THE SUPPORTERS' Trust at Reading (STAR) backed Reading FC's decision to part company with former boss Jaap Stam yesterday (Wednesday).

Stam was told he could leave the club following a string of lacklustre results which sees the Royals floating above the Championship relegation zone.

Former Derby County boss Paul Clement is the frontrunner to succeed Stam, according to bookmakers, and a decision is expected to be made before Royals' clash with Queens Park Rangers next Friday.

A spokesman for STAR said: "It is disappointing that this decision had been to be taken but in this current football climate, there will be those Reading Fans who felt that this decision should have been made earlier in the season.

"It has been clear for a while that the fans were losing belief in the manager due to a drop in form and poor results since the turn of the year. It has to be placed on record, that Jaap’s achievement of last season in getting to the playoffs in his first season was a surprise but hard-earned one.

"We await the choice of the new manager for our club and hope that they or the interim manager will be able to turn round this difficult situation and keep Reading in the EFL Championship."