Reading FC boss Jose Gomes was at Hogwood today to meet the media and he is all the questions posed to the Portuguese ahead of the big kick-off on Saturday.

Are you ready for the new season? Or would you like a week or two longer?

JG: The players are completely ready to play official game. I am very happy with what my players have been doing during pre-season and they will show Saturday that they are ready for it. If you ask me about ideal squad, like all managers I would have liked more players but hopefully until they close the market, we will receive it.

We spoke to Nigel Howe, the chief executive, last week and he said that you were frustrated and you wanted more firepower. You still haven't got that.

JG: We have no time in this life to complain or to blame or cry. I repeat that the things in English football have changed a lot in the last years because we have business people buying the clubs and it isn't traditional where managers are staying 20 years.

I don't feel I have time to cry and to complain so of course all the coaches in the world they would like to receive the best players. We must accept this new reality because it is not in our hands. I am very happy to be Reading coach and help the players to be better, to increase their level and to show the Reading fans they can perform well and to get the points for us.

Can Reading fans be assured that you are looking for other players before the window closes and is number one on your list a striker?

JG: Yes. We are trying to do it and everyone is working very hard and people are trying to help the club to be better and I am really confident we have this space to bring the players that we want.

Last season we had five players on loan from January who were outstanding. This time around we have one of those five. Does that concern you? Would that concern Reading fans?

JG: That is not important data. If we replace them with similar or better solutions then good but right now I cannot say that. But I think we are trying to get new players, if we do it our level will be even better than last season.

As a manager do you set yourself targets? Realistically what will be a successful season for Reading?

JG: I think if we don't bring anyone else in I trust in the players I have. I trust the youth players who have played tough games. The young players did well against Sevilla, against Granada, they did very well and they showed very good things and things to give me confidence that we need. I can count on them.

Even if we don't bring anyone else, we will have a positive season. With this squad it can happen but with this squad it is not realistic to put the pressure on the shoulders of these players to get promoted.

They are not ready to get this pressure right but hopefully we can change this next week.

One area I worry about is the goalkeeper. Martinez was outstanding last season. Sam Walker has been given a chance and been in and out. Joao Virginia is just 19. Right now do you know he is playing.

JG: Yes I know who is playing. We can't judge a goalkeeper on one thing they didn't do properly.

They have both shown very good things during all these games and they showed that we can trust them.

Message for the Reading fans - they have had it bad and been fighting relegation. Last season you came in and mission accomplished you kept them up. What can you say to them?

JG: What I can say to them is when we achieved this target last season, this was the result of players working hard, technical staff, directors, medical staff but also the fans. They were fantastic. They support the team from the first whistle to the last and I need their support again because I know we will be stronger with their support and I know that we will win some games because of their support.

They will show us the full stadium, to help me, to increase the level of the football that we are playing and they push my players to win some games and the connection we felt last season was amazing.

In football anything can happen. It is 11 v 11 and of course you have players that are faster than others and players with more ability but it is football and anything can happen and we need their support.

The owner has said he will pay for travel for 15 away fixtures. What do you think about that?

JG: I had the pleasure of meeting Mr Dai during the last season and he is really enthusiastic person regarding Reading issues and is giving everything that he can to help us and he wants to improve the academy and to invite new and young players for the youth teams.

This decision to pay himself is fantastic for our fans and they know they can go for free and fantastic for us because we can hear our fans away and even at Man United, 73,000 and 3,000 from Reading and we heard them in the cup game.

You have coached clubs all round the world. You are hear to be a success and want to play in the Premier League. Do you believe you can achieve that with Reading?

JG: I believe. I really trust in the owner's project and the Reading project. I really believe we will achieve our targets and maybe it can be this season but right now we cannot give this pressure to our players. Maybe next week if some players come we can say come now we have all the conditions to assume we will fight for it.

ALSO - Gomes' quote piece to the Chronicle