After a positive outing last time out, Liam Gilbert, Women’s First Team Manager, was full of praise for his side’s attacking display against Cheltenham Town, but now wants the positive mindset and momentum to continue ahead of Wednesday’s showdown with Bristol City.
“One of the biggest things is how connected we are and a lot of phases of our play.
“Actually, even above that, I’d say the first positive thing was scoring goals from open play, from set pieces and created quite a lot of chances.
“I understand the calibre of the opposition compared to normal, no disrespect to Cheltenham, but you can only beat what’s in front of you, and the fact we’ve gone and done it in a convincing way, I couldn’t be happier.
“Something else that cannot be overlooked is that feeling of winning.
“Like we alluded to after the game Sunday, winning only promotes a positive mindset, and we touched on it last time the importance of a strong group mentality.
“That will give the side positive energy going into the next game, and in a week with lots of games coming up, it’s a great asset to have.”
On the topic of the FA Cup, today the fourth round was drawn, with Royals drawn at home to welcome the winner of Hull City or Wolverhampton on Sunday 14th January. Liam discussed the importance of being at home in cup competition, and how he’ll look forward to this being the first game of the New Year.
“I think one thing that is overlooked with having a home game, is players and staff can settle for their usual routine before the match.
“Being at home, eating your own food, sleeping in your own bed, it cannot be overstated.
“One thing that we really want to begin doing now is making the Select Car Leasing Stadium a bit of a fortress, as those points you pick up from home could be crucial come the end of the campaign.
“So the opportunity to play again in front of our own fans, it’ll be a great occasion, as the FA Cup just brings about a different atmosphere, so what a way to start 2024.”
Before then, two big games this week, starting off with a Conti Cup tie against Bristol City. A side that Reading and Liam Gilbert have come across in the past, and looking forward to going toe to toe with them once again.
“I played Bristol last year in the FA Cup, on the same ground as tomorrow, so we know what to expect.
“Lauren [Smith] has done a great job at Bristol, getting them out of this league [Barclays Women’s Championship], and they’re a good blueprint to follow in how they went about getting about to tier 1.
“For us now, it’s making sure we approach every game in the exactly the same way, making sure we are consistent as we can be, as it then sets the bar for what performance levels we expect.
“Again, with the number of players available in the squad, it also helps promote the standards we expect from the group.
“It’s why you have a squad of this size, and we’ve used these cup games as an opportunity to give a run out to players who haven’t been getting as many minutes, and to help developer the younger players.
“So that’s been a philosophy we want to bring in, and it’s making sure I’m honest with the players in terms of what the plans are, and what the game plan is.
“Because we want to make sure we’re doing everything to keep a positive mindset, and to build on this momentum in the next two games to finish the year strong.”