cutting inside to help carve open chances, and they regularly lined up together, key components in Reading turning the season around and managing a respectable ninth place finish. One of the main catalysts to this was a strong FA Cup run, which had looked unlikely when they drew Liverpool in the third round.

Surprisingly, a packed Madejski Stadium (myself included) saw Reading match a strong Liverpool side, and even briefly lead, before drawing 1-1, meaning a midweek replay in snow-covered Merseyside. I'd travelled up with my housemates at the time, and stayed overnight at an avid Liverpool fan's house ahead of the game, for which we had tickets in the home Centenary Stand. I lost plenty of skin and nails from my hands over the course of the match, having to feign pleasure at Liverpool's opening goal, and avoid celebrating the late penalty equaliser. I had leapt into the air at one point, as McAnuff picked up the ball in the centre of the pitch and turned three defenders inside and out, before just pulling his shot wide when one on one. It would have ranked among the best FA Cup goals scored had it gone in, and I had to disguise my jump as one of relief. It was nothing on the lip biting I had to do to avoid screaming in joy at Shane Long's winner later in the game. Although Reading would go on to lose in the quarter-final, from the Liverpool game they lost only six more games that season, with McAnuff and Kébé contributing thirteen goals and countless assists between them.

The following season again showed improvement, with the wingers managing fourteen goals between them as Reading reached the play-off final, only to fall to Brendan Rodgers’ Swansea City, meaning another year in the second tier. The 2011/12 season started slowly, with four losses in the first six games, while Southampton perched themselves atop the league, where they would remain for the bulk of the season. However, the wingplay of McAnuff and Kébé continued to be excellent. Kébé's trickery was best exhibited in December, when with Reading two goals up over West Ham, he responded to their lack of urgency to tackle him by stopping in possession to roll his socks up. Incensed, Jack Collison flew at him and was sent off; minutes later, Simon Church tapped home Reading's third, kick starting a run of six wins in seven games. 

Reading would go on to have a phenomenal second half of the season, and victory over Southampton meant they entered their home game with Nottingham Forest aware that they could secure promotion with a win, depending on other results. A 1-0 win followed, and there's video footage of McAnuff running towards the fans, screaming; “Are we up; are we up?!?”, before tearing off in celebration once the fans confirmed we were. McAnuff hadn't played in the Premier League in his career up to this point, so to see his joy at the fact he'd be captaining the Royals in the top tier cemented his place among the pantheon of Reading legends. Reading ultimately won the league for a second time in their history.

Sadly, the team were not able to tear teams apart as easily in the Premier League the following year, and as such were relegated in 19th place. At the end of the season, Crystal Palace manager Ian Holloway indulged his penchant for speedy wingers by snapping up Kébé, and McAnuff captained Reading for another year in the second tier before leaving at the end of the 2013/14 season to join Leyton Orient. Reading fans will always look back with pleasure on the exciting play when the two were in the side for those four seasons, and both have gone on record to state their happy memories from the club. Except maybe for that Brendan Rodgers bit.