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New Reading boss José Gomes says he is keen to continue the tradition of promoting the young players at the club.
Four academy graduates started Saturday’s 1-0 defeat against Middlesbrough in Scott Marshall’s final game as caretaker boss in Omar Richards, Andy Rinomhota, Gabriel Osho and Danny Loader with Osho becoming the 49th academy player to make his senior debut.
Gomes will take his first training session at Hogwood on Monday morning and again on Christmas Day before his first game at charge in Millwall on Boxing day.
And he insists the first team squad must be reduced in number to give the younger players more opportunities, with 27 senior players currently on the books following the departure of Adrian Popa this week.
“We must first look at the complete picture,” said Gomes.
“If you have too many players in the first team, it is difficult to find space for the players from the Under-23s, even if they are good.
“My idea, if we started from zero, is two players per position. Maybe 16 very good players, completed with U23s and check that we have a shadow team of the same level to replace the players from the first team and reduce the number of players.
“In my opinion we have too many players. Sometimes people say you need a striker, a midfielder, a central defender, but I think first of all we need to check who the best players are and reduce the number of players.
“You can be champions at U23s and U19s but you cannot use the players in the first team because the squad is completely full and you cannot bring anyone in.
“I like to work with young players and if they deserve it I will give them their chance, but first we must look at the whole picture, put things in the right place and then make decisions.”
See more of what Gomes had to say on why he took the job here
It is set to be a baptism of fire for Gomes with a trip to fellow strugglers Millwall on Boxing Day before visiting QPR on December 29 before welcoming Swansea on New Year’s Day and then travelling to face Man Utd at Old Trafford in the FA Cup on January 5.
And the Portuguese admits he would prefer to have more time on the training ground.
“If you look at the schedule we are playing every three days,” said Gomes.
“It is recover and play, recover and play, you have no time to make strong training sessions.
“You must create practice sessions that at the same time as they are recovering they must understand what I want. We already knew that and we accept the challenge and we are ready for this challenge.
“I am sure the players will take the idea, they will like the idea and the philosophy and the team will be better in the future.
“If I had more time it would be much better, but I don’t have this.
“We play on the 26th, 29th, 1st and 5th. What can I do? I can share my opinions with my players, open my idea completely with my players and help them at the same time as they are recovering to understand this philosophy.
“We will try and do some practice, not with intensity because they are recovering, but in their positions and try to get the ideas on the pitch, not just in the changing room.
“Basically I must use the short period of time I have between the matches to recover and make them play better.”
