Roberts - Reading can stay up

Jason Roberts: The 34-year-old hit six goals in 17 games for Reading to help them win the Championship and end their four-year exile from the top-flight

Jason Roberts is backing Premier League new-boys Reading to comfortably avoid the drop after adding six new summer signings.

Chris Gunter and Adrian Mariappa joined for a combined fee of £5million from Nottingham Forest and Watford respectively as boss Brian McDermott looked to add more quality players to his squad.

But it is his bargain buys that have caught the eye with free signings Danny Guthrie from Newcastle, West Brom's Nicky Shorey and Pavel Pogrebnyak from Stuttgart that could prove to be his best acquisitions.

"We have to believe that we are good enough," Roberts told Sky Sports. "We have got some good players who have played in the Premier League before and that is a bonus for us.

"We have got some other good players who may not have Premier League experience but have experience in other leagues. It is an exciting time for everyone at the club.

"When you look at the side you do not know what the starting XI is going to be and that is where you have to be if you are attacking a league as competitive as the Premier League."

Big name

The signing of Pogrebnyak raised eyebrows as a number of clubs were chasing the Russian striker's signature after he decided to quit Stuttgart.

The 28-year-old hit an impressive six goals in 12 games while on loan to Fulham from the German side last season, but failed to agree personal terms at the west London club, allowing Reading to jump in.

And Roberts admits he will be facing a tough fight for a place up front with the rest of the strikers.

"We played two up front last year and hopefully we will continue to do that," he added. "He (Pogrebnyak) is a big name player who has come in and I would like to see myself up front with him.

"But there are other players here like Noel Hunt, Adam Le Fondre and Simon Church and other players who have helped the club be where they are today as well as the Pog. They will want to take their chances, as will I."

• Premier League Relegation 12/13 Relegation: Reading 1/100