Adkins: We’ll be back

Despite the final day disappointment, Nigel Adkins still has a positive outlook on the future for Reading Football Club.

The Royals drew 2-2 with Burnley on Saturday, but the point wasn’t enough to guarantee the final spot in the top six, which was taken by Brighton, with their victory at Nottingham Forest. Despite this obvious late heartbreak, the Royals boss wants the players to bottle up the feeling and go again next campaign.

Speaking to the Official Reading FC website, Adkins revealed that: ‘I said to the players after the game that they should bottle up the horrible feeling. I’ve experienced euphoria in my career but you also need to feel the hurt so it galvanises you and gives you the perseverance to keep going when things go against you.’

‘It was a low dressing room and not a nice feeling when you don’t achieve what you set out to do. It was a good performance, a good game, but it’s not enough to get us where we wanted to get to. We’ll be back with the grit and hunger and required. I want us all to be in the Premier League. We’ll keep working extremely hard.’

Maybe it just wasn’t to be, but I, like many others, still have complete faith in the manager to carry on his job. He has been short-changed this season and given false promises, so to finish seventh with an injury-savaged squad, he deserves praise for his job. As long as we get investment soon, he can build a squad capable.