‘HARD CONVERSATIONS ARE NEEDED’

READING FC Women’s manager Liam Gilbert admitted that ‘hard conversations’ need to be had after his team were thrashed 5-1 at Sheffield United.

The Royals have now suffered three damaging defeats in the space of the week and have conceded 14 goals in three games.

With four games left to go in the Women’s Championship, the Royals are in 10th spot, just one place and two points above the drop zone.

“We have to be accountable for the mistakes we made and today (Sunday) we were totally punished,” said Gilbert.

“I don’t have the answers right now in terms of moving forward. We need to take a long look at it from a fresh perspective, assess everything and some hard honest conversations need to be had.

“In terms of going forward we were much brighter than we have been in the last four or five games which is something we’ve worked on.

“But conceding from set pieces in the way we did so easily, that’s something I cannot understand when we work on them.

“I’d like to see the replays back of the two goals we had taken away in the first half. If they count it’s a different game but we cannot allow for that in the second half, especially straight from scoring ourselves.

“But we must learn, we need to learn quickly together and stay together.”

Striker Madison Perry, who was on the scoresheet in the heavy loss, said: “I think, overall, we can take a lot of positives out of Sunday’s game, despite the scoreline.

“While we know it’s all about results, there was certainly an improvement in the way we played with certain phases of play.

“I think what we worked on, in the little time we’ve had available with it being three games in a week, so now with a whole week to prepare for Blackburn, it’s just those final details here and there across the pitch we need to work on.

“Personally, of course it was a great moment to get on the scoresheet, as that’s my job and I try to help the team out as much as possible, and whenever I’m selected that is all I will try and do.

“This last week really has hit us hard, but we can’t spend long dwelling on it, we’re still in a relatively good position to what we could be, but now we must put things right this Sunday.

“It’ll be another tough game, but the rest of the season is going to be, so we just have to take it game by game, build on what we have, and pushing one another till the end.

“Having another home game this weekend I think gives us a boost.

“We’ve had a few good results at home this season, and the fans

I feel have been a big factor of it.

“We need as much support as we can, and hopefully they can be our 12th man to get us across the line.”