Planet Swans ArchivesThe Swans travel to meet the Royals on Saturday knowing that the last league visitors to the Madejski stadium left on the back of a six goal drubbing.
Sheffield Wednesday were forced to return to Yorkshire humiliated after a Kevin Doyle inspired performance (he grabbed a hat-trick) left them humiliated on the road.
But Martinez is confident that his side will be up to the test of the weekend as he told the Western Mail “Reading will be a very difficult challenge. Away from home our toughest so far. I thought they were very, very unlucky to get relegated last season
“Without a doubt they are amongst the favourites to go back up. They have the know-how and the experience. They have controlled all their games so far.
“Very tough, but the sort of challenge we are looking forward to particularly off the back of our result against Cardiff. We have to keep improving now.
“I think when we see how we react against Reading it will show us how far we have come.
“There is no time now for us to keep growing in this division. It is the time now that we need to perform, there is no margin of error any more. We need to fulfil our potential quickly.
“They are still a Premier League club in many ways, you just look at their players
“There is a unique side to Steve Coppell in making a successful team out of small resources or players not many people knew.
“You hear managers complaining about lack of money or lack of names in their side, but Steve Coppell assembled his squad and got into the Premiership. Everything he does, the man management, there is something genuine about it. I have great respect for him.
“He has had problems too and he has dealt with things in the right way. I think he is an example for young managers.
“I thought against Cardiff we showed that. We defended really well, we sensed danger really well and that is the next area we need to move on in.
“Against Cardiff we kept a clean sheet despite the fact they threw everything at us near the end.”
