Poor start has put Reading manager Brian McDermott under 'good pressure' says manager

Brian McDermott backed the decision to postpone the match (Getty Images)

Brian McDermott has claimed he is under “good pressure” after Reading's winless start to life back in the Barclays Premier League.

Saturday's 3-3 draw with Fulham left the npower Championship winners rooted in the bottom three, their eighth failure to take maximum points from a game this season.

They are level on points with fellow newcomers Southampton, whose manager Nigel Adkins has been forced to endure repeated speculation about his job.

McDermott appears to enjoy more leeway with new Reading owner Anton Zingarevich and insisted he had no fears over his own position.

"I've been in this game 30-odd years and that's something I've never ever concerned myself about," he said.

"We're all working to get the same goal.

"We're all - absolutely everybody - on the same page."

Claiming he was "relishing every moment of it", he added: "This is good pressure.

"We're playing in the greatest league in the world, we're playing in front of a full house, everybody at the training ground is working their socks off to have the best environment that we possibly can.

"You saw the spirit within the group on Saturday against Fulham.

"Any manager in this league or any league is under pressure. We live our life under pressure."

That pressure will be eased considerably if McDermott becomes the first Reading manager ever to beat Arsenal tonight.

The 51-year-old will take on his former club for the first time looking to reach the quarter-finals of the Capital One Cup.

That would pile on the misery for Gunners boss Arsene Wenger, whose seven years without a trophy has led many to question whether his own job is safe.

McDermott dismissed suggestions Wenger should be sacked as "nonsense", saying: "It's never easy when you're selling your best players.

"[Robin] Van Persie goes, [Cesc] Fabregas goes, and to try to replace those is very, very difficult.

"But he's got a great knack of finding players. He's got [Santi] Cazorla, who's come in and is a terrific talent.

"You've got Jack Wilshere just coming back now and (Alex Oxlade-) Chamberlain, who's really establishing himself.

"I know Steve Rowley, the chief scout there. He's a really good man and does a great job for them."

PA