Leam Richardson has told his Reading players to attack their Carabao Cup tie against Premier League Brentford as they look to bounce back from a league defeat. The Royals host the Bees in the third round on Tuesday, aiming to cause an upset against a top-flight side that has not lost this season.
Richardson said his squad is eager for the challenge. "Everybody's itching to play which is important," the head coach stated. He confirmed Reading's approach will be positive. "We certainly will attack the game to try and win it."
The fixture comes after a narrow 2-1 loss away at Cambridge United last Saturday, a result that left Reading 14th in the League One table with seven points from five games. Jack Marriott netted the Royals' consolation at the Abbey Stadium.
Reading have already seen off Bromley and Stevenage to reach this stage. Richardson praised the visitors' remarkable rise to a stable Premier League outfit, describing it as a model his own club aspires to emulate.
"They have built themselves into a stable and consistent Premier League club," Richardson said. "We want to strive for what Brentford have achieved."
The manager wants his team to use the experience as a building block, urging them to dust themselves down after the Cambridge loss and produce their best performance. Reading's next league assignment is a home game against Notts County on Saturday. Check the latest squad news ahead of that match.
