Three more points this weekend would put us into a strong position… manager Paul Clement knows that it’ll be no small task against Sunderland.
A raucous Madejski Stadium atmosphere has ensured the Royals have claimed wins in each of Clement’s home fixtures since joining. He wants the same level of support to ensure the same kind of result!
“Our players are leaving everything out there – they’re giving their absolute best,” Clement said. “We want to get into a situation where we’re creating more opportunities, but the priority has been to get a nice, solid foundation defensively. We’ve started to look better in defence.
“This is the biggest game of our season. The situation with the table is that we’re five points above relegation and Barnsley have got a game this weekend. If Sunderland don’t get a result themselves, it’ll be really difficult for them. And it’s vital for us to get a positive result again, and if we do, it puts us in a really good situation.
“If you don’t mentally prepare for Sunderland at their best, you’re in danger. They went to Derby recently, a team that are pushing for promotion, and they beat them 4-1. So we have to expect a really good Sunderland side to come here, and one that will push for the win – they know they have to win this game.
“Our fans have been brilliant. It’s absolutely vital that they come and support the team again. Hopefully they’ll turn up and push the players on… they’ve done that so far, and I don’t see any reason why they won’t do that again. I’m sure they also realise that it’s a massive game.”
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