Dismal Reading still in danger of drop
Reading remain in trouble near the foot of the Championship after succumbing 3-1 to visitors Sheffield United.
While Chris Wilder’s Blades moved back into the play-off places, Reading remain just four points above the drop zone, with 12 games to play.
On an icy surface which made for a poor spectacle, United led 2-0 at the break with goals from Billy Sharp and Mark Duffy.
Reading cut the deficit early in the second half through Omar Richards, then had Leandro Bacuna’s penalty saved by Simon Moore, before Sharp’s second goal killed off th Royals.
Royals boss Jaap Stam insists that he is not feeling the heat, saying: “I don’t feel pressure myself as everyone knows what can happen in football. “If the club wants to make a decision then they can do that. Everyone knows if you’re having a bad spell and not winning games, a decision can be made. “That’s not up to me, it’s how it goes in football. I wouldn’t be surprised if that decision comes.” On the game, the Dutchman added: “It could’ve been six or seven, to be honest.
“If you’re not starting games well enough, defending decisively and aggressively, you’ll give the opposition chances. We could’ve gone forward quicker earlier on, but that didn’t happen and we didn’t make those decisions.”
Blades assistant boss Alan Knill commented: “It was a really good performance. Everything we asked for and everything we expect, we got.
“We should have been 3-0 up after 15 minutes, but it’s good that we’re creating.”