Reading legend Mick Gooding feels the 11 day break for the next match will be 'painful' after the 3-2 defeat to Birmingham City.

With over 300 appearances for Reading, Geordie Gooding now co-commentates for BBC Radio Berkshire alongside Tim Dellor.

Now out of action until December 27, it will be 11 days between matches for the Royals.

Speaking on the Reading podcast after the disappointing defeat at St Andrew's, Gooding believes the players would rather return to action sooner rather than later.

"I don’t think that will help," he admitted. "We’ve had a break with the World Cup, to have another one after a poor performance and a poor defeat, as a player and a manager you just want to put that right as soon as you can. 11 days before their next game, it will be painful for them."

Now at the halfway stage, Gooding also gave his view on the first 23 matches of the campaign.

"Inconsistent," he stated. "I don't think that I thought that if they came to the 23rd game they would have a chance of being fifth after that game. I thought they would have a really tough struggle this season because of the transfer embargo and everything else that was around the club. They got better results than I thought they would get."