Paul Clement described Saturday’s 4-0 defeat to Ipswich Town as “embarrassing”, “shameful” and “unacceptable”.
Reading were level at 0-0, chasing the goal they needed to secure their Championship safety when they went 1-0 down in the 71st minute to Martyn Waghorn’s strike.
Jordan Spence, Freddie Sears and Callum Connolly then all got in on the act to inflict Royals’ heaviest home defeat since a 4-0 loss to Arsenal in 2006, leaving them still in with a chance of being relegated on the final day.
Here is what Clement said after the game –
On the defeat…
We got what we deserved at the end because we weren’t professional for the entire game. I can’t ever remember a situation where I’ve had to speak about a performance like that that was shameful. It was shameful and embarrassing from the point where they got their first goal to the end of the game, completely unacceptable. I’m very disappointed and sorry for our fans who came to see their team get over the line today and get a positive result to ensure our status at this level next season.
On the game being tight until the goal…
I thought the first half was quite tight. I think we started the second half brightly and from the point where we had that counter attack, sweeping move from our box to their box, a Swift shot and their keeper made a good save. I know it was central but he tipped it over the bar. It was a lovely move and if we’d scored that, it would’ve given us the impotus to go on and get the points or point that we needed. From having the ball on the edge of their box and then they broke.
We missed a tackle and then the final positions for the first goal, terrible, terrible. Second goal, terrible. Third goal, terrible. Fourth goal we were all over the place and it was a
decent finish. After the third goal the game is over so very, very poor professionalism and tactical discipline in the game.
On how they will bounce back…
We’ve got eight days until the next game. This is going to hurt for a while, this result and performance. But then we have a good amount of training days going into the next game. It’s a situation we didn’t want to have to be in, to have to go to Cardiff and get a positive result but that’s down to us. We’ve had lots of opportunities to get the points that we needed. In previous weeks results have gone our way but all of a sudden they’ve not gone our way. It goes to the last game.
On if there was a lot of finger pointing in the dressing room afterwards…
I think everyone’s embarrassed really. I think it was so poor, the performance at the end of the game that it went beyond having to do that, almost there’s no point in doing that. But I assure all our fans that the individuals responsible will know about it.
On how the game could’ve been different…
Well that doesn’t mean anything because that’s the final outcome, the game is played over 90 minutes. We had no real cutting edge. Some of our shooting was flimsy and in the end, the defending was also flimsy. We were absolutely fragile at the end.
On if he will make wholesale changes for next week…
That’s something I’ll have to think about this week. I’ve got to make sure that the 11 I choose to start the game have the right attitude to play in this high pressure game.
On if there was any complacency going into the game…
I didn’t get that sense. It’s difficult to know what every individual is thinking going into the game. Our preparation was thorough like it always is but then there’s the game. It’s the players’ responsibility to manage the game once they’re out there. The instructions are always really clear, it’s their job to go out and deliver and they didn’t.
