TIAGO ILORI insists Reading’s style of football will not be compromised despite growing relegation fears.
Saturday’s 1-0 home defeat to Brentford extended Royals’ winless league run to eight matches and leaves them just four points clear of the Championship relegation zone.
REACTION: Stam on changing tactics, relegation concern and transfers
The possession based game developed under Jaap Stam has come under some scrutiny with results now deserting his side, but Ilori says the focus is on evolution rather than revolution.
“That’s the way we want to play,” said the Portuguese defender.
“We’re trying to play proper football and we know that’s the way that will take us to the heights we want to get to.
“We showed it last year and we’re going to continue working and doing our best to bring our football back.”
He added: “It definitely hasn’t been good enough. It’s difficult to pinpoint one mistake.
“We need to match the other teams’ work-rate.
“I’m not saying we don’t do that every week but if we can’t play our game or we can’t play our football and it’s not going our way, then we’ve got to do the simple things better.”
Pressure is building on Stam after this season’s dramatic drop off in form having finished third last season.
Now in 18th and 23 points off their tally from this time last year, focus is certainly on the bottom end of the table rather than the top.
But Ilori says the squad is good enough to pull clear from danger.
“We can’t just look back at last year and think because we came third and nearly got promotion that automatically it’s going to happen again this season,” he said.
“Obviously it’s not happening.
“But we do have the quality we had last season and the football we’re playing and trying to play is the right way to go about it and we’re going to continue doing that.
“Everyone agrees with that at the club and we’re working hard.”
Reading face a trip to Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup on Friday night.
