Reading manager praises fans after making their frustrations known in front of players

Reading manager Ruben Selles praises fans after making their frustrations known in front of players following defeat at Leyton Orient.

The 40 year old boss said he could understand the disappointment of his club’s supporters with results so far in League One.

It was a goal conceded in the 90th minute on Saturday which made it four games without a win and seven defeats in 11 matches.

This result left them 22nd in the table, and have not won since mid-September while off the pitch, they are still struggling financially.

The EFL previously were deducted four points this season for falling foul of financial rules, with the owner also punishment.

Reading have only won three games and drawn another, while picking up seven defeat going into the international break.

Selles opts for young talent over experience and reckons he can still turn their season around.

Who’s nan is getting stuck in at the start 😂 pic.twitter.com/2RuOB37WNh

— The 44 ⚽️ (@The_Forty_Four) October 9, 2023

Sellés goes over to talk to the fans, who can’t “We want our Reading back” #readingfc pic.twitter.com/MdDMXNHpxE

— Ji-Min Lee (@JmlJourno) October 7, 2023

Royals manager Ruben Selles said after the game: “We competed until the very end, but there is a moment in final minutes – like in the Exeter game – where we lose the game in a situation where we can easily solve. And it hurts.

“We were in the game and we came here to compete. We came back after the first goal, but we need to improve in those situations that can happen.

“Our pressure wasn’t not arriving well enough, so we needed to modify – then they had lots of switches of play, and because of that they had more crosses and we needed to make some modifications. Then we started to defend better; sometimes you need to adjust in the game.

“We started with a 4-2-3-1 and we put Dom in the number 10 position – to put us more in the game. The result was that we didn’t get the pressure that we wanted and the switch of play was easy; when we went back to a different system, we were able to get more pressure on the ball and stop those switches of play.

“A lot of things have happened this season – if I say that with another context then we would be better, but that would be making excuses. We are where we are and we tried to get the points. We came here trying to win the game today. But it has not been good enough, we all know.”

“We need to accept our responsibility,” Ruben continued on hearing from fans at the end of the game. “I am the first responsible. These fans have been very supportive to us; they have come away with us and they know what our record is, and they still support.

“The least that we can do is go to them and hear them. We need to hear them.

“My players felt that they cannot lose the game at the end, and that they need to stand in front of our people and to show respect for them and give their apologies. We need to feel as they feel – we are all human and we all need to listen.”

“People of course want us to just bounce back [after being relegated from the Championship],” Selles told BBC Radio Berkshire.

“But the situation isn’t allowing us.

“We have had the points deductions and we haven’t been able to win some matches, so we need to put the situation in perspective.

“We competed until the very end [vs Leyton Orient] which is something we didn’t do in our last two away games,” he added.

“We were in the game, managed to come back after conceding the first goal, but we need to improve.

“We lost the game in a situation that we can easily solve. We are where we are and we will always try and get points.”

Spaniard Selles praised fans for their support despite their poor start.

“It’s football,” he added.

“There is always pressure to win matches but I think we have been in situations to win some points. We can be more competitive.

“Despite our record our fans have been very supportive of us and continue coming to away games and we appreciate that.”

This is how fans reacted as the Reading manager praises fans after making their frustrations known in front of players…

@itfc_louis: That lady kicking that lad at the start 😭😭

@__jacklawrence: Just makes what we’ve achieved here at Southend even more unbelievable. Players and fans stuck with eachother through everything and every single one of us knew it was us against the owner. Whatever the results on the pitch

@LewisStubbs1302: Can’t blame the fans for being angry a load of the players just went off down the tunnel instead of clapping the fans like the younger players did there.

@Readingfan106: This is just a minority that think it’s okay to abuse this team. Back the team, not the regime

@emilybastow_: who’s nan is that pushing and kicking that young lad 😭😭

@ding_dan_18: This time last year we were near the top of the championship. What the fuck has happened to our club. I’m devastated. #readingfc

@JCrook93: Makes you appreciate our fanbase this. Through adversity you all need to stick together & come out the other side. This never ends well. Look at Bradford, another good example! UTS

@Mick1082: This is appalling from there own fans I believe the problems are the owners don’t turn on your own players that’s going to destroy there confidence and your results will get worse

@KieranBarrett96: Singing that to a bunch of kids who have been thrown into deep end is absolutely horrific. Should be screaming about owners not players

@Neil_Davies_: Players just stood there, trying their best not to burst out laughing at the fuming goons 😂

@AdrianPym: Reading just returning to their level after years of overachieving

@burnett_robert: Pathetic fan group. Support the lads who pull on the shirt

@arnie_rfc: There’s only so much you can blame on the owner. Yes he’s rotting the club from the top down, but yesterday Selles got it all wrong. Negative setup, same formation despite constant failures and subbing our striker for a cb when chasing the game. Pathetic.

@pompey81: Looking forward to going to Reading in a few weeks 😂💙

@Olly49572250: how is there anything wrong with this we haven’t won an away game in 11 months it’s not our fault the experienced players are leaving the younger ones to face the fans

@Wayno19821: They get bashing from the fans.. you should be aiming at your owners. But Get behind your team regardless

@weststandstag: Fair play to the players and staff to stand there and take that shit from the “fans”. Imagine those players going to a fans place of work and shouting abuse at them!! Tough times at Reading but they need to stick together

@StassSportsNews: Them players come over to the supporters and show their appreciation to be abused. I saw Pompey drop league after league into league 2 and saw us almost get relegated from there. I remember being 4-0 at Ht to Notts County. Our anger was at the owners. disgusting fans here.

@PhilipMichael91: Disgusting by the fans there. Them players clearly care to even go to the fans and stay there despite the stick being given to them. Always the minority.