Leam Richardson believes that Reading still need to “evolve” after a 2-1 comeback win against Barnsley.
Kyreece Lisbie’s second-half brace saw Richardson’s Royals complete a comeback home win over Barnsley at the Select Car Leasing Stadium to move up to fifth in the League One table, after Vimal Yoganathan put the Tykes into a surprise seventh-minute lead.
“The first half was not acceptable really in many elements,” commented Richardson to the club website post match as he admitted that the first half was unacceptable.
“We had a few words at half-time that we agreed on as a group, myself included, and I thought the second half was excellent.
“We fixed a few things at half-time and I thought we looked a threat for most of the second half. In the end, it was thoroughly deserved to win.”
Richardson proceeded to explain that his players must learn to get the basics right in order for the team’s talent to glow as the season progresses.
“If you don’t run and fight first for your shirt and the right to play, anybody will give you a challenge,” continued Richardson as he singled point their lack of running pace as an issue in the first half.
“In the first half, I didn’t think we ran anywhere near enough. In the second half, we applied ourselves and acquitted ourselves a lot better, which ultimately allows you to control more of the ball and create more chances.”
Reading have now won their last two home games just a week after a narrow defeat at Wigan, with Richardson pleased at how his players have responded to that “negative result” in Lancashire.
“I thought the performance was there to get something out of the game at Wigan, and we turned our mindset round quickly enough within the game to go and get something out of it.
“That’s what we demand. We’ve got certain metrics that we want to hit every game, which gives you more chance of winning games.”
With trips to Plymouth then Oxford United next up, Richardson feels that the comeback display gives hope going into those two games and beyond.
“That’s probably one of our biggest wins of the season in the fact of how we’ve come from behind.
“If you’re not at your best, but you find a way to win and find those little bits of quality, which we’ve got in our team and our squad, that’s the sound of a good team. We’ve still got to evolve that, by the way, but it’s really pleasing.”
Leave a Reply