Reading manager Ruben Selles has warned his players that he expects more from them despite a 4-1 victory over League One strugglers Crawley
Amadou Mbengue gave Royals the lead and, after Harry Forster had equalised, a long-range Lewis Wing effort restored the home lead before the break.
Crawley were denied by a series of fine saves from Reading keeper David Button in the second half, allowing the hosts to secure a somewhat flattering win with further goals from Charlie Savage and Sam Smith.
“Was I satisfied with that?” Selles said. “Actually not. I don’t think it was a good performance from us. I expect more from my team.
“I think that Crawley controlled the [early part of the] game. Yes, we scored a goal, but we then conceded.
“Then we scored again, a really good goal from Lewis Wing. But we then entered a phase, especially in the second half, where we were just looking to protect what we had and the result.
“That was in a bad way, we didn’t seem to want to play the game. We were just defending. Then we get a couple of situations away from our goal and we score another two goals.
“But we know where we are and we have much more to offer than that.”
Crawley have failed to win in nine league games and have lost their last six.
And their inability to take the chances created frustrated their new manager.
“It’s very frustrating,” Rob Elliot said. “We had so many good moments and we created so many opportunities.
“And not just small opportunities, they were clear-cut. We were getting into the penalty area, into the middle of the goal.
“I can’t even count the times that the ball was cleared off their goal-line and the amount of blocks Reading got in. That’s the frustration.
“And then we let Reading in, especially at set-pieces. We’ve just got to keep working at it.
“But I think that you can see today the reaction of our fans at the end. You can see that we’re nearly there, we just need to be more consistent.
“We also have to learn from the things that are hurting us. Because after all that great play and those good chances, we come away losing 4-1.
“We now have to make sure that we turn that dominance and great football into results.
“I don’t think that anything needs to really change. It’s just that we must get better at what we do.
“I genuinely believe in the philosophy of this club and the way that we play football.
“Some of our individuals are so talented and, when we get it right, it’s such a joy to watch.”
