Reading boss Steve Coppell has bemoaned his past as a manager in relegation battles when asked whether he would be a 'footballing Houdini' and keep Reading in the top flight. Coppell had been relegated in the past with both Crystal Palace and Brighton.

Reading take on Derby at the weekend in a match they know they must win if they are to stand any chance of survival.

Coppell feels that there have been some strange things happening to Reading this year; pointing out a 7-4 defeat to Portsmouth and 6-4 loss to Spurs: "Given the freak elements of our season, I'm happy we've got this opportunity, but it's not going to land in our lap.

"We know the score - if we win, we'll have a chance; if we draw, we'll have a slight chance; but if we lose, we have no chance."

When asked if he was to help Reading escape the drop, Coppell quipped: "I don't think I've ever had one, so it's time for the first.

"When I was at Palace, we were relegated once with 49 points, which I've always felt aggrieved about, and I went down with Brighton although I wasn't there for the first quarter of the season."