JAAP Stam said he was shocked to see Reading FC supporters boo defender Tyler Blackett off of the pitch following a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Millwall FC.

Former Manchester United man Blackett came on as an early sub before being withdrawn again following a sloppy performance.

And fans vented their fury at the 23-year-old, booing him as he trudged off of the field.

But boss Stam leapt to Blackett's defence.

"He did well when he was on the pitch," asserted Stam.

"We took him off for tactial reasons. We were playing with three at the back against two strikers.

"If the crowd reacts like that against a young team then it's not good for anyone's confidence or decision making.

"The supporters kept shouting 'forward, forward, forward' and that affects the players too.

"Players remember what we spoke about, about going forward, but sometimes they can't see the solution.

"They need to focus on their game and what they need to do instead of thinking about other things."

Royals registered just a single shot on target in what was ultimately a disappointing attacking display.

In truth, the Lions could have been three or four goals up at half-time after a wave of attacks.

And Stam bemoaned Royals' performance.

He added: "It was very disappointing.

"We didn't create enough chances in the first half.

"Still, it was 0-0 at half-time, we talked about what we can change and what we needed to do. At times we were more direct but we also kept possession.

"We started the second-half well before they scored."