Rosenior fired up for finale

Anthony Smith • Published 5 Mar 2009 11:05 0 Comments

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LIAM Rosenior is urging his Reading team-mates to display their promotion class against the Championship's struggling sides starting with Saturday's long trip to Plymouth Argyle (3pm ko).

Paul Sturrock's side celebrated their first home win since Boxing Day by defeating Watford 2-1 on Tuesday night.

And Saturday's clash is one of four Reading face against relegation haunted sides between now and the end of the season.

Steve Coppell's men won 2-1 at Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday night but still have to play Charlton, Doncaster, Blackpool and Norwich City who are all fighting the drop.

And Rosenior stated: "Questions are always asked of you away from home. But top teams can still go to these places and get results by hook or by crook.

"We think we're a top team and that we deserve to be promoted but we have to show that all of the time and that is the challenge from here on in.

"Winning at Hillsborough will certainly give us a lot of confidence going to Plymouth. But we've still got to prove what good players we are. There are 12 cup finals from here on and we want to win them all."

Royals suffered a shock home defeat to lowly Nottingham Forest at the Madejski Stadium last weekend and Coppell's men will not be expecting a comfortable afternoon at Home Park.

"They're all good teams in this division because it's such a tough league," said Rosenior. You often see teams near the bottom beat those at the top like Forest did to us. You can't afford to relax for a second.

"Results between now and the end of the season are all important and I don't think it matters who we play. We know that if we are at the top of our game we can beat anyone.

"It will be a battle on Saturday. Plymouth will be well up for it and even though they won on Tuesday they're still fighting for their lives.

"We have a few knocks at the moment and we have another home game against Charlton next week so our squad is going to tested to the max."

Coppell has tinkered with his side recently and there are injury doubts of Kevin Doyle and Jay Tabb for the weekend.

"Whether we make changes again is up to the manager," added Rosenior. "I think from here on he will look to play his best 11 every game rather than bring in fresh legs. If you do your job you will stay in the team.

"I've missed only one game this season but I don't want to miss any more.

"There are a lot of games in this division but the experience will help me become a better player hopefully in the Premier League next season."

Reading's victory at Sheffield Wednesday ended a four-match winless streak and Rosenior admitted: "It was a massive result for us, especially the manner of the victory coming back from a goal down away from home after such a bad run.

"We conceded right before half-time but we were still confident and upbeat.

"The manager told us to keep believing in our ability when it would have been easy for our heads to drop and for people to start questioning themselves.

"Sheffield had scored with their first shot on goal and it was the same against Forest at the weekend when they had one shot and one goal.

"So to come back from that took a lot of character and it certainly made the bus journey home a lot happier."

Meanwhile, Rosenior insists he is getting ever closer to opening his goal account for the season after seeing his audacious volley brilliantly saved by Owls keeper Lee Grant this week.

"I've had a few shots in the last couple of games and the Sheffield keeper made a great save," he said. "I think I'm the only outfield players who hasn't scored this season, though Michael Duberry may be in the same boat.

"I certainly don't want to let it go to the last game like Graeme Murty did the year Reading were promoted. But my job is to defend and keeps goals out."

This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 05 Mar 09

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