Poyet linked with Reading job

Reading captain Jobi McAnuff has pledged to fight until the end as the embattled club's managerial search turned to Brighton's Gus Poyet.

Brian McDermott was last week relieved of his duties at the Madejski Stadium helm after a run of four successive league defeats left the Royals in serious danger of an immediate return to the npower Championship.

It is understood Reading's Russian owner Anton Zingarevich is in England as the search for a replacement continues, with Poyet the latest favourite for the job. After links to former Swindon boss Paolo di Canio and ex-Southampton manager Nigel Adkins, the odds on the Brighton boss replacing McDermott have shortened to as low as 1/10 with some bookmakers.

Talks are understood to have taken place regarding a move to Reading but that it is by no means a done deal, with Poyet's Brighton side upwardly mobile.

They are seventh in the Championship after a 3-0 derby defeat of Crystal Palace and Poyet has previously stated he has ambitions to go to one of England's elite.

However, should the Uruguayan plump for a move to the Royals, skipper McAnuff believes he would be joining a club that could still beat the drop.

"No one's giving up," the midfielder told the club's official website, www.readingfc.co.uk.

"We're got eight massive games left now and it doesn't matter who we've got, we'll show our pride and see if we can pick some results up.

"For us it's about believing that we're good enough to be here. We really do believe that - we're here on merit. We've earned the right to be here and we just want to make sure we give it a good crack between now and the end of the season and do our best to make sure that we stay up.

"Credit to Eamonn [Dolan, caretaker manager], the staff and the players - it was a tough week but in football you've got to roll with the punches and get on with it, and I thought we did that on Saturday."