Manager and Players Criticise Performance

26 November 2012
By Hob Nob Anyone?

There's been plenty of criticism of Reading's inability to hold on to a lead this season, and now the manager and players have joined in after Reading took the lead but failed to win for the sixth time this season. The weekend's 2-3 defeat to Wigan Athletic, after Reading were a goal to the good at half time, saw Reading drop to 19th in the Premier League table after Aston Villa and Southampton both picked up valuable points. The league table is not looking pretty as the pressure builds on the manager and team to start picking up more points.

Jay Tabb, already playing much more of a role than was expected this season, called letting the lead slip a joke: "How many times have we taken the lead this season? And we've won just once, something has to change. We haven't come into this league and are getting battered every week. We're taking the lead and getting into winning positions, but then just can't see it out.Something has to change else it is going to be a long, hard season. I don't know what it is. As players we need to be on the same wavelength, because we are obviously not. We're either too deep or too high and it's just a bit all over the place at the moment - that's what it feels like on the pitch."

Manager Brian McDermott wasn't impressed with the referee's decision to deny Jay Tabb a penalty but he was equally unimpressed with his side's ability to hold on for a point: "At 90 odd minutes gone we had the ball in the corner and we have to take a point. Both teams had had opportunities but you have to take the point. Any point away is a decent one. We have to learn from that very quickly because this league is unforgiving. We have to see games through. The bottom line is that we've given a goal away with a minute to go which is crazy, just crazy and that was down to us."

Aston Villa will be feeling it's a great time to face Reading at Villa Park after securing a point against Arsenal on Saturday. Reading travel to the Midlands tomorrow night knowing a defeat will leave them well adrift in the relegation places with their rivals drawing further clear of trouble.

• Wigan Athletic 3 Reading 2 - Full Report and Opinion
• Current League Table

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