Pundit accuses Reading FC players of lacking bottle in relegation fight
Chris Iwelumo says Royals' players are not showing enough fight in their relegation battle
Reading in action against Sheffield United. Credit: Eddie Greville
Former striker Chris Iwelumo has accused Reading FC's players of lacking bottle in their battle against relegation.
Royals' awful season sees them staring League One in the face with only eight games to go.
Only three points separates the side from the drop zone but a run of one win in 18 games has sparked fears of a further decline in the final few months.
Iwelumo, a regular pundit on Channel Five's Championship highlights show, says Royals' players must shoulder a large portion of the blame.
"There has been an overhaul of mood with the negativity of not going up last year," said the former Stoke and Wolves frontman on TalkSport*.
"But players have got to stand up - they've shown they don't have any bottle which is surprising.
Pelle Clement after the defeat at Norwich last weekend. Credit: Eddie Greville
"The players have not been performing and that's where the buck has got to land.
"They need to go out - no matter how hard it is - roll their sleeves up and do whatever it takes not to get beaten because at the minute, with the form they are on, it's just not good enough."
Reading spurned the opportunity of moving six points clear of relegation last Saturday with a 3-2 defeat to Norwich City at Carrow Road.
The performance was marred by another sloppy defensive display, with basic mistakes - one of the themes of the season - costing Royals valuable points once again.
They return to action on Good Friday - March 30 - when QPR visit Madejski Stadium.
*Iwelumo was speaking prior to Stam's exit from Reading.
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