Wild celebrations – but Coleman’s not getting carried away

The sight of a passionate Chris Coleman, celebrating with his fists clenched in front of the away end was the defining image from Sunderland’s win at Burton Albion.

It ended a barren run, Sunderland’s first win in 16 games, and saw them climb off the foot of the Championship.

There were wild scenes of celebration but Coleman insists nobody is getting carried away.

It was a start and one they must build on when Reading visit the Stadium of Light this afternoon (KO 3pm).

“I was thanking the fans at the end because they deserved it,” said Coleman.

“We’re not getting carried away with it, it was 90 minutes and now it’s gone, finished. “The fans want to support the club not because the manager is passionate but because they want to see a team on the pitch that they can associate with, that they want to support, because they feel like the team is giving them something. It’s my job to make sure we give them that.

“It wasn’t showmanship, I wanted to say thank you. It was a tough afternoon for us, they stuck with us but that isn’t anyone getting carried away.”

Coleman is expecting a difficult afternoon against Jaap Stam’s Reading and familiar faces from his Wales days, Chris Gunter and David Edwards.

“Reading had a good win in the week, their style of play is very similar to Ajax,” said Coleman.

“Very patient build-up, all about numbers and certain overloads in areas of the pitch. It isn’t something you associate with many Championship teams, and that’s down to Jaap Stam, a forward thinking coach.

“It is a tricky game for us, it is going to be a tough one. Whoever we’re playing, they’re our level and we take care of ourselves we take care of them.”

On Gunter and Edwards, Coleman added: “I asked different things of them to what Jaap Stam asks of them. They don’t have many weaknesses,