ANDY Crosby believes at least one Reading FC striker will need to score 20 goals this season to make them serious promotion contenders.

Royals’ assistant manager knows that if a forward can hit the magical figure it will boost their chances of bouncing straight back to the Premier League.

The last player to achieve the feat was Shane Long in the 2010/11 season when he managed 24 league goals including a brace against Cardiff City in the Championship play-off semi-final.

Gylfi Sigurdsson also netted 20 times in the 2009/10 campaign, though four were in cup competitions.

Out of the current Reading forwards, Adam Le Fondre has netted four times in the league while Pavel Pogrebnyak and Nick Blackman have both scored twice.

Royals fans also have high hopes for Billy Sharp following his loan move from Southampton, though his debut was delayed at Burnley last weekend due to a groin injury suffered in training.

Crosby said: “We’ve got players who have played in the Premier League and top leagues in other countries.

“We have proven goalscorers here and it’s about using their strengths and qualities when we’ve studied the opposition we’re up against.

“If we can get at least one striker who can give us 20 plus goals it will give us an opportunity to be successful at the end of the season.

“If you are in the team and playing up front you’ve got to be scoring goals, it’s as simple as that. Ultimately, strikers are judged on goals so the bigger pool of strikers we’ve got, the better for us.”

Crosby picked out Pogrebnyak for special praise after the Russian turned his form around following rumours he would leave in the summer after Royals were relegated from the top flight.

The 29-year-old had been heavily linked with a move back to his homeland but Crosby explained: “You can see from his recent performances that he’s settled down.

“He was unfortunate to receive a red card against Brighton but performances since then and at Derby in particular have been of good quality.

“It must be difficult for any player going to a foreign country to settle in and it must have been difficult for him.

“To come from Russia and settle when there are rumours about you moving here there and everywhere is tough.

“It’s credit to Pav that he’s knuckled down, he’s working hard, he looks a threat now and he looks like he can score goals.”

Pogrebnyak’s displays in a hooped short have altered the opinion of most Royals supporters.

And Crosby admits that jeering players on the pitch does little to help their confidence.

“He looks like a new player really,” argued Crosby. “He holds the ball up well and the fans are now singing his name. Supporters pay their money to come and watch and are entitled to their own opinion.

“Personally, I think criticising or booing players doesn’t help anybody in any walk of life. People respond to encouragement and positive messages and that’s what we try and reinforce throughout the week to help performances on a Saturday.”

He added: “If you are getting stick you know you are not on top of your game. Every player has peaks and troughs and it’s how you respond to constructive criticism that matters.

“You will come out the other side and be a better person for it.”