NIGEL Adkins says he has a 'clear understanding' of what is required to make Reading FC promotion contenders next season.

Royals' boss began his summer clearout by releasing six first team players last week following the club's relegation from the Premier League.

Noel Hunt, Ian Harte, Nicky Shorey, Simon Church, Jay Tabb and Joseph Mills are set to move on, with Mills joining Burnley.

Hunt and Church turned down the offer of new contracts to search for regular first-team football elsewhere.

Liverpool target Alex Pearce is also out of contract and Reading's attempts to persuade him to sign a new deal have proven fruitless.

Whether Pearce stays or not, there are likely to be wholesale changes at Madejski Stadium over the weeks to come when Adkins, below, will sign his own players during his first transfer window as Reading manager.

Adkins, who replaced Brian McDermott in late March, explained: "It's a shame we came in so late but last season was really beneficial from my point of view.

"It's given myself and Andy Crosby [assistant manager] a great opportunity to look at the players and for them to look at us and the ideas we are trying to implement.

"Maybe it wasn't working for one or two players, but hopefully it's working better for them now.

"What we've got is a clear understanding of what we need and where we are going."

Reading fans face an anxious summer with several key players attracting interest from rival clubs including �10m-rated Alex McCarthy, Pavel Pogrebnyak, Adam Le Fondre, Jimmy Kebe, Danny Guthrie, Adrian Mariappa and Hal Robson-Kanu.

However, Reading owner Anton Zingarevich has told Adkins he is under no pressure to sell.

"Everything we do, or certainly I do, will be done quietly and privately behind the scenes," stressed Adkins. "We won't do things through the media, though I'm well aware people need to know about things.

"We want players with that certain mental strength. There's a great quote than says 'hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work out.'

"It's true and we want people with that right mentality and strength of character to work hard, strive to improve and deal with the adversity that's going to come their way because there are always challenges over a Championship campaign.

"They also have to fit in with the team ethos. When you are in a squad you have to buy into that. We're not going to achieve anything with the bare 11 players, we need everyone in the squad to contribute and play their part."