ROY Beerens has revealed Reading FC boss Jaap Stam encourages dressing room arguments in a bid to improve results.

Beerens says fellow Dutchman Stam openly welcomes criticism and new ideas from his players as they adapt to his new system.

And Beerens also insists former Manchester United and Netherlands defender Stam is much softer than his hardman image suggests.

In a revealing interview, Beerens said: “The manager isn’t what he used to be like on the playing field.

“You can argue with him because that’s what he wants.

“All he wants is to improve the team, to get better. He wants us to argue, though not too much of course.

“But if you have an opinion you have to tell everyone what your opinion is. That is a really important thing for the manager.”

Beerens stressed: “Everybody has respect for Jaap because of the player he was and how he looks.

“But nobody is scared of the gaffer, that’s not what it’s about.”

Stam, who had never managed a first team until he arrived at Madejski Stadium in June, has got the season off to an encouraging start.

Reading lie eighth in the Championship table and though Stam was pipped to the Sky Bet Championship Manager of the Month award for September by Norwich City’s Alex Neil, Royals are also through to the last 16 of the EFL Cup where they will meet Arsenal at the Emirates.

His possession-based system has drawn criticism from some Royals supporters, but Beerens is confident they will get it right.

“The manager is doing very well and everyone likes the way he talks and the system he wants to play,” said the 28-year-old who joined from Hertha Berlin in the summer.

“The main thing is that we get results. If we get results everybody gets behind what we are doing. At this moment that is the most important thing.

“Maybe it’s a Dutch thing because we are always trying to find ways to do things better.

“But the manager and all of his coaches are open to opinions from the players, and I think at our age we have to tell them what we want and what we don’t want.”

Wideman Beerens has played a key role this season with two goals in 13 league and cup appearances.

And with Royals just two points off a play-off position, Beerens is confident the future is bright under Stam’s expertise.

“We want to be near the top of the table with something to play for,” he added.

“The belief is there and we have good fight in the team.

“We will lose matches during the season, but that doesn’t matter. We have to continue what we have been doing and I think we will take a lot of points off other teams.

“It’s way too early to look at the table but it’s good that our results have been okay. From Christmas you will start to see which team will end up where.”

Reading return from a fortnight’s international break this Saturday when they take on QPR in a hoops derby at Loftus Road (3pm ko).

Beerens declared: “We have to make sure we train sharp and make sure we are well prepared for the next game against QPR.

“We hope we can get the fans behind us in the times that we need them.

“We have a lot of confidence and for most of this season we have played well, but we know we have things we’ve got to work on and improve.”