Gilbert expects Southampton to want to prove point against Reading | OneFootball

Reading manager Liam Gilbert expects this afternoon’s opponents Southampton to be out to prove a point after their shock defeat last weekend.

The Saints were one of the pre-season promotion favourites and they won their first two games against Lewes and Blackburn Rovers. Marieanne Spacey-Cale’s side hit their first bump in the road last weekend as they lost 1-0 at home to Sunderland.

Southampton now travel to the Select Car Leasing Stadium to face a defensively-solid Reading side and Royals boss Gilbert expects The Saints to arrive with a point to prove.

“I don’t think there is a good time to play them or any team the way that results are going at the moment,” Gilbert said when asked by FAWSL Full-Time if it is a dangerous time to face Southampton.

“They’ll be smarting after losing at home last week, especially after dominating most of the play. I’m sure that they weren’t happy with certain aspects and they’ll be out to prove a point but we will be ready for the challenge.”

Gilbert has been in the Reading hotseat for less than two months. After having little time to prepare the team for the new season, he is looking forward to the upcoming international break.

He said “The break is going to be massive for us because it has literally been game, game, game since coming in.

“As much as we would like to add things and develop individual stuff, we’ve had to just prepare for games. We’ve now got a 10-day period where we can embed individual stuff, work with the girls on a direct basis. We can then look at what that looks like in units and in the group and spend more time on what we need to do. I’m looking forward to it.”

Reading’s Barclays Women’s Championship fixture against Southampton kicks-off at 12pm.