Paul Clement On Shameful, Embarrassing Ipswich Town Defeat

It is going to be a long week for all of those connected with Reading Football Club after a disastrous last home game of the season against Ipswich. The Royals are in serious trouble of being relegated to League One next Sunday after a awful 4-0 defeat to Ipswich at the Madejski Stadium.

Reading fell apart conceding four goals in 20 minutes in a game that should have secured our safety for another season, but now it goes down to the final game of the season against promotion chasing Cardiff City. A huge game for all involved.

Clement was embarrassed by the performance, he told the official club website:

“We were nowhere near getting the result we needed. The game was quite tight in the first half and I thought we started the second half well – we had a fantastic counter-attacking opportunity where we swept from one end to the other.

“It would have been a lovely goal, but the goalkeeper made a fingertip save from John Swift. But at that point we were looking good and I thought we were going to create more chances.

“But then we gave them a goal which, when you look back on it, is awful – absolutely awful! The second and third goals were not much better and we fell apart.

“In the end, the result is really bad – but the performance is shameful, embarrassing.

“I held the players back to talk to them after the final whistle. And discussions with individuals will be done in private as always, but I can assure Reading fans that they will be done.

“I can’t remember having to stand and talk to the media after a game in these circumstances. I’m responsibie for that with the players and I have to apologise to our fans that they have to come and witness that today.”

So, our fate goes down to next Sunday in a huge game with Cardiff in Wales. Clement continued:

“It’s stupid that it has got to this point. We have had other opportunities to deal with it and yet now we need to go to Cardiff and get a positive result. If we don’t, it’ll be reliant on other teams around us.

“Can we do it? Of course we can! It’s a big task. The positions in the table haven’t changed, but the points tally around us is tighter and some of the teams below us have got good results.

“Burton and Barnsley will go into the last game knowing that a win gives them a chance to stay in the league. There are twists and turns to happen still. We are fighting for our lives.

“It’s hard to feel positive today as we’ve just performed at a very poor level. That’s going to hang over us for a couple of days. But then we’ve got to get on with business.

“We’re now in a situation we wanted to avoid. We have to get something at Cardiff or it is in the lap of the gods.

“The players have got to put in the performance of their lives next weekend. We’re professionals and we’ve got to make sure we reflect honestly on what happened today and move onto Sunday.”