CHRIS GUNTER is well aware of how much of a boost an FA Cup run can be to a floundering league campaign.
Reading take a break from Championship action on Friday night, following a run of no wins in eight league games, for an FA Cup fourth round trip to Sheffield Wednesday (7.45pm).
While the focus is currently undoubtedly on hauling Royals away from the relegation zone, that can be put to the back of their mind until the trip to fellow strugglers Burton Albion on Tuesday night.
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During Gunter’s five previous seasons with the Royals, he has reached the semi-finals and the quarters of the oldest cup competition in the world to provide some optimism during seasons where the league form was as patchy as it is so far this campaign.
“In the past we’ve had some good experiences at this club in the FA Cup,” he said.
“I think it’s a competition that in the early stages around football at the moment, there’s not too much excitement with it.
“But if you can put a couple of wins together you find yourselves within the later stages of it and the excitement does build.
“But in terms of us, there’s no difference between Friday or any other game.
“We’ll prepare the exact same way and we’ll go there to try and win the game.
“We hope when we wake up on Saturday morning that we’re through to the next round.
“If you win any game of football it always gives the place a better feel and that’s regardless of if you’re doing well or not doing well.”
After impressive seasons culminated in both Reading and Sheffield Wednesday reaching the
play-offs back in May, but it has been a struggle to repeat the feat.
Just one spot separates the two sides in the Championship table with the Owls sitting 17th, three points ahead of the Royals.
And Gunter says both teams are well aware of what the other is capable of.
“We’ve played each other enough over the last 12-18 months with a similar squad,” he said.
“So we’ll both know each other and ultimately you’ll have two teams it’s fair to say would want to be higher in the league.
“We’ll be going out on Friday to win the game and get through then for a couple of weeks our focus turns back to the league.
“When you go to Sheffield Wednesday, predominantly it’s a good atmosphere.
“They have some very good support there.
“It’s important if you’re going to go there and get a result then you have to play well, we’re fully aware of that.”
He added: “The aim whether you are towards the bottom or not is to try and win a game and then try and win another game and get on a run.
“It’s amazing in football when you go two or three games unbeaten, how it can build and it can change the way you see everything.
“That’s what we’re working towards and that will start Friday and then again on Tuesday.”
Reading will be without injured trio Paul McShane, John Swift and Omar Richards due to hamstring problems, but Jaap Stam is expected to name a strong side at Hillsborough.
Ulderink admits Reading are firmly in a relegation battle
Like the Royals, Sheffield Wednesday have struggled to repeat the success of reaching last season’s play-offs and have a new manager in Jos Luhukay.
The Owls sit one place and three points above Reading in the table and have scored just twice in their last six games, both against Carlisle United in the last round of the FA Cup.
And Royals assistant boss Andries Ulderink says the two sides are well matched.
“They changed their formation and they might change it again,” said Ulderink.
“I think Luhukay kept it for two weeks so I think he starts to know the players better. He’s playing a little bit more 3-5-2 or 5-3-2 with wing-backs.
“He’s done that now for three games. He changed it a little bit instead of the 4-4-2 they played with the other manager (Carlos Carvalhal) but in the Championship so far managers even change at half-time so that’s always a challenge.
“That’s a big difference with the football in Holland, most of the time you see a team plays throughout the season with one system. That’s always interesting.
“When you see them play, I recognise bits that we have as well.
“They still want to play a little bit in the games I’ve seen so far, they’ve created a couple of chances but not 10 chances in a game, the end pass isn’t good, the cross is not good.
“You see a little bit similar with us, I agree with that.”
