JAAP Stam blasted a lacklustre Reading FC display, insisting his players were “not good enough”, as an injury-struck Royals squad slumped to a 2-0 defeat to Queens Park Rangers this afternoon.

In truth Reading looked off the pace from the off and Stam’s side was hampered by injuries and suspensions. In fact, the Dutchman only fielded six substitutes.

Rangers meanwhile got off to a lung-busting start and took a deserved lead on 22 minutes through Connor Washington.

Royals’ afternoon got worse when Ilori was dismissed for a clumsy challenge in the box, gifting Washington a chance for his second, which he calmly took.

And Stam admitted he expects far better from Reading FC before urging the club's owners to continue to invest in new signings.

“We knew they would press us high up,” Bemoaned Stam.

“They did very well and they deserved the win.

“We weren’t ready for it. We weren’t sharp or aggressive enough and we weren’t good enough on the ball.

“They created chances and they scored. We had a couple of chances but we didn’t take them.

“It was a difficult afternoon and we need to do a lot better.”

Stam fielded three new signings in Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, Vito Mannone and Pelle Clement while Modou Barrow settled for a place on the bench following his transfer from Swansea City on Thursday.

And Stam refused to be drawn on their displays.

“I don’t want to talk about individuals,” stressed Stam.

“As a team we didn’t do well enough. If some players aren’t playing up to standards then it’s difficult for the other ones.

“We conceded a red card and a penalty and then we had to play in a different way.”

Stam only fielded six substitutes in a bench which included youngsters Sam Smith, Andy Rinomhota and Omar Richards.

Royals faced an injury crisis before kick-off with Joey van den Berg, Yann Kermorgant, Garath McCleary, Roy Beerens and Jordan Obita amongst a host of players in the club’s treatment room.

Unfortunately Bodvarsson could be joining the long list of injuries after he was forced to withdraw with a knee problem early in the second-half.

And Stam urged the club’s owners to bring in some extra bodies to bolster his squad.

“(The bench) It’s because the number of injuries and the number of players we have at the moment.

“Most of them we couldn’t prevent. It happens sometimes.

“Bodvarsson came off and we will have to look at his knee injury. It’s not going that well at the moment.

“We need to get players back in the squad and we still need to get players into the club.

“We need to have extra players to make the squad bigger and to inject more quality into the squad.”