Clement slams ‘embarrassing’ Royals as fight goes to the wire

2018-05-03 - By TOM CROCKER at Madejski Stadium tcrocker@wokinghampaper.co.uk

Reading 0 Ipswich Town 4

PAUL CLEMENT slammed his players following Reading’s “embarrassing” collapse against Ipswich.

The game was locked at 0-0 with 20 minutes to go with the Royals chasing the goal that would have sealed their Championship status, only to concede four times and suffer a heaviest home defeat for over 11 years.

Martyn Waghorn got the ball rolling as the Reading defence stood waiting for an offside before further shambolic defending allowed

Jordan Spence, Freddie Sears and Callum Connolly to complete the rout.

That means Clement’s charges must pick up a point away at promotion-chasing Cardiff City in the final round of fixtures on Sunday (12.30pm), or rely on results elsewhere to avoid dropping into League One.

And the Reading boss did not hold back in his criticism after the match.

“We got what we deserved in the end because we weren’t professional for the entire game,” said Clement. “I can’t ever remember a situation where I’ve had to speak about a performance like that, that was shameful.

“It was shameful and embarrassing from the point where they got their first goal to the end of the game, completely unacceptable.

“I’m very disappointed and sorry for our fans who came to see their team get over the line and get a positive result to ensure our status at this level next season.”

He added: “I think everyone’s embarrassed. I assure all our fans that the individuals responsible will know about it.

“We had no real cutting edge. Some of our shooting was flimsy and in the end, the defending was also flimsy.

“We were absolutely fragile at the end.”

Clement made two changes from the side which were beaten 3-0 against Sheffield Wednesday with suspended Tyler Blackett replaced by Omar Richards while Yann Kermorgant came in for Joey van den Berg.

The first half was largely one to forget with Ipswich winger Mustapha Carayol looking like the chief threat, twice denied by good Vito Mannone stops.

But the clearest opening came for Reading as Mo Barrow broke down the left and played in a low cross for Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, but the striker inexplicably missed the ball as he looked to tap in from six yards.

The hosts were forced into a big defensive reshuffle just three minutes into the second-half when Richards was forced off injured and was replaced by Tommy Elphick, making his first appearance since early February.

And Reading began to turn to the screw with Barrow and Aluko firing off target before a quick counterattack led to Bodvarsson teeing up John Swift, but his close-range shot was tipped over by Bartosz Bialkowski.

That proved to be the turning point as just minutes later Ipswich were in front. Reading’s defenders stood with their arms aloft claiming an offside as Spence played the ball into Waghorn, who duly turned and lashed high into the net and the linesman’s flag stayed down.

Heads quickly dropped as Ipswich went in for the kill with Spence given acres of space to waltz into the box from the right and fire through the legs of Mannone.

A third goal followed as the game headed into stoppage time following a calamitous mix-up between Chris Gunter and Mannone.

The defender headed back towards the goalkeeper, but the Italian’s clearance cannoned off Sears and the striker chased the ball down to nod into the empty net.

And there was time for a fourth goal to complete an incredible afternoon as Connolly tucked in to inflict Reading’s biggest defeat at the Mad Stad since a 4-0 loss to Arsenal in October 2006.

“The first three goals were terrible,” slammed Clement.

“And for the fourth goal we were all over the place and it was a decent finish.

“After the third goal, the game is over so very, very poor professionalism and tactical discipline in the game.”

He added: “This is going to hurt for a while, this result and performance.

“But then we have a good amount of training days going into the next game.

“It’s a situation we didn’t want to have to be in, to have to go to Cardiff and get a positive result but that’s down to us.

“We’ve had lots of opportunities to get the points we needed.

“In previous weeks, results have gone our way but all of a sudden they’ve not gone our way.

“It goes to the last game.”

READING: Mannone; Gunter (c), Moore,

Ilori, Richards (Elphick 49); Aluko, Kelly, Swift, Barrow; Kermorgant (Smith 82); Bodvarsson (Martin 80).

Subs not used: Jaakkola, van den Berg, Rinomhota, Edwards.