Ince can’t wait to get stuck in again
NEW READING BOSS KNOWS WHAT IT TAKES TO SURVIVE
PAUL INCE said he has never shirked a challenge in his football career as he called for “one big push” from his Reading players to survive in the Championship.
The former England midfielder faces his first match in interim charge of the Royals tonight as they take on Birmingham.
Veljko Paunovic was axed on Saturday, despite his team winning 3-2 at Preston.
But a dreadful run of one win in 13 games, including an FA Cup humiliation at non-League Kidderminster, did for the Serbian with the Royals just five points and one place above the relegation zone with 14 games left.
Ince, whose son Tom signed for the club on loan in January, was immediately named as his interim successor. The 54-year-old has been out of management since 2014 when he left Blackpool.
Ince said: “This is a challenge, and I don’t shirk challenges. I went to Macclesfield when they were bottom of the league.
“It’s all about one big push in the next 10 weeks or however long I am here for. If we can get a couple of wins, who knows how far we can go?
“I am here to help. It is about getting points on the board. You can’t think about the long term.We have a lot of games to play, a lot of things can happen. We have got some good players here.
“I watched the first half against Preston – and we were like Barcelona! But we are conceding so many goals. That’s your problem straight away.”
In his first management job, Ince saved Macclesfield from relegation from the league in 2007 and won the League Two title with MK Dons before stints at Blackburn, MK Dons again, Notts County and Blackpool.
But he suffered relegation as a player withWest Ham andWolves.
And he warned: “I know how much it hurts. To have a relegation on your CV is not nice.
“Sometimes we will have to throw our bodies on the line. That’s what it takes to stay up.”
Birmingham are only three places above Reading in the table – but have 11 points more.
And Lee Bowyer’s side, who lost to the Royals at home in November, arrive at the Select Car Leasing Stadium with major injury problems. Tahith Chong, Taylor Richards, George Friend, Marc Roberts, Scott Hogan and Troy Deeney are all out.