Steve Coppell believes his Reading team will be seen as prize scalps in the Championship next season.

Ahead of Thursday's return to training, Steve told readingfc.co.uk, "We are a target now - as a relegated team we will be used as a yardstick.

"Certainly in the first quarter of the season, everyone will be judging themselves when they play against us.

"The three teams who have come down are being put up on pegs, waiting to be knocked off.

"In those first eleven games a lot of clubs will be making the extra effort to show they are capable of matching us or beating us. We are aware of that."

Steve also believes that his team's last experience of competing in the Championship - when they romped to the title with 106 points - will offer no advantage, saying, "We can take comfort from what happened a couple of years ago, but it won't help us."