Jaap Stam has insisted Reading will not freeze on the big stage when his side take on Huddersfield Town at Wembley on Monday, as they seek a passage to the Premier League and the biggest financial prize in football. According to Deloitte, promotion is worth a guaranteed £170m, a figure that could rise to £290m if the club retain their top-flight status.
Stam has previously dismissed the significance of his own big-game experience, saying there is only so much he can do from the touchline, and he believes his players have toughened from prevailing in important matches this season. “I think they have learned throughout the season, they have made progress during the season and we have had several games where we needed to do it and needed to win and they have done it,” Stam said. “The last two games against Fulham [in the play‑offs] for example, the game at home to Leeds [a 1-0 win] or away at Sheffield Wednesday [a 2-0 win].
“We have learned from the experience at Old Trafford: a big game [a 4-0 FA Cup defeat], big occasion, great pitch and a different atmosphere. The first half we did not play how we could play, some players froze a little bit but I think players learn from that. Players learn from that, having the belief that they are allowed to make mistakes.”
Stam believes he has grown as a coach over the past 12 months by having learned to harness his emotions. “You can not expect young players to straight away see what you see,” he said. “As a manager it is difficult as you see what’s happening on the pitch and want to warn the players. That’s why I’m always on the sidelines, always involved and talking to the players about what the opposition might do. Sometimes when it is not working out it can be hard.
“We are tough at times if we think it is necessary. But from years back you always had managers who gave the players a bollocking if it wasn’t working out. I like to do that if the player keeps making the same mistake, sometimes you need to be rougher and harder. But it is better if you tell the players what they need to do, it is easy to say they have done something wrong but what can they do to make it better and improve? When you give that advice it makes it easier for a player to do it next time.”
For Stam, the final hurdle of a “long first season” in the job, is to navigate a way past a vibrant Huddersfield, another side who have exceeded expectations this year. Stam believes he and David Wagner, both in their first management jobs, are reaping the rewards of being given the freedom to implement a distinct philosophy.
“In Holland, we have got a philosophy of how we want to play and what we want to do,” Stam said. “The Huddersfield manager as well – in Germany, football there has been changed a lot in the last couple of years. The last couple of years in Germany, they still have the aspect of not giving up and working hard until the end, but they implemented the style of play and a way of football. If you go to a certain team or you go to a certain league and implement your philosophy of play, your mentality as well, you can go a long way.”
David Wagner, meanwhile, has acknowledged that his future almost certainly hinges on the outcome of the Monday’s final.
Huddersfield’s manager is widely coveted, with Middlesbrough and Southampton understood to be interested, and will not be short of suitors should his side lose. “I think this game can decide all of our futures,” said the 45-year-old former Borussia Dortmund reserve-team manager.
“But it makes no sense to think about that now. I haven’t really thought about my future because it’s a waste of energy. It makes total sense to think only about Reading.”
Should Huddersfield return to the top tier for the first time since 1972, Dean Hoyle, the club’s owner, is prepared to offer Wagner a radically improved, £2.5m-a-year contract but could still face a fight to retain him.
Whatever happens, Wagner and Huddersfield have performed wonders to reach Wembley. “I feel we’re 18th or 19th in the Championship budget table,” said the German. “So I think the gap between us and Newcastle is bigger than the gap between Leicester and Chelsea when Leicester won the title last season – if you like to compare our two fairytales.
“We’re a small club but even if you’re a small dog, it doesn’t mean you’re not able to be quick, have endurance, be mobile. I think we’ve found a way, we’ve shown our weapons.”
Wagner feels his players were well-prepared by their semi-final victory against Sheffield Wednesday, with the second leg having taken place – and been won on penalties – at Hillsborough.
“There isn’t such a big difference between Hillsborough and Wembley,” said a manager who has had Huddersfield’s training pitches adjusted to the latter’s dimensions and conducts frequent 3pm practice sessions to reflect the final’s kick-off time. “The players have shown they’re capable.”
The only time Wagner has been to the national stadium was to attend a Football Association disciplinary hearing but he has not asked his great friend Jürgen Klopp for advice about playing there. “It’s because he took his team to Wembley last season [for the League Cup final] and he wasn’t successful!” said Wagner. “But I know Jürgen’s supporting us.”
Should Huddersfield win, then Hoyle is expected to honour a promise he made on buying the club in 2009. The Card Factory founder pledged that, if the Terriers reached the Premier League, anyone who had held a season ticket throughout his tenure would be guaranteed a top-tier season pass for £100. They are expected to be cheered on by more than 40,000 fans at Wembley.
