It wasn’t the cup upset we dared to dream of. However, the Royals put in a performance the fans could be proud of against a very strong United side still competing in four competitions!

“I’m proud of my team,” manager Paul Ince began. “But to come here and hold a team like that at bay.

“The last two or three days we’ve been trying to guess who United were going to go with, who he might play – Elanga, Pellestri, Garnacho…and then we saw the teamsheet and it was BANG! Have some of that!

“I was talking to one of our lads and we worked out that one of their player’s wages was more than our entire budget. One player. That shows where we’re at.

“And Erik ten Hag put pretty much his strongest team out, out of respect for our club, me and my players. And if I was playing in this match as a Reading player, I’d want to be playing against the best.

“And that’s what my players did today, pitted themselves against the best. We came in at 0-0, it could even have been 1-0 to us with that chance at the end of the half – so you’ve got to be proud of the players.

“I told the players ‘you’re not going to outplay this team – so just keep your shape. And when you get it, get those passes off and then they’re open. But we let the occasion get the better of us a little bit at the start – and I get that.

“They’re playing at Old Trafford in front of 75,000 fans, you can understand the players being nervous and kicking the ball out. You try to tell them, but it’s hard because they haven’t experienced it. Unless you do it and until you’ve lived it, it’s tough.

“But even with ten men, we dug in, we never gave up and we managed to score a goal – which is something we’ve not managed to do at Old Trafford on the last few times we’ve been here.”

“Today was about the fans…and I think they can be proud of the performance”