Neville's Nightmare

After defeat at Old Trafford at the hands of Arsenal had ruined their 100% start to the season and deprived them of top spot in the Premiership, United travelled to the Madeski Stadium to tackle promoted Reading in determined mood, yet as things turned out they came close to disaster and were only saved from a second consecutive loss by a piece of brilliance from Ronaldo with less than 20 minutes of the match remaining.

For captain Gary Neville in particular, the game was a disaster. Normally so reliable, he got caught out defensively and uncharacteristically gave the ball away on a number of occasions. To make matters worse, it was Gary who conceded the penalty that produced Reading’s goal by handling inside the box. Everyone knew he was guilty because he didn’t protest vehemently. After all, no-one challenges referees’ decisions more vigorously than Gary Neville.