After a big performance at the weekend against Brentford, the Royals needed to capitalise on the work that they had done, but in typical Reading fashion, they failed to do so. QPR were the visitors to the Madejski Stadium and came out victorious with a 1-0 win after poor defending,
Again, it was another flat performance at home and not something that the fans could get excited about. Here is what Paul Clement told the official club website and GetReading after the game:
“It’s a frustrating evening and I don’t think we played very well. We rallied a bit when they scored, but on the whole it was a flat performance.”
Clement on the performance
“I’m not happy with the performance - even if we had nicked the draw at the end. I would still have been disappointed with the display. We started the season poorly and made some improvements, but at the moment we are a team that has gone from making one forward step and then a backward step.
“Now we have to make the progression to finding consistency. Our home form is dreadful - five losses out of six is not good. Maybe we’re more concentrated away from home. At home you’ve got to get the fight right and the tactics right.
“We were caught between a lot of situations - the shape of the team was not right and then we got caught between pressing the ball and being compact. Maybe we could have nicked a draw at the end - one hit the post and a header went just wide, but overall it was a frustrating evening.”
Clement on taking a backward step
“We have had a frustrating start. Recently we have taken some forward steps, but we have followed it up with a backward one. And this is a backward step again.
“We’re trying to address it. We won away at Preston, then took a backward step when we lost to Norwich. Then we took a forward step by beating Hull and back it up with an away point at Brentford... and yet tonight it’s another backward step. We have to find some consistency.”
Clement on defending set plays
“QPR won too many set plays - and if they were going to score tonight, it was going to be from one of those situations.
“And it was another ball that went in at the front post and we didn’t get to the first ball - and then we’re in trouble, because it’s right in front of our goal.”
Clement on making changes
“I made changes tonight, tried to freshen the team up a little bit because a number of the players were cramping up at the end of the Brentford game,
“But maybe I didn’t get the line-up right or make the right changes. I am responsible for that. Overall though, it wasn’t a good performance and it ends up being another frustrating night for our fans.”
Clement on Bodvarsson’s injury in the warm-up
“It wasn’t the reason we played poorly - it wasn’t an ideal situation but we’re always ready for those kind of situations. Bodvarsson hurt his calf in the warm-up so he will have a scan.”
Clement on the referee
“I thought he made a lot of mistakes so not very good. I tend not to bother to go and talk to them afterwards unless I have steam coming out of my ears.”
Clement on the fans
“They are being patient in general. I’ve been at other clubs where fans can be ferocious when the team are not playing well.
The fans are being supportive - of course they are disappointed and understandably so but they are being patient.”