Keith Andrews has expressed his belief that supporters are starting to see what Reading are truly capable of.

The Royals find themselves firmly in the promotion picture after enjoying an excellent season so far in which they have won 14 of their 26 matches so far.

Sitting in fourth position the Berkshire club have genuine ambitions of not only securing a top six finish, but even pushing towards the automatic promotion spots - something that Andrews believes is entirely plausible based on the level of their recent displays.

Speaking on the Sky Sports EFL Podcast, Andrews said: “We’re seeing the real Reading over the last 6-8 weeks, I’d say.

“It was a strange start to the season where they were so good and then performances dipped, but since then they’ve been fairly consistent.

“The other night (against Bournemouth) they were outstanding.

“It’s the same traits in terms of defensive structure – they’re very solid, and they’re clearly a very well coached team and it’s clear that the players are really relishing how they go about their business.

“Liam Moore was in the studio with us and the way that McIntyre has stepped in exceptionally well in recent weeks.

“The confidence that they have in midfield is exceptional and that’s before you get onto the attacking quality and the options that they have in their team.”

Can you name each of these 17 ex-Reading players just by looking at these 3 clues?

The Verdict

Reading certainly look like the real deal this season.

Strong in defence and lethal in attack, Veljko Paunovic's side are certainly looking like a side who have all of the attributes needed to have an excellent season.

Whether they can secure automatic promotion is up for debate, but the Royals certainly look like genuine contenders to not only reach the play-offs, but to potentially thrive in them.