JAAP Stam has confessed it will be 'tough' for Reading FC to hang on to a Championship play-off spot this season.

Saturday's 0-0 stalemate against Barnsley means Royals have drawn their last two league fixtures as the race for promotion hots up.

As a result Stam's men have dropped to fourth in the table after being leapfrogged by Huddersfield Town, 2-1 victors at QPR.

Reading, who still hold a seven-point cushion over Norwich City in seventh are now heading into a make-or-break run starting with tomorrow night's home clash against Brentford, a side who beat them 4-1 at Griffin Park back in September (8pm ko).

Royals then go to Huddersfield next Tuesday for a promotion six-pointer, after the clash was moved from this Saturday due to the Terriers' FA Cup tie against Manchester City.

Also looming large on the horizon for Royals is a trip to second-placed Brighton, a home clash against Championship leaders Newcastle United followed by fixtures against sixth-placed Sheffield Wednesday plus Leeds United, currently in fifth.

And Stam believes anything can happen over the final 15 games of the campaign.

The Dutchman confessed: “It’s going to be tough to stay in that top six.

"Everyone is trying to end up there and those teams near us are very close together.

“It’s going to be hard with the run that we have ahead of us, but it will be interesting.”

Stam also feels it is becoming increasingly difficult to break down opposition teams, especially at Madejski Stadium.

But the Reading boss insists his players will be fully prepared for any eventuality and ready to think on their feet.

“We can’t always know when teams come here what their intentions are and how they want to play,” he suggested.

“We always assume that when people come over here they want to play with the same systems or in the same way that they normally play, but most of the time this season it has been completely different.

“We will prepare for all kinds of different situations.”

Meanwhile, Stam confirmed recent Crystal Palace loan signing Jordon Mutch suffered a groin injury in the recent 2-2 draw at Ipswich Town and is a doubt for tomorrow's home game against Brentford.

Mutch joins a growing injury list that also includes skipper Paul McShane, Tiago Ilori, Joey van den Berg, Callum Harriott, Stephen Quinn and Deniss Rakels.