In what has been a season of shocks and surprises, one of the surprise packages has been Reading who currently sit fifth in the Sky Bet Championship.
After finishing 17th in the Sky Bet Championship last season, very few predicted that Reading would be competing at the top of the table, especially when they appointed the inexperienced Jaap Stam in the summer.
With a clear possession philosophy to build up slowly from the back, Reading have proved to be one of the most attractive and consistent sides in the entire league.
Despite playing attractive football and finding a consistency that they have struggled to find in recent seasons, it has still been a rollercoaster ride for the Berkshire club so far this season with their fair share of ups and downs.
However, throughout an enduring marathon campaign that the Sky Bet Championship always proves to be, you can expect that there are going to be a number of highs and lows.
In this article, FLW writer Elliott Wheat-Bowen looks at two of the biggest highs and lows of Reading's season so far.
High - The appointment of Jaap Stam
There was much excitement, anticipation and worry about the appointment of the relatively inexperienced but well-known manager Jaap Stam.
Some of those worries and doubts about Jaap Stam appeared to have some truth as Reading started extremely slowly, however, any worries or doubts quickly faded after Reading began to string together wins.
Jaap Stam's realistic expectations and grounded response despite Reading overachieving compared to Reading's success in previous seasons demonstrated the calibre of manager that he was already.
In just a matter of months, the Dutch manager has already transformed and rejuvenated the Berkshire club, giving it a new lease of life as the fans continue to dream of a return to the Premier League.
The appointment of Jaap Stam has proved to be a resounding success and one of the biggest highs for Reading this season.
High - January transfer window
After an excellent first half of the season which came as a surprise to most, Jaap Stam and Reading consolidated their position in their play-off positions by bringing in high calibre players in the transfer window.
The arrival of Reece Oxford from West Ham, Jordan Mutch from Crystal Palace and Lewis Grabban from Bournemouth brought in players with vast experience in the Premier League and the Sky Bet Championship.
As well as the well-established household names from England, Reading brought in Romanian international Adrian Popa from Steaua Bucharest.
The much needed experience and know-how which they provided has further firmed up Reading's position in the play-off positions.
The backing that Jaap Stam has received has enabled Reading to push on and continue to defy the odds as they continue to compete at the very top.
Although the January transfer window isn't a singular event, it was one of Reading's biggest highs this season as the quality of the signings confirmed Reading's place in the play-offs.
Low - Slow start to the season
Reading's extremely slow start to the season saw the Royals win only one of their first four Championship games and this in turn caused questions to begin to be asked.
Some questioned if Jaap Stam's inexperience was to blame or the fact that Reading had opted to make a number of personnel changes in the summer.
Although at the time, it just seemed that Stam was getting to grips with the Championship, the points dropped at such an early stage are becoming increasingly important.
The slow start to the season could prove to be one of the biggest lows if the points dropped are the difference between a play-off and an automatic promotion berth.
Low - Last 2 games
Reading's most recent two games have both ended in defeat against promotion rivals.
This could prove to be very damaging.
Firstly, a tight encounter with Huddersfield was decided five minutes before full time when Philip Billing's close range volley was emphatically placed in the roof of the net.
Then, Reading were blown away by Brighton, who went back to the top of the league with a 3-0 win.
These defeats could prove to be the telling blow in Reading's slim automatic promotion hopes as both Huddersfield and Brighton pulled clear of the Royals.
More symbolically, the defeats show that Reading particularly away from home have struggled against fellow promotion rivals.
Reading's poor track record against the fellow top 6 is a major concern considering that these will be the teams that Jaap Stam's side will face in the play-offs.