[monks data]

Championship

Dec 20, 2014 at 3pm UK

Reading
0-1
Watford

FT(HT: 0-0)

Abdi (70')

Steve Clarke: 'Reading have made progress'

By Pascal Lemesre, Football League Editor | 20 December 2014

Steve Clarke is confident that Reading have made progress since he took charge earlier this week, despite a home defeat to 10-man Watford in his first game in charge.

New manager Steve Clarke has insisted that Reading have made progress in the past few days since he took over, despite today's defeat at home to 10-man Watford.

The Royals hosted a top-six outfit in Watford and were level at the break and a man to the good following Gabriele Angella's red card just before the interval.

Even though they had a numerical advantage, Reading fell to a second straight defeat because of Almen Abdi's strike 20 minutes from time.

Clarke is confident of a quick turnaround, though, with Reading 17th in the table and six points clear of the drop zone.

"All I would ask [of the supporters] tonight is, don't just look at the result, look at the small steps we've made and the positives," he told the club website. "We're trying to build and make sure we're competitive at the right end of the table.

"I also said to the players, there's a little negative spiral at the moment, so we didn't get the bounce of the ball, and when it's going well it will come, we just have to knuckle down.

"Watford will be in the top six, if they get it right then maybe even in the top two, they are that good. Today we showed we can match them but we just didn't stick it in the net."

Clarke and Reading's next chance of victory comes on Boxing Day this Friday when they travel to a side even more out-of-form in Brighton & Hove Albion.