AN UNFRIENDLY WELCOME, JOSE ‘Unknown One’ Gomes faces relegation battle

of the Championship drop-zone on goal difference from Millwall – the side they visit on Boxing Day.

Reading striker Sam Baldock said: “Tiago Ilori is Portuguese and knows the team that the new manager has been at – but doesn’t know anything about him personally.

“It will be an interesting Christmas for the players, but especially for the manager. I can’t imagine he’s worked over Christmas before – and Millwall is some introduction for a foreign manager.

“It’s a quick turnaround. He’ll have to get to know the whole squad as he’ll have to use them.

“The first thing he needs to do is get us winning games. There’s more than one issue, otherwise we wouldn’t be where we are in the table. He has to turn that around as quickly as he can.

“But any quality players he brings in who can improve the squad are beneficial. No one likes our position in the dressing room, and whatever playing style is fine, we just want to win.”

Boro claimed a huge first win in six games with a late winner from defender and skipper George Friend (above), sparing the blushes of a toothless attack and reigniting a stuttering promotion campaign.

It was the first time in 10 attempts that Boro boss Tony Pulis had won as a manager at Reading, and it fired the promotion-chasing Teessiders back into fourth spot.

Ahead of home games against Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich, Friend, 31, said: “It was a big away performance and a positive lead in to two home games over Christmas – a real conout fidence booster. Going five games without a win was tough because there’s a lot of expectation on us and we slipped below our standards. But we stuck together and reaped the rewards.

“We’ve got two home games coming up and this is where we push on. The second half of the season is where it all counts.

“Everyone knows how important the festive games are for the fans. Crowds are bigger.

“The fans want us to win and we want it even more. We want to make it a good Christmas for Boro fans.”