It was as positive a start to the new season as many QPR fans could dream,let alone imagine.

A dominant first half display saw the Hoops take a 1-0 lead into the break, before the game was wrapped up in a freak minute as Tiago Ilori saw red for a professional foul, leaving Conor Washington with the task of slotting home to wrap up the result.

But what are the main talking points from the day?

A well-oiled machine

Ian Holloway made it clear that his side had been working extremely hard during pre-season, and now every QPR fan can see the fruits of their labour.

An organised defence, shielded by a well-drilled midfield made in near-impossible for Reading to break them down, leaving the match firmly in QPR’s control.

A fluid attack

On top of the defensive display, the attacking movement shown by the Hoops was a real positive.

The omission of Matt Smith raised a number of eyebrows before kick-off, but the high energy approach of Jamie Mackie and Conor Washington allowed Reading little time on the ball, thus creating five or six excellent goalscoring opportunities.

Individual quality

QPR had a number of individuals who put in excellent displays on the day, but most notably the likes of Luke Freeman, Josh Scowen and Conor Washington.

The side was missing the impact of players making a big impact last season, and if the squad can find four or five players every game who perform at an eight out of ten, then the team will undoubtedly win games.

Maturity

One thing that particularly stood out was the way the team showed a degree of composure through the match.

After an early onslaught from QPR, the game went the other way and saw Reading dominate, but the Hoops kept their cool.

It would have been easy to panic in such circumstances, but it was clear that Ian Holloway had a gameplan, and the players did excellently well to execute it to perfection.

Positivity

It’s a two-way street. A positive opening period from the team did wonders for confidence in the stadium, thus creating a real upbeat atmosphere.

Likewise, the noise from the crowd clearly fuelled the team and helped them to keep their heads through all 96 minutes of action.

It’s ridiculous to think that every game will go as well as that one, but if the players and fans work to create positivity, there’s no limit to the impact it can have on performances.