Jaap Stam has won silverware in three different leagues for five different teams, and has a Champions League title from his time at Manchester United.
He’s used to winning, and that includes his first stop as a full-time manager. And that makes Reading’s loss in Monday’s playoff final sting a bit more.
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Reading lost in penalty kicks and it’s not like the Royals were thoroughly outclassed by Huddersfield Town. But it still burns. From Sky Sports:“You don’t want to play football to be in the grey areas, you want to get the max out of your career, win trophies and play at the highest level.
“It’s tough to take, but it has to be difficult. It’s not good to lose a game like this, you need to feel it and experience it and then take that forward if you get into the same moment again. The good players do that.”
Reading loses a trio of loan players -- Lewis Grabban, Reece Oxford, and Jordon Mutch -- as well as American midfielder Danny Williams. It won’t be easy for Reading to get back into the playoffs without an injection of money, but Stam’s first rodeo as a manager was a good ride that came up just short.
