Reading have won only once in their last five games and have even slid down towards the relegation places in recent weeks - but former Royals player Mick Gooding has spoken out on BBC Radio Berkshire and believes his old team won't go down this year.

The side looked sharp last year and had a tilt towards the top six places at one point, only to end up falling short. They started this season well again too but have since dropped down the division like a stone.

This is despite having the likes of John Swift in their ranks, who has managed eight goals and nine assists so far this season and has looked like arguably one of the best players in the entire Championship.

Boss Veljko Paunovic will be keen to stop the rot and will be hoping he can soon pick up some points to lead his side further towards safety - and former player Mick Gooding certainly feels it is a doable task.

The Royals old player has admitted to BBC Radio Berkshire that he feels the team should have enough about them to steer clear of a drop down to League One and feels the team is more than capable of getting more wins on the board.

He said: "I know they are only two points above the relegation zone and have a boatload of injuries but I still think this squad is far too good to be anywhere near the relegation zone.

"But they are underperforming, absolutely."

Gooding then will feel that Reading can certainly get more positive results going forward - and if Paunovic can't start picking up those wins, then questions may start being asked about his capabilities to manage at the Madejski Stadium.

The Verdict

Reading have been a complete anomaly in the Championship over the last two seasons. Last season, they looked like they could beat most teams and were surefire contenders for a top six spot until they fell away towards the end of the campaign.

This year, it looked like they had picked up from where they left off, only to fall away early on and now battle against the drop zone.

Gooding is right in saying that the club certainly have the players to be able to compete in the second tier. John Swift is one of the best in the entire league and it's a shame that his ability is currently going to waste at a side that can't capitalise and pick up more victories.

They should have enough about them to beat the drop but perhaps some questions do need to be raised about why the Royals are currently underperforming as much as they are.