McDermott: Make me Royals boss

McDermott added another Premier League scalp to his short management CV with victory over the Clarets on Saturday.The Royals, who knocked out Liverpool after a replay at Anfield, booked their place in the fifth round following a late goal from Gylfi Sigurdsson in the 1-0 win at the Madejski Stadium.Chairman John Madejski is set to return next week from a business trip to Tenerife, and will have been given plenty to think about as he looks for a successor to Brendan Rodgers, who was sacked in December after failing to rekindle the success enjoyed under Steve Coppell.Reading - relegated from the top flight in 2008 and beaten by Burnley in last season's play-offs - are entrenched in a relegation battle at the wrong end of the Championship.McDermott, though, feels he has seen enough during his brief tenure in the hotseat to give him genuine belief for the challenges ahead.The 48-year-old has been at the Berkshire club for the best part of a decade, initially joining as chief scout before taking charge of the Under-19s and then reserves, helping school many of the players who took Reading up among the elite of English football for the first time in their history."Sometimes in life you get an opportunity and at this moment, I feel it is my time," McDermott said."The circumstances now are perfect for myself."We have got really good people here, and have a culture of how we want to play."Since the first day I was on the line, I have really enjoyed it."It suits me, the staff and players have been terrific."I am lucky to have a club like this."It is a real honour to manage it."The former Arsenal winger reflected: "What makes me laugh is that people think I have just walked off the street."I have been around for 30-odd years, and been at Reading for 10."I know the staff, the chairman and the players."Whatever the chairman and the board decide will be it, I just have to wait to see what happens."I am sure something will happen shortly."Reading were, in the end, worthy of pulling off another cup shock, having weathered a decent spell from the visitors midway through the second half to finish strongly.The players will need to continue to show such fight if they are to pull clear of the relegation zone."The games we have had in the league [since I took charge], we have had performances in nearly all of them," said McDermott."We have 21 games left to sort ourselves out in the league, and I know if we do what we have to do, we will be okay"The confidence and ability is there, we just now have to become a team which does not have to play great to win games."It is all about results, if you play poorly and win 1-0, everybody walks away happy." Sheff. Utd v Reading. Click here to bet.  

Source: Team_Talk