"The way Reading have started and ourselves this was always going to be a big game but I don't think players are too concerned; they know it is tough anyway, even if it has that spice, and won't be affected.
"West Brom are top with results they say they haven't deserved but Reading have got everything they deserved to be second and are playing extremely well with confidence from last year.
"When you are confident you play with energy and they are very well organised and they are the team to beat - because they are next up."
If Wayne Quinn and Niclas Alexandersson play it will be 11 debuts for the season - at the end of a fortnight when several players have been away on international duty.
"I think people forget that the amount of games the players have played with each other is on one hand and I think the players deserve a lot of credit about where we are in this short period of time," concludes Paul.