PAUNOVIĆ: ‘WE HAVE MANY CHALLENGES AHEAD’
THE ROYALS kick off their 2020/21 Championship campaign on Saturday with a trip to Derby County under new manager Veljko Paunović.
The late change in management sees the Serbian take the place of former managerMark Bowen who led the Royals to a 14th place finish in the Championship last season after replacing Jose Gomes in October 2019.
Paunović’s first taste of management in England comes as he leads his Reading side to Pride Park to take on Derby, who finished the 2019/20 season in 10th position under manager Phillip Cocu.
The Rams earned a 2-1 win over the Royals when the sides met in June at Pride Park after a quickfire double fromTom
Lawrence andWayne Rooney.
However, Bowen’s side were the victors when the teams faced off in December 2019 at the Madejski Stadium as goals from Charlie Adam, Lucas Joao and Yakou Meite led the Royals to a comfortable win after the Rams were reduced to 10 players early in the contest.
New signings Josh Laurent and Ovie Ejaria, who signed on a permanent deal from Liverpool, are expected to be in contention to start on Saturday. Meanwhile, forward Lucas Joao and defender Andy Yiadom, who missed much of the conclusion of last season, are also back to full fitness.
Ahead of his first game as Royals manager, Paunović said: “I was delighted at the possibility of coming to work in England and in the Championship with Reading from the verymoment
I heard it.
“It’s something which has been on my list of career goals for a long time and this is a step that I believe is one of the most important in my career so far.
“We start the season in unprecedented times and we have many challenges ahead, but I’m eager and ready for the challenge.
Reading’s Serbian manager is excited at the prospect of a challenging season in the Championship as he prepares for his managerial debut in England.
He continued: “It’s very competitive. It’s demanding.
It’s intense. Everything that is important forme. It matches my characteristics as a person and as a coach.
“That is the onlyway to reach our goals, meet the demands of the game and the expectations of our fans.
“Our fans deserve to see that on the field, a teamwhere everyone is on the same page, everyone wants to win, nobody gives up and every individual gives their best.
“I’mvery happy to see people here very enthusiastic about the continuation of the long history of our club
“That is another ingredient to my philosophy, myway of doing things, tradition is very important.
“I want to mix with our fans, get a sense of their expectations and enthusiasm within our club.
“As soon as we have our fans back in the stadium, that is going to be a big boost for our team.
“We have to connect with our fans, our people
“And I want our fans t know we need them ,we need their love and support.”