Ruben Selles has admitted he is focusing on League One this season ahead of Reading‘s FA Cup tie against Fleetwood Town.
The Royals are currently ninth in the third tier but are facing a brief intermission in action due to games in the FA Cup followed up by a midweek game in the EFL Trophy against Cheltenham Town.
Changes Aplenty Against Cod Army
Speaking ahead of the game this weekend against Charlie Adam’s League Two side, Selles made admissions about where his priorities lay this season. (Quotes via Reading Chronicle):
“It is vital for the club to keep ourselves in League One so all the thoughts will be on League One.
“Even if we won three games in a row and were in a good position, and I think we are still in a good position today, players and staff have given everything, but the situation has not changed. The only thing that gives us a bit of an illusion in the table is because of the hard work everyone is putting in from inside to outside.
“We need to please the people who are doing that every single day, but the priority is the league and keep the team in League One. That will sustain the present and the future of the club.”
The former Southampton boss revealed that he would consider his team’s workload going into this clash.
“I try to always be clear and honest in my answer. I am going to give it a go and I think we have some young prospects like Ashqar [Ahmed] on the bench or players like Ben [Elliott] and Charlie [Savage] who can probably step onto the pitch on the weekend, but we also need to be sensitive with the players that have played four games in 10 days.
Writer’s View
It may be deemed disrespectful to the sanctity of the FA Cup but Ruben Selles is fully focused on keeping Reading’s League One status. The club are still in financial uncertainty with recent developments off the pitch and keeping the club in the third tier will likely generate the most revenue for the team going forward. Ultimately it is the manager’s choice to do so and he is acting in the best interests of his side.
Football journalist with The Real EFL since 2023. A 2024 Multimedia Journalism graduate from the University of Salford, Lewis specialises in Salford City FC and EFL coverage.
