Saturday 1 April 2017 17:29, UK
"You can tell something about how they are as human beings. It's a way of thinking. Because if you think this is boring, I think they need to have a look at their own team and how they play. They can say 'we won' and, of course, at the end it's about the result - but if you need to play like that then I don't want to be a manager."
More than three months after voicing such a forthright view, Jaap Stam remains in charge at Reading. Another nine Championship wins obtained, his team are on course to reach the play-offs as they sit fifth, six points clear of seventh-top Fulham, with eight games to play. Four of those will take place at the Madejski Stadium, where they have lost just twice in 19 league matches this season.
And yet, Leeds United - of whom Stam was so critical after his side lost 2-0 at Elland Road on December 13 - have won once more than Reading in the second tier since then and are a place higher up the table as they look to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2004. The teams meet again on Saturday evening, live on Sky Sports 1, and with the stakes high and tensions arguably higher, the game has all the ingredients to be one of the biggest grudge matches of the campaign.
Stam's indignant take on how Leeds secured their pre-Christmas victory against Reading was a defensive one, a defiant response to chants of "boring" from home fans after the visitors dominated in Yorkshire but often in the wrong areas of the pitch. With 77 per cent of possession, they had the bulk of play yet carved just two shots on target against more ruthless opponents and ultimately suffered one of what now amounts to nine away defeats in the Championship.
For all that, the Dutchman's rant went on: "I don't want to play and just wait and wait and wait. That's not my type of playing, my type of tactics. You can say congratulations to Garry Monk, he got the result and everyone wants results. But in terms of way of playing, it's not my cup of tea."
The likelihood is Stam's comments were borne out of frustration at Reading's usual approach being undone by Leeds going about their business in the way they normally do. Understandable, of course, but curious when you consider he objected to a style adopted by United which is perhaps not as dissimilar to his own team's as he believes.
The former Manchester United defender has become used to seeing Reading show patience before they penetrate to score. They rank second highest in the league's possession stats with 57.9 per cent - with Monk's team 10th thanks to an average fractionally over 50 per cent.
Yet Reading spend only 23 per cent of their time in the opposition third, less than every other team in the division. Statistics suggest Reading have made a habit of biding their time before striking, the very thing Stam pilloried Leeds for, with the only difference being the Dutchman's side have more of the ball in non-dangerous areas before making their move, whereas United appear - with their return of 25 per cent of their time in the opposition third - to absorb pressure then move forward with conviction on the counter.
Notably, Reading spend 34 per cent of games in their own defensive third, more than every other Championship side. It all raises a pertinent question: does it matter whether you have lots of the ball in your own half or not so long as you apply yourselves correctly when you attack? Breaking to get goals and positive results is something both teams have been good at in 2016/17 and while their build-up play might be different, the way they come forward with such incisiveness is much the same.
Leeds head coach Monk - who has since been drawn into a touchline skirmish with Huddersfield's David Wagner and received a fine and suspension for his troubles - was withering in his response to Stam at the tail end of last year. "It doesn't really bother me too much," he said, "but I felt a little bit embarrassed for him to be saying those type of comments. We all want to win games. Sometimes when we don't win, afterwards emotions are still high and it's hard to hide your disappointment. It doesn't affect us at all. We were very happy with our performance and we were the most dangerous team on the pitch. We were clinical and we had the best chances, two goals and a clean sheet. That's all we're focused on."
It is little wonder Monk was so content. Making the most of opportunities is something Leeds have done with aplomb this season. Just bottom side Rotherham and Ipswich have had fewer shots in the Championship than Monk's team, yet only league leaders Newcastle and Norwich have a better conversion rate. Leeds' win against Reading was a trademark success.
Two teams of supposedly differing styles, Reading and Leeds' respective results this season suggest what is being done at both clubs can work. The onus now is on Stam to find a way to outwit Monk - and while he might not admit it publicly, the chances are that will require his men to wait and wait and wait.
