Reading manager Nigel Adkins admits he is preparing for next season with one eye on the possibility of relegation.
The Royals are eight points from Premier League safety with just six matches remaining and Saturday's 2-0 defeat at home to Southampton was a huge blow for their survival hopes.
Although Adkins is a relentlessly positive character, even he acknowledges that the club must plan for life back in the Championship and he is up for the challenge.
"Every team is planning for next season and will have plans for whatever division they're in," said Adkins, quoted in the Daily Mirror.
"I've got an opportunity to assess the playing staff and we've got to keep doing that and working hard to build on the success we've had before at Reading.
"We had an idea of what we had before we got here. We've got a blank piece of paper and a fresh challenge."
