Former Premier League stars Clinton Morrison and Michael Dawson labelled the situation at Reading 'concerning' on Sky Sports' Soccer Saturday.

The Royals, who have now had 16 points deducted in just three years under Dai Yongge, were discussed on Sky Sports' flagship programme ahead of their 4-1 defeat to Blackpool on Saturday.

In particular, the supporters' decision to throw tennis balls onto the pitch in protest against Yongge was called into question.

Reading Chronicle:

Morrison- who was a regular for Birmingham City and Crystal Palace- said: "You can understand Reading fans’ frustrations at the moment. They can remember the Premier League years but now they’ve got an owner who is struggling to get money out of China and struggling to pay the players’ wages on time. They keep getting these deductions as well. In terms of what is going on around the team, it is miserable at the moment.

"It is miserable, but I’m not sure what throwing tennis balls is going to do because the players still have to go out there. They are just trying to make a statement, which I understand. If you think about Reading, the years in the Premier League and doing ever so well, now it’s a frustrating time in League One. The fans are not happy, and they are voicing their opinions. It is not going to help the players. Selles is trying to do a good job. They haven’t had the best of starts but hopefully Reading Football Club can get sorted because I remember when they were in the Premier League, and they were always a decent team."

Dawson, who played over 300 times for Tottenham Hotspur, added: "It's concerning when you see the things happening at that football club. Last year, points deductions- you’re in League One and again it’s happening."

Host Simon Thomas, who took over from the legendary Jeff Stelling over the summer, succinctly summed up by saying: "It looks like an owner systematically ruining a good football club."

Thomas was a former Berkshire resident, living in Caversham for a spell, but now lives in nearby Buckinghamshire.