5 EFL Championship contenders despite poor starts to the season  

#2 Reading

Jaap Stam hopes for repeat of last season's form

After missing out on automatic promotion last season by 7 points and losing the playoff final to Huddersfield Town, Reading and their manager Jaap Stam were so close and yet so far from the top flight.

Looking at their early season form, they have found it difficult to bounce back from the disappointments of last season.

However, Stam has the complete backing of the club's Chinese board to replicate some of last season's form and go a step further to bring the Madejski Stadium back among the Premier League elite.

The capture of Sone Aluko from fellow promotion hopefuls, Fulham, indicates Stam is ready to fight it out again to secure the club's promotion to the big league.

Along with a number of players nursing their way back to full fitness, Stam believes his side have had a fruitful summer window and the goal is to claim the Championship crown and not have to endure the pressures of a playoff.

With the whole team from last season intact, the squad will have to pull together, pick up results and climb the table as they currently lie in 17th spot with a game in hand, boasting a record of two wins, three losses and a draw.