The Royals have endured a disastrous run since early December winning only 1 game in 11 fixtures
This time last season Jaap Stam’s Reading were sitting comfortably in 4th place heading straight for the play-offs.
One year one, at the exact same point in the league season, The Royals sit third bottom in the relegation zone 2 points behind 17th placed Sheffield Wednesday. With second bottom Bolton Wanderers favoured by a game in hand, Stam’s men are in severe danger of dropping out of England’s second tier for the first time in 2001/2002.
Reading’s home for has been atrocious this season, with the club having only won 3 games throughout the league campaign so far at the Madjeski. Icelandic forward Jon Dadi Bodvarsson remains the club’s top scorer this term with 8 goals, only 5 of which have come during Championship clashes.
With only 1 win in 11 games since the start of December, things really do not look good for Stam’s side, however, summer arrival Sone Aluko, the club’s record signing, has full belief in his teammates that they can claw themselves out of this mess and remain in the EFL Championship.
Aluko himself has been rather disappointing since his arrival at a Madjeski, having found the net on only 2 occasions in nearly 30 appearances.
Speaking to the BBC, the Nigerian forward said: “I believe you make your own luck, so there’s no hiding in football. You’ve got to keep working hard.
“I’m not alarmed in our position, it’s just the reality and we have to deal with it. I certainly didn’t come here expecting to be where we are, but we’re going to be working hard to turn it around.
“I’m confident we can get out of it, it’s what’s between your ears that’s the key in these situations.”
Aluko and co now have 15 games to turn their season around, and begin their attempt to do so away at Nottingham Forest away at the City Ground.
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