The Royals bowed out of the Carabao Cup following a 2-1 defeat against Premier League Brentford on Tuesday night.
In an entertaining contest, Reading can count themselves unfortunate not to have taken more from the game. The visitors made a quick start, taking the lead inside three minutes through Callum Wilson.
Paudie O’Connor thought he had levelled with a spectacular bicycle kick, only for the goal to be ruled out for a high boot. Brentford then doubled their advantage just before the break through
Fabio Carvalho.
O’Connor did get his goal in the second half to give the Royals hope, but, despite pushing for a late equaliser, Reading were unable to find a way through.
Manager Leam Richardson was proud of his side’s performance but was left frustrated with some decisions made by officials. Here’s what he had to say when he spoke to Royals TV after the game.
Richardson on the performance
“I think the first emotion is that I’m very proud of the players. Credit goes to the players with how they delivered themselves.
“We made a few changes. The lads have been working ever so hard and I thought they deserved that from the performance and the result in the last round, to go into this game.
“To be fair, we ran into a Premier League team who haven’t been beaten, who had a really good result in the last round, and they didn’t play with the handbrake on at all. They played their full squad, so to speak.
“But I thought we were value for a result and I thought the performance was really strong as well.”
Richardson on conceding in the first three minutes
“It’s not ideal, that, is it? I know it’s a slip in the corner, but when you play against a Premier League team and they score after two or three minutes, you’re trying to think how we can help the players on the pitch, how we can reconnect and go again.
“But I thought the response from the players was excellent. I thought we grew into the game and had a perfectly good goal scored, which I’m sure we’re going to talk about.
“Overall, I’m very pleased and very proud of the players, very proud of the football club, but just disappointed with the result.”
Richardson on our disallowed goal
“Well, I’ve got to be honest, I think it’s possibly in the top three worst decisions I’ve ever seen in football – and I’ve seen a lot of games, thousands of games, and I’ve played in a lot.
“I don’t think Paudie scored one of those goals even when he was seven in his back garden! I’m not sure he’ll score one again, so he’s probably been robbed of his highlight reel.
“It’s alright, we can laugh about it a little bit now, but we’ve come off the back of the weekend where we should get a penalty – a blatant penalty in my opinion and the lad must get sent off.
“Then, as we’re growing into the game, we should go 1-1, in the ascendancy, with all the game to play. I have no idea why it’s not given.
“I’d suggest everybody watches it and they can give me their opinion, because I’m really, really struggling for words for that one.”
Richardson on the penalty shout
“I thought it was a blatant penalty. The lad’s come out, slid out, his arms are out, a bit like a goalkeeper making a save, and the referee’s looking right down at it.
“I don’t really ever come on and criticise officials, you know that, but when it starts happening regularly, it starts becoming a bit of a problem.
“We’ve got to address it and we’ve got to address it quickly because our players work too hard and the fans pay too much money to make sure that we can get those simple decisions right. They should be getting them right.
“On another day, we’d probably have a different conversation, but because it’s in the cup and it’s a Premier League team, everything’s, ‘Oh, it’s okay, we played well.’
“It’s not right. It’s not right. We should possibly be on the other side of the result because they’re massive decisions. Massive decisions.”
Richardson on moving forwards after the positive performance
“I think the level of performance in the last four or five games has been high. I think there’s still a lot of growth in this squad and this team, as you’ve seen tonight, because the players are working really hard with myself, the coaches and the coaching staff daily. You can see it slowly coming out on the pitch.
“We’re trying to adapt that and give more responsibility to the players on the pitch to lead a bit more and have that demand on each other, and you can see it slowly coming out.
“I think we’ll get better as a team and we’ll get better as a squad, because I thought there were some really good performances tonight, individually but, again, collectively against a really good, strong Premier League side.”
Richardson on showing belief
“Yeah. At half-time, that was probably my only little criticism. Obviously the goal before half-time is something we can affect. It doesn’t matter the level of opposition, we’ve got to be miles better than that. A little bit like Saturday, we’ve got to stop that at source.
“But at half-time I was a little bit like, we have got belief, but let’s show our arrogance but in a good way. Let’s have a little bit more belief.
“The Charlie Savage shot, every day I see him put that in the top corner. Technically excellent, but he just laid off it a little bit.
“There were a few moments where you have respect for your opposition all the time, but have respect for yourself and have a little bit more belief.
“I thought in the second half, and in the main, we had a lot of belief. We had some really good, strong moments and were really good in transition. Like you say, that was against some good opposition as well.
“So I’m very proud of the players tonight.”
Richardson on the performances of players who have come in
“Excellent. It’s what we expect. At the minute, there’ll be certain players who are disappointed not to play regularly, but that’s what squads are for. If you want to be successful, you’ve got to have a good squad and, whatever role you play at this moment in time, play it.
“You can control how you eat, how you sleep and how you train. They’re professional footballers, so be professional and make sure that when you get your chance because in football it changes quickly.
“The world spins and then it’s your moment, and you’ll get all the support of everybody else, myself, the fans, the players and your teammates.
“They’re in a good place at the minute. The lads who are pushing are pushing in the right way. Their attitude and their professionalism have been excellent, and it shows tonight because if you have really strong habits daily, they come out when you need them the most.
“Tonight we were stretched at times, which against Premier League opposition you’re going to be, so you rely on those habits. I thought we had really strong habits tonight.”
