Paul Clement “embarrassed” by Reading display in loss to Ipswich

Reading manager Paul Clement labelled his team’s display in the 4-0 Championship defeat at home to Ipswich as “shameful, embarrassing and completely unacceptable”.

Although Reading dominated much of the game, they missed a series of chances and conceded four goals in the closing 19 minutes.

Martyn Waghorn tucked in his 15th goal of the season and Jordan Spence made it 2-0 eight minutes later.

Goals from substitute Freddie Sears and Callum Connolly in stoppage time completed the rout.

To avoid the drop, Reading may now need one point at Cardiff on the last day of the season next Sunday.

“At the end, we got what we deserved,” Clement said. “We were not professional for the entire game.

“I can’t ever remember a situation where I’ve had to speak about a performance like that.

“It was shameful and embarrassing from the point where Ipswich got their first goal to the end of the game.

“It was completely unacceptable and I’m very disappointed and sorry for our fans.

“They came here to see us get over the line, to ensure our status at this level, but they didn’t get that.

“I thought the first half was quite tight and we started the second half brightly.

“Our final positions on the first goal were terrible, the second goal terrible, the third goal terrible. For the fourth, we were all over the place.

“This is going to hurt for a while but we’ve got eight days until our last game.

“At the moment, everyone is embarrassed. We were so poor.”

Ipswich caretaker manager Bryan Klug picked up his first win in three attempts.

“That was for everyone involved in our club, right through the staff to the players,” Klug said.

“The players have responded well after the massive disappointment of last weekend [a 4-0 home defeat to Aston Villa].

“It’s obviously a better feeling today and I thought that we played quite well.

“We played well in the first half, I thought we were reasonably comfortable.

“We created a few good opportunities and looked lively on the counter-attack. At times, we had good possession as well.

“When we got our second goal, that was significant to the game. What went on in the last couple of minutes puts a real tint on it for us.

“In many ways, I feel for the opposition because I don’t think it was a 4-0 game.

“No-one has ever questioned this group’s belligerence and they showed all that quality.

“It would have been easy for the group to come here and play as it didn’t matter.

“But their display is testimony to all the things that have been instilled in them over the years.”