Reading FC boss opens up on targeted improvements

Currently in Tenerife on a mid-season break while the World Cup is on, the Royals impressively sit 12th- just two points outside the play-offs.

Having experienced the highs of topping the table, and the lows of heavy defeats to Rotherham and Sheffield United, Ince is still pushing his players hard.

"We still have the fear," he admitted. "When we came in last year and had to stay in the league, the team wasn’t used to winning. Even when I was here, I think we only won four in 14, sometimes we need to get used to winning, and don’t be scared of it. Every time we get in a position of winning, there’s always that doubt and we start to drop back and defend deep.

"We’ve got to enjoy the feeling of winning, and when you’re in a position of winning- deal with the pressures that come with it. Don’t think that we have to defend it, let’s go and try to put the game to bed. It can be a mindset. A lot of these players were here last year and lost 10 on the bounce, it can infest itself in the club as a whole. I’ve been in a few teams where we’ve gone on a losing run and it’s tough, that’s where you need your leaders and characters. We just don’t know how to deal with being in front.

"When you look at where we are, these lads have been going to the well every time, not only are they physically tired but they’re mentally tired. When you go 1-0 up, mentally you’re not at the concentration level to go and get the second and the third. You just try to hang on, and once three or four do it, it becomes a domino effect. If the back five become deep, the midfield become deep and the then forwards have to sit deep. If they don’t come deep there are big spaces in the middle of the park and you’re inviting pressure.

"At times we can stay in the game, where we look comfortable, and our gamesmanship is good. But we need to be more comfortable when we’re leading. There’s not been many games where we are 3-0 up with 25 minutes to go and I can take him off and take him off. Every game has been one where they’re in the game and you can’t take your best players off. Don’t be frightened of losing, because when you’re frightened of losing it is hard to win.

"We’re not blocking enough crosses. We’re letting balls into our box too easy. I think we’ve conceded the most goals from crosses, so that’s something in Tenerife we’ll be working on. Look at the Preston one, we’ve got two people out there and they just put the ball in the box. We’ve got to have the desire to get hurt. It doesn’t matter where you take it, the face or the cahoonas, you have to do it. When it comes into the box, we need to be more aggressive and ruthless. That’s something Liam Moore and Naby [Sarr] will give us, and something Tom McIntyre and Tom Holmes can learn. They’ve played enough games and sometimes they need to be more aggressive in those areas.

"I’d like to see us be braver going forward and take a few more risks. Can we be more ruthless in the second half of the season, can we have the desire to stop crosses, and if we don’t stop the cross, have we got the aggression to clear balls and not panic when it is in our box. All these little things I think we can get better at, but it’s been hard because the lads have just been so tired. You can’t go out and do this because the players have to stay off their feet, so it’s been hard to get work them as much as I wanted to do, but if we can add a few bits this season and refocus once the league is finished and I can bring in more players that want to play the way I want to play."

As well as picking out points of improvement within the squad, the former England captain spoke very candidly on areas in which he can still improve.

"I don’t think I’ve found the right balance. A lot of the players have been in and out, and that’s been tough. Because of that, we’ve had to play Thomas [Ince] in midfield. He’s an intelligent player, but he’s not a central midfielder. You want players who know how to play that role. He’s been great for us because he is versatile, but he’s played his whole career on the right wing. We should be able to be flexible in any shape, but ideally, I’d like to play Thomas further up the park.

"When you’ve got the four strikers we’ve got, its about getting the right blend. Andy Carroll came in late, Shane [Long] was out for two months with a virus, Yakou [Meite] was in and out, Lucas [Joao] was injured against Brighton, you can see where we’ve been up and down. The balance has never been right, but it’s helped as we’ve been able to play five at the back, which has been solid at times.

"When you get Naby [Sarr] back, Scott Dann, Liam Moore, Hutch [Sam Hutchinson], you can name a whole new team. You forget, we can play Tom McIntyre in midfield. When he played against Sheffield United last year, he was outstanding. If you look at other Championship teams, they have centre-halves who are men, and midfield players who know how to play midfield. I’m not saying we don’t, but it’s something we need to get better at. Ty [Tyrese Fornah] is only young, Mama [Mamadou Loum] has come over from abroad, having the option of playing McIntyre alongside another is a great one to have, but we’ve not had any other centre-halves.

"I’m hoping this second half we can be a bit more attacking. I’d like to get more people into the box. If that means changing the system, when everyone is fit, then I’m willing to do that. I’d like to get more attacking phases in the final third. That’s something we’ll be working on in the next two weeks, being more ruthless. Set pieces have been very good but we’re just not aggressive enough in those areas to score goals.

"Look back to the Blackburn game, we were really aggressive and every time the ball was in the box, we looked like we were going to score. Now we’re putting exactly the same balls in the box but not making the runs."