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Marcus Hahnemann has had to pick the ball out of his net no fewer than six times in the past two games, whilst going forward the team have failed to score once. So much for a Play-Off charge.
Indeed, manager Steve Coppell has admitted that his side are having trouble dealing with long balls. That could prove to be a bit of a problem as we have First Division strugglers Wimbledon coming to the Mad Stad on Boxing Day.
Whilst in moving to Milton Keynes the Dons deserted their routes, the side that all but patented the long-ball game must be looking forward to a feast as the Reading defence recover from their latest defensive turkey.
"Big long straight balls are killing us at the moment," admitted Coppell, speaking to the official site.
"We didn't head the ball very well from their keeper's long kicks and we weren't strong aerially. I felt before the game that would be an asset for us, but it wasn't."
The display against Palace, one of the Division's lower clubs was so bad that no more than a handful of supporters were left in the freezing ground when the final whistle went. Supporters who chose to remain did so only to boo the team off after a pathetic display.
Steve Coppell admitted that there were absolutely no positives to take from the game.
"Looking back, it would be wrong for me to find positives. It was a bad performance and in the cold light of day I'll have to sit back and analyse why. The test now for us is to respond to it and do something about it."