Another win for Reading and the belief is starting to rise. After a nightmare few years, Jaap Stam has the Royals feeling positive again
It takes time to build a dynasty from the ground up. If Rome wasn’t built in a day, then Reading won’t be either.
But, when Jaap Stam arrived at the Madejski this summer, excitement and suspicion were almost equally balanced.
On one hand, here was a legendary defender, treble winner with Manchester United, a 67-time capped Dutch international, rocking up at Reading after cutting his managerial teeth at the esteemed Ajax finishing school.
On the other, here was a man with no top level coaching experience, away from the English game for 15 years. It could go one of two ways.
Yet, eight games into the new Championship season, the doubters are starting to find themselves boarding the bandwagon. Saturday’s 2-1 win away at Barnsley was Reading’s third in four games, putting them level with Brighton and Brentford in the final play-off place.
There may still be 38 games left to trudge through, but optimism is growing that Stam, and his improving, possession-based style, can lead the Royals back to the Premier League after consecutive seasons teetering on the brink of relegation to the third tier for the first time since 1998.
Gareth McCleary’s opener and John Swift’s sublime second elicited a warm grin from Reading’s usually deadpan manager despite the formers’ silly sending off and Barnsley’s late consolation.
If Stam’s smiling, you know things are going quite well. The fans agree…
Already calling a Joey van den Berg and John Swift (below) dead heat for player of the season after gaining automatic promotion #readingfc #URZ
— Olli Wheatley (@ODubz01) September 17, 2016
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