Boss begins Christmas countdown
Anthony Smith • Published 23 Dec 2011 12:45
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READING manager Brian McDermott is refusing to bask in the glory of their past two victories as he begins his countdown to Christmas.
While most people are looking forward to the festive break, the Royals are preparing for the traditional schedule of three games in a week.
With Brighton & Hove Albion, Ipswich Town and Cardiff City awaiting McDermott's men, Royals' boss knows he cannot afford to revel in recent victories over West Ham and Leeds.
Speaking exclusively to the Chronicle, he said: "They were great results, but we move on now. Dwelling on things can be dangerous. There is no point looking back, only forward. It's what we constantly do as a club.
"People say we've beaten some big teams recently like Birmingham, West Ham and Leeds but they're all big games for me. As long as we make sure our performance is right, I know we will be okay."
And he added: "We've got a lot of young players in the team, but the good thing is they are learning quickly.
"The last 10 minutes at Leeds last weekend was a good example. We never looked like conceding at a time when you would expect us to be under a lot of pressure.
"But we've also got some experienced heads in there like Kaspars Gorkss, Jobi McAnuff and Mikele Leigertwood and it's a good blend of youth and experience."
With four wins from five matches, Royals are now just two points off the Championship play-offs going into the Boxing Day visit of Brighton & Hove Albion (3pm ko).
"We've got some big games coming up," added McDermott. "There will be over 20,000 at our place on Boxing Day and that demands our full concentration.
"I'm happy with the fixtures this year. We've been at home on Boxing Day for the past two years and you can't ask for more than that."
Reading's players wil train on Christmas Day in preparation for the Brighton clash.
But McDermott insisted: "We will come in on Christmas Day then the lads can go back to their families. It really is no hardship. I've done it for more than 30 years and it's just part of the job. To be honest, I think it's good for the players to get out there for a while and run around."
He continued: "This time of year is for the fans more than anyone else. They absolutely love coming to Boxing Day games, There will be a big crowd for Brighton and we hope we can send our supporters home happy."
This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 23 Dec 11
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