Reading FC boss Paul Ince believes the fans will play a pivotal role in helping his team this season.
The Royals have made a strong start to the campaign and currently sit in third position in the Championship with three wins from five games.
However, Ince is keeping his feet firmly on the ground and reiterated his objectives for the season ahead.
“We’re not going to win every game, we will lose games,” said Ince.
“We’ve got an embargo, we’ve got to use the siege mentality and the remit is to stay in this league.
“We need to do it as one.
“The fans knew we were out on our feet against Boro and they kept us going.
“When the lads hear the fans trying to get us over the line it really helps and I’m sure they will have to do that a lot more this season.
“Last year the gap between the fans, the team and the club was too vast.
“We’re now starting to bridge it back slowly.”
Ince’s team face a difficult test with two away games on the horizon.
First they face Millwall at the Den on Saturday before a Tuesday night trip to Sheffield United.
He continued: “We know what Millwall is like. It’s the kind of place where the fans are on top of you and it will be an atmosphere that we have to deal with.
“They (the players) are the ones out there, not me. We need to start quickly.
“We’re in a good mood, good spirit. We’ve got to be competitive and fingers crossed we go there and get something.
“It’s tough because we’ve got such a small squad at the moment.
“It’s six games in two weeks, it’s actually unfair.
“The EFL have crammed in so many games probably because of the World Cup.
“It’s the same for every Championship team, but some have a squad of 25. But for us we are relying on the same players more or less.
“I expect Millwall and Sheffield United to be up there in the play-off places but we don’t fear anybody.
“We haven’t won away yet this season so it would be nice to pick up something.”
