READING FC boss Jaap Stam slammed his team's defending despite holding promotion-chasing Derby County to a 3-3 draw.

Royals gained an important point against the Rams in yesterday's clash at Madejski Stadium.

Stam's men twice came from behind in the match, with Jon Dadi Bodvarsson scoring an 80th minute equaliser.

However, Stam felt his side could have picked up all three points and only a second Championship victory in 13 matches.

"People talk about confidence when you are not winning games or in a certain position in the league," he explained.

"Sometimes it is black and white. If you need to defend you defend, kick that ball over the stand and that's it.

"You aren't thinking you'll chest it when the ball is in our box, hold it up 10 times and then kick it out. It's as simple as that.

"When players are making decisions they need to think, 'this is what's expected of me at this point, so I need to do it without thinking too much'. It's not that difficult."

He added: "Sometimes playing it simple can be the most difficult thing.

"Players always want to do something excellent or do something different and create something more or make that pass to decide the game.

"If you tell your players they can only have two touches, you need to play simple and have a lot of movement and create simple opportunities.

"But that's not how football is, and it's not always black and white so players need to use their own brain. They are free to do that when they are higher up the pitch.

"But when you are defending set pieces and crosses you need to know what to do which is to win the ball or kick it out and do things better.

"Everybody knows that. Mistakes happen but sometimes we need to be more decisive."

Reading Chronicle:

Reading boss Jaap Stam.

Kasey Palmer fired Derby in front in the sixth minute after Tiago Ilori had given the ball away.

Liam Kelly hit a 25-yard screamer to draw Royals level 10 minutes later then Mo Barrow's cool finish put the hosts 2-1 ahead in the 32nd minute.

However, Rams made it 2-2 three minutes later when the unmarked Richard Keogh netted from close range after Royals failed to deal with a free-kick.

Gary Rowett's visitors regained the lead just 35 second into the second half, Tom Lawrence waltzing through a static defence before firing past Vito Mannone.

But the hosts salvaged a draw 10 minutes from time through Bodvarsson's close-range finish after Barrow had dispossessed ex-Reading defender Chris Baird.

Stam continued: "You could say it's a good point against a team like Derby, but we conceded three easy goals and if you do that you make it difficult to win games.

"The goals were conceded were not good, they were cheap.

“Derby set up to hold back and wait for us to lose the ball, then go forward.

“They couldn’t do it much in the first half, though they scored because we didn’t clear things well enough.

“We needed to get back into the game which we did with a great goal from Liam Kelly and another from Mo Barrow.

“But Derby then score from a set piece which was an easy one and shouldn’t happen.

“At half time we talked about what to expect and what we needed to do, but before we knew it Derby scored a third and we needed to get back in the game again.

"Derby sat even deeper but we got the equaliser we deserved.

"Then after the red card we kept pushing but Derby defended well."

Rams ended the game with 10 men after Baird was shown a straight red for an ugly challenge on Barrow in the 85th minute.

"Derby tried everything to stop Mo" stated Stam. "They pushed him a couple of times they held him and they didn't want him to have any time on the ball so he could run at them.

"Mo was gone, so their player tried to stop him with that tackle and went in with two feet.

"I'm not saying it's a direct red card but I've seen ref give them for that."

Reading remain 18th in the Championship table and four points above the relegation zone ahead of Tuesday's home clash against Sheffield United (8pm).