Reading manager Brian McDermott is still confident his side can avoid the drop in their first season back in the Premier League.
The Royals were beaten convincingly at Everton yesterday but are still just one point off of survival.
However, Queens Park Rangers’ vital win over Southampton has put more pressure on McDermott’s team to pick up some vital points in the coming weeks.
The Premier League new boys still have to face Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool before the end of the season and they may have to rely on other results to stay up.
Last season Reading made a late charge to storm to the Championship title and McDermott knows that it will take another run of performances along those lines to avoid the drop this time around.
The long serving Royals boss has demanded the spirit of last season’s side to push Reading above Aston Villa and Wigan who are just one point above them.
“Last year we had to make up about 15 or 16 points. I just said to the players – ‘can we make up one or two?’. They all said yes,” McDermott told the clubs official site.
“The most important part of a footballer’s body is the brain. We need to be sure that mentally we’re absolutely right – and we will be.
“We have to stick together as a group, it’s really important – that result today won’t affect what happens to us next Saturday.”
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