The gaffer stressed the importance of the learning opportunities from a gruelling, but ultimately successful, second-round FA Cup clash with Harborough Town.
The Royals secured their spot in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday but it wasn’t easy against non-league Harborough Town at the SCL Stadium.
The visitors took the lead twice in the first half but goals through Mamadi Camera, Charlie Savage and Adrian Akande looked to secure our place in the third round. However, Harborough fought back to make it 3-3 and take it to extra-time. Chem Campbell scored a brace to make it 5-3 and take us through to the next round.
Manager Ruben Selles found the victory a learning curve for his young side. Here is what he had to say to the Reading Chronicle.
“We know with these games in the FA Cup that it doesn’t matter who the opponent is - they presented a team that had a clear idea. We knew it and I think it is a part of our journey as a team, to get exposed to the massive pressure.
“It is not often that we have a game that is must-win, and today was must-win. We felt the pressure in some parts of the game, making mistakes that we are not used to, but at the end we went through and went through with a squad and everyone together. We went through with our style and defending those long balls, second actions and throw-ins. It was a good learning for us.
“The majority of games we play, because of the situation of the club and the academy players, we have the feeling of playing without pressure sometimes. This was a must-win today and you need to feel that pressure. We felt it, suffered it and went through it so it should be a good learning for us.”
“We managed to make the players that are usually playing in the league have little more than half of the game. That is what we usually would do on a day like today at training, so that’s why we decided to stay as it was.
“Players like Charlie [Savage], Ben [Elliott] or [Lewis] Wing, their distances today and physical metrics are what they would do in matchday minus two. It is going to be about recovery for some of the others, especially the young ones like Andre [Garcia] and Ashqar [Ahmed] that played 120 minutes for the first time in professional football.”
“The entire back line was very young without much experience. That’s why these games will make us better, because Abraham was late twice. The first one is a bad pass from a teammate, and he’s covered the space. The second one was almost last man in the line.
“I think it is a big learning for him but things happen. If it didn’t happen today, it could have happened in League One or another scenario so we need to use it. It was a fair second yellow and not good for the team because we played a long time with 10 players, but it gives us a different flavour of what we can do with 10 players.
“Hopefully he will put it in practise the next time he steps on the pitch and as a team we know it doesn’t matter if we have 10 players, we can still score goals.”
