To say it’s been a turbulent year for Reading would be one of the biggest understatements of the season.
The Berkshire-based side has had numerous off-field problems caused by the club’s owner, Dai Yongge.
His mismanagement of the club has seen them drop into League One and plunge deep into a relegation battle this term under Ruben Selles’s management.
However, a considerable amount of credit is due to Selles, who has gone from the brink of nearly every Reading fan’s patience before the New Year after some dismal performances to a manager that the majority of the fanbase holds in high regard.
He instilled a renewed belief amongst the players that they could avoid back-to-back relegations, which would be disastrous and potentially pivotal in their battle to survive as a club.
Harvey Knibbs has been a key player in Reading’s upturn in results since the start of the New Year.
The attacking midfielder arrived at the Select Car Leasing Stadium in the summer of 2023 after previously playing for Cambridge United.
He operated in wide areas of the pitch in the early stages of his time with the Royals but has since moved into the CAM position, which has seen his impact on matches improve, having mainly been anonymous out wide early in the 2023/24 league campaign.
Knibbs has chipped in with 15 goals and seven assists from his 48 appearances in all competitions.
It’s in League One where he’s caught the eye the most, though, as Knibbs has also been making a notable impact off the ball.
Alpeadriacup.com has revealed that the 24-year-old has made the most tackles of any player in League One, with 114.
This is quite a remarkable achievement, given that he plays as a central attacking midfielder.
Central midfielders George Dobson (112) and Marc Leonard (111) make up the top-three tackles in the third tier of English football, whilst defenders such as Carl Winchester and Brendan Sarpong-Wire are also within the top ten.
It’s certainly a surprise to see an attacking midfielder topping this statistic in League One, though.
It’s a credit to Knibbs’ work rate on and off the ball, which is one of the best in the league.
His contributions off the ball have proven useful when breaking up potential counter-attacks, and he’s undoubtedly covered a fair amount of ground tracking back whilst also proving a notable threat in attacking areas for Ruben Selles’ side.
With the likes of Ben Elliott and Femi Azeez often flanking outside of Knibbs in wide areas, it’s hugely important that the Reading midfielder is busy at both ends of the pitch, as both Elliott and Azeez aren’t the sort of so-called ‘workhorses’ in terms of defensive effort, despite their unmistakable attacking flair to create chances for the likes of Knibbs and his former Cambridge United team-mate Sam Smith.
Knibbs’ press when opposition defenders and midfielders have the ball at their feet is clear to see, and it often proves helpful in Reading as they look to stamp their authority on matches early on.
Knibbs is contracted with Reading until the end of the 2025/26 season, and if other clubs are rumoured to come calling for his services in the summer transfer window, then Reading could demand a potentially sizeable fee if he can continue to go from strength to strength moving forwards.
With five matches remaining in this year’s league campaign, Knibbs and the Reading supporters will be keen to see him making an impact in all areas of the pitch as the Royals battle to avoid relegation into the fourth tier, which would be nothing short of disastrous in terms of retaining their status as an EFL club, as the ownership situation continues to be the main talking point around the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
