JAAP STAM says it is time for the talking to stop as Reading embark on a make-or-break week in their season.
Royals, who finished third in the Championship table, travel to face Fulham in the first leg of the play-off semi-final on Saturday before welcoming the Cottagers to Madejski Stadium on Tuesday night.
By the end of the two legs, Stam will either end his first season at the club at Wembley, or the campaign will be over.
And after battling so hard to seal a place in the top six, the Dutchman says this is a chance for the players to show how good they are.
“We’re ready for it,” said Stam.
“Everybody is looking forward to it. I think as a club, as a player, you want to play certain games at a certain level.
“Here we are, we need to show it.”
He added: “Everybody knows that in the play-offs, anything can happen.
“It’s about nerves, certain tactics, approach of the game, coolness of players.
“Do they still have the same ability under pressure and can they deliver the same things?
“It’s interesting how this game is going to go. We’ve got a mixture of experienced players and young players.
“For a lot of players, this is a new situation.
“It’s going to be a great learning experience for everybody.”
Despite finishing in third, Reading are the outsiders for promotion with Fulham the fancied side.
In particular, Royals are big underdogs when they travel to Craven Cottage, a stadium they lost 5-0 at earlier this season.
But Stam says he is not concerned about who has the ‘favourites’ tag.
“I’m not really reading the things that people are writing about us or Fulham,” he said.
“I’m not really interested. I’m interested in what this team can do.
“It’s about finding a way so we can make it difficult for them to get a good result so we can get to the final.
“We know it’s not going to be easy.”
He added: “These games are all about sticking together, working together, believing in each other and hopefully with the abilities that we have, we can do well.
“Now it’s on television, lots of people talk about it, they write about it and it’s the opportunity to show yourself.
“We’re going to give it our best shot.”
Paul McShane, Joey van den Berg and Garath McCleary are all likely to be available for the trip to London with no new injury concerns among the squad.
