Reading FC: Sone Aluko insists Royals are making progress under Paul Clement ahead of West Brom trip

Royals crashed to their fifth defeat in six home league games on Tuesday night after a 1-0 loss to fellow strugglers QPR.

It leaves them 20th in the Championship table and perilously close to the relegation zone with just two victories in 11 matches.

Clement kept Reading up over the final eight games of last season after replacing Jaap Stam in March.

But the Royals boss now finds himself under pressure again after a poor start to this campaign.

However, Aluko – himself the focus of supporters’ criticisms – believes Royals are on an upward curve and that results will soon improve.

He told the Chronicle: “Tuesday obviously wasn’t the result we were looking for. We’ve had some good results lately, and now we have to look at our inconsistency and try to change it.

“We need to look at ourselves. If I’m honest, there is definitely progression and you can see the steps we are taking.

“Nobody was happy with Tuesday, but we will carry on training hard and hopefully things will turn around again.”

Reading's players look dejected after QPR take the lead.

Reading’s woeful form picked up last month with wins at Preston and home to Hull City.

They were also denied three points at Brentford on Saturday by Yoann Barbet’s injury-time equaliser.

But Clement’s men were second best on Tuesday against a QPR side that had lost their previous three in all competitions without scoring.

“One of the main problems, especially at home, is that we need to start as quickly and strongly as possible and dominate the game,” admitted 29-year-old Aluko ahead of Saturday’s trip to title-challenging West Bromich Albion (3pm ko).

“There are no excuses, we had plenty of time to come back into the game at QPR.

“We’ve got look at ourselves and change the result on Saturday.

“We need to take this club where it deserves to be.”

QPR skipper Toni Leistner fires his side into the lead at Madejski Stadium on Tuesday night.

Aluko’s place in the starting line-up has come into question with many fans believing on-loan Southampton winger Josh Sims should take his place.

“Personally, I’m trying to take steps forward every day in training then bring that into games,” said the club’s £6m record signing from Fulham. “By doing that I’m sure I will help the team more and more.

“The manager let every player know where they can improve. He is vocal so everyone knows what they need to do to have a chance of playing.

“It comes down to individuals then.”

Royals go to West Brom with a depleted squad and lack of strikers with Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and Sam Baldock both likely to miss out with calf problems and Paul McShane, Dave Edwards, David Meyler, Jordab Obita Adrian Popa and Omar Richards already ruled out.

However, fit-again Garath McCleary and Callum Harriott are pushing for recalls following their slow recoveries from long-term injuries.

Fit-again Callum Harriott, left, and Garath McCleary, middle, sat with the Reading squad on Tuesday night. 

Royals start as massive underdogs against Darren Moore’s Baggies whose 2-2 draw at Sheffield Wednesday in midweek left them fourth in the table and just one point behind leaders Leeds.

“We try and win every game and Saturday is no different,” declared Aluko. “We have to look at what happened at QPR then move on because we have another hard game coming up.

“West Brom are a good team on paper, but we’ll be going there to get three points.”