Wolves vs Reading: Inside track on Jaap Stam's men

Luke Hatfield spoke with Jonathan Low, Reading reporter for GetReading, to find out all about the Royals.

Wolves obviously got the better of Reading earlier this season, do you think the Royals will have that game in their thinking this time around?

Not especially, no, but they will take some encouragement from that performance. Many expected a forgone conclusion and although the 2-0 scoreline suggests it was that, Royals were in it for most of the game.

Plenty has been and gone since then so I can't see the reverse fixture having too much impact overall.

Reading have continued to flirt with the lower reaches and could still be sucked into those relegation places, is going down a genuine fear amongst fans?

Yes, it certainly is and like the players and manager, no one is under any illusions about the task ahead. Royals are in a relegation battle. It's a far cry from last season when they finished in third spot and reached the play-off final.

But a variety of factors has seen them fail to hit the heights of last year and end up being in the relegation mix.

The good thing is that they have not been sucked into the relegation zone (yet) despite a poor run of results and not beating sides around them. Somehow, they have managed to have done enough to hover above the bottom three!

With this questionable position, how much pressure is Jaap Stam under? Can he consider himself fortunate to still be at the Madejski?

He is under far more pressure outside the club than from within. The chief executive came out at the start of the calendar year and said Stam was not under any pressure despite results. That has not changed. He was brought in with a long-term vision in mind and it's clear the board are keen to stick by him.

A lot of the fans - especially on social media - have turned on him for being too stubborn and not admitting personal blame after defeats. There have been a number of boos both during and after games too at Madejski Stadium recently which has seen the atmosphere turn quite toxic.

So yes he can be considered fortunate to still be in a job with plenty of other managers sacked for far less. However, the players enjoy working with him and as aforementioned he is with Reading for the long term so unless they do go down, I can't see him leaving.

Have Reading done much transfer business through January? Could their business play a part in the game?

They brought in two players - both very late in the window. Defender Tommy Elphick joined on loan from Aston Villa while Chris Martin arrived from Derby County - also on loan - in the final hours of the window.

Elphick injured his knee in only his second match for Reading so he will miss this game. It's unfortunate as Reading a short in the central defensive area and he made a good impression in the short time he was on the pitch.

Martin will likely start up front, possibly alongside Bodvarsson. He has one goal to his name so far in four appearances.

Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and Dave Edwards are two men Wolves fans will know well, having left Molineux for Reading in the summer, how have they got on since their respective moves? Will they feature this weekend?

Bodvarsson has been rather hit and miss but overall a good signing. He was never going to score on a regular basis but has chipped in with some important goals. His most eye-catching display came in the FA Cup replay win over Stevenage where he bagged a hat-trick.

Like Bodvarsson, Edwards has failed to nail down a regular starting spot in the midfield. He has had some good games but others where he has gone missing. His battling qualities could be key in this crucial end to the season.

How do you expect Reading to face up against the league leaders?

I expect them to be rather defensive but injuries mean Jaap Stam is restricted in his team selection. I'm sure he would like to play five at the back but injuries to Elphick and Paul McShane mean his best two centre-backs (arguably) are missing. Still, I am expecting a 4-5-1 or 5-4-1 formation. Most of the players are pretty adaptable, however, so that can change throughout the game.

What do you make of Wolves' promotion credentials, judging by what you've seen, could they cut it in the Premier League?

I haven't seen too much of them to be honest but from what I have seen they are a class apart from most teams. Certainly based on the reverse fixture they have some very talented players who can turn games in their favour. Consistency is key and it appears they have hit a slight blip but can't see them slipping up enough not to get automatically promoted.

Your match prediction?

It's got a 3-0 home win written all over it and as much as I would love to see Reading pull off a shock win, I can't see it happening at all.

You can follow Jonathan on Twitter by searching for @jonathanl50.