Darren O’Dea insists it is the players who are to blame for Reading’s woeful start to the season and not under-fire boss Brendan Rodgers.

Royals were second best throughout, but the on-loan defender claimed preparation for last night’s match had been perfect.

He said: “It’s not the manager’s fault. It’s ours. But he is going to get stick because he is the head. We couldn’t be any better prepared for the game. We are training very well, work really hard and know everything about the opposition. It is just down to us.

“There are only a few people to look at and that is ourselves. There’s no point making an excuse. When things don’t go to plan you need to come out fighting and at the moment we are rolling over to teams and that is not acceptable.

“We looked like we were the team down to 10 men in the first half. We came out after the break and set up in a different shape, but Ivar (Ingimarsson) getting sent off stopped the momentum. That, though, is only a hundredth of the problem.

“This has been a long time coming and we need something to kick us out of our slump.”

Rodgers made five changes to the side that lost 3-1 at West Brom on Saturday with Shane Long, Simon Church, Brynjar Gunnarsson, Darren O’Dea and Jay Tabb coming in for Noel Hunt, Ryan Bertrand, Shaun Cummings, Brian Howard and most surprising of all Jem Karacan.

Royals lined up in a 4-4-2 formation with O’Dea continuing where he left off against the Baggies at left back and Tabb slotting into an unfamiliar right-back role.

And it was Tabb who was under pressure early on when Wayne Routledge’s mis-kick fell to Adel Taarabt.

The Morocco international cut inside Tabb, forcing a good save from Adam Federici.

But Reading were far from being overrun and Jobi McAnuff soon got behind Rangers’ defence only to fire into the side netting.

Rangers were reduced to 10 men after half an hour when Ben Watson, who had just returned from a one-match ban, was shown a second yellow card in the space of 11 minutes.

Watson’s first booking was for a clear foul on Long, but his second was controversial to say the least.

The midfielder was given his marching orders for taking a free-kick too early for the liking of referee Andy Hall.

Rangers took their time over their second attempt at the set-piece and Akos Buzsaky curled home a superb 25-yard effort past the despairing Federici.

Reading tried to force their way back into the game, enjoying spells of possession, but Rangers broke to score a well-worked second.

Buzsaky found Routledge out wide, the winger picked out Jay Simpson at the back post and the on-loan Arsenal striker volleyed past Federici.

Royals were an inch away from pulling one back before the break, but Church’s free-kick beat the wall and keeper Radek Cerny, only to hit a post.

Gylfi Sigurdsson and Howard came on at half-time, replacing Tabb and Cisse.

But Ingimarsson undid Rodgers’ half-time reshuffle when he picked up his second yellow card for a foul on Simpson just five seconds after the restart.

Long then wasted a decent chance to get Reading back in the game when he headed over from a good position.

Rangers substitute Rowan Vine had two clear chances to settle the game, but both times he could only hit tamely at Federici.

Vine eventually got the ball in the back of the net, but was given offside.

Reading seemed devoid of ideas up front, continually taking too long on the ball or picking the wrong pass.

And Rangers showed them how it should be done when substitute Vine fired low and hard inside Federici’s  near post to settle the game as a contest.

Patrick Agyemang made it 4-0 seven minutes from time when he latched onto a Gavin Mahon through-ball and rounded Federici.

This was a poor performance all round from Reading. Defensively sluggish, out-passed in midfield and shot-shy up front, only Sigurdsson seemed to have the desire to keep on battling and he was unlucky with two long-range efforts.

Howard grabbed a late consolation when he chipped over Cerny after a defensive mix-up.

And the goal was greeted by ironic chants of “Easy, easy, easy” from the travelling faithful, who made their feelings known throughout the game, with numerous renditions of “We want Rodgers out”.

Queens Park Rangers: Cerny, Ramage, Borrowdale, Gorkss, Stewart, Taarabt (Agyemang 75), Buzsaky (Mahon 66), Watson, Faurlin, Routledge, Simpson (Vine 53). Booked: Watson, Borrowdale, Faurlin. Sent off: Watson

Reading: Federici, Tabb (Sigurdsson 46), O’Dea, Mills, Ingimarsson, Gunnarsson, Cisse (Howard 46), Kebe, McAnuff, Church (Robson-Kanu 59), Long.

Booked: Ingimarsson.

Sent off: Ingimarsson.

Referee: Andy Hall.

Attendance: 11,900.

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