In what has been an excellent debut season for Jaap Stam, Reading remain not only at the heart of the play-off picture, but also at the heart of the automatic promotion race.

Very few would've predicted Reading to have the meteoric rise that they have had this season, however, Stam has proved to be one of the brightest managers in the Football League.

A number of players including Gareth McCleary and Liam Moore have stood out, not only as standout performers for Reading, but some of the best performers in the entirety of the Sky Bet Championship.

Despite Reading having an excellent season, Jaap Stam will always be looking for improvement and he will already be planning ahead for next season, whether that is in the Championship once again or even the Premier League.

Jaap Stam may have already begun assessing the squad and his current crop of players to see who are good enough and who have failed to make an impression, and need to impress before the end of the season.

FLW writer Elliott Wheat-Bowen looks at TWO Reading players who will seriously need to impress between now and the end of the season for differing reasons.....

 

Lewis Grabban

In a whirlwind deadline day, the arrival of Lewis Grabban could arguably have been one of the signings of the January transfer window.

The 29-year-old striker joined Reading on loan from Bournemouth until the end of the season as Jaap Stam looked to bolster his attacking options.

Lewis Grabban's vast experience not only in the Championship but also promotion from the division was welcomed by Reading fans.

Prior to Grabban's arrival, the lack of an alternative striker to Yann Kermogant some saw as a weakness that needed to addressed in the transfer window.

However, considering the fact that Grabban scored only once for Bournemouth in the Premier League, the former Norwich City striker has a point to prove and he will need to seriously impress between now and the end of the season if he is going to help fire Reading to promotion.

Adrian Popa

As well as Lewis Grabban, Adrian Popa was one of Reading's marquee signings in the January transfer window joining from Romanian side Steaua Bucharest.

The Romanian international who played regularly for Romania at the European Championships in the summer appeared to be a coup for the Berkshire club.

With experience winning the league in Romania and playing in the Champions League, the 28-year-old winger offered vast experience and a winning mentality which would go a long way in a flourishing Reading side.

Alongside Gareth McCleary and Roy Beerens, Popa adds to the plethora of wide options and the wide foray of attacking quality that Reading now possesses.

With a burgeoning reputation as one of the most talented Romanian players to make the switch to Western Europe, Popa faces expectations from his own country and he will seriously have to impress between now and the end of the season to live up to his reputation.