Leeds United 0 Reading 1: Grayson’s frustration over another Elland ‘no-show’

The quip was an attempt at lifting the mood and it worked – the gloomy faces of those around the fan suddenly breaking into thin, if weary, smiles.

What the disgruntled supporter’s cutting comment also did was neatly sum up just how abject United’s efforts had been over the previous 90 minutes as Reading were gift-wrapped a first league win in LS11 at the seventh attempt.

Leeds were, quite frankly, awful, their display so poor that it had absolutely no redeeming features and the final whistle was deservedly met by a crescendo of boos as the Elland Road crowd returned their less-than-impressed verdict.

No urgency, no passion and little to offer other than pumping countless aimless long balls forward that were dealt with in almost contemptuous fashion by the well-drilled Royals defence, this was United at their very worst.

Even manager Grayson was unwilling to try and find excuses for his team, who have now lost three and drawn two of their last half dozen home games.

He said: “In the past, Elland Road has been a fortress and in the last four or five games we haven’t really had the results or the performances we would have liked.

“The biggest round of applause or cheer we got was when Michael Brown went into a tackle and that is what supporters want – players playing for the shirt and running through a brick wall. There wasn’t enough of that.”

Asked if a return of five points from their last six outings at Elland Road was down to a lack of confidence or anxiety among his players, the United manager replied: “It is easy to say that because we were at home but we played like that at Watford too.

“It is five or six players playing below the standards they have set. We have got to make sure we do better but we are still in a good position.

“As individuals, we have to raise the bar to get to where we want to get to at the end of the season.”

United’s problems against Reading stemmed from a lack of anyone being willing to get on the ball and try to dictate play.

Robert Snodgrass, so often Leeds’ saviour in recent weeks when his team-mates have been below par, tried his best but even the mercurial Scot could not shake the home side out of their slumber.

In midfield, Michael Brown also attempted to bring some order to United’s play but with Adam Clayton and Danny Pugh having hugely disappointing afternoons it meant there was little or no fluency.

The upshot of Reading bossing the centre of the field was that the visitors rarely looked like being pegged back once ahead through Simon Church’s early opener.

It came on 116 seconds and was a simple affair, a ball over the top from Jem Karacan allowing Church to time his run to perfection and spring the offside trap.

Andy Lonergan, back in goal after two months out with a dislocated finger, initially left his line only to then hesitate and the change of heart proved fatal, Church having sufficient time to look up before lifting a delightful lob over the Leeds goalkeeper and into the net.

For a side who had laboured on their last outing at Watford only to snatch a point through a 95th-minute penalty, it was the worst possible start as it meant any confidence felt ahead of kick-off had drained away.

This was evident very quickly, Reading taking such a control of proceedings that they really should have been out of sight by the midway point of the first half.

First, Jobi McAnuff screwed his shot wide from close range after neat footwork had earlier left two defenders trailing. Then, on 20 minutes, Aidy White had to react quickly to bundle the ball behind for a corner just as former Rotherham United striker Adam Le Fondre seemed set to knock the ball into an empty net after Lonergan had blocked a McAnuff effort.

In contrast to the enterprising visitors, Leeds looked leaden-footed in attack with Luciano Becchio, in particular, again looking a pale shadow of the striker who plundered 19 league goals last season.

Ross McCormack, too, struggled, though he did at least bring a save from Adam Federici in first-half stoppage time after being picked out by Snodgrass.

After such a below par opening 45 minutes, the vast majority of the 23,162 crowd were hoping for a big improvement after the restart.

They didn’t get it, the closest Leeds came to finding an equaliser being a mis-cued right-wing cross by Paul Connolly that had Federici back-pedalling before the Royals goalkeeper tipped the ball over for a corner.

Clayton also tried a fancy flick on the hour mark but, otherwise, Federici’s only contribution to proceedings was some smart kicking play to launch countless Reading attacks.

It meant when the final whistle blew that the Leeds players had to listen to the boos raining down from the stands as the Elland Road crowd again headed off into the Leeds night reflecting on another no-show at home from their side.