Reading FC and Jaap Stam must have looked on at Nottingham Forest success with frustration | OneFootball

Stam will be frustrated that he didn't get the best out of Lewis Grabban during his loan spell at the Select Car Leasing Stadium back in 2017.

Reading FC needed to add more quality to their squad in January 2017 to build on their excellent start to the 2016/17 campaign.

And in fairness to the board, they gave Jaap Stam and Brian Tevreden the opportunity to make some further additions, despite doing plenty of business already during the 2016 summer window.

On paper, some of these additions were very promising, and looked set to enhance the Royals' cause as they looked to retain their place in the top six.

Looking back though, their additions didn't exactly make a huge impact at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

Tiago Ilori may have made the most appearances for the Royals out of the quintet, but he didn't live up to expectations and was unable to make a real asset after the end of the 2016/17 season.

It's a shame that he was unable to be at his best during his time in Berkshire, because he looked good on paper and was able to stay fit for much of his time at the club, but was unable to kick on fully after his departure from Liverpool.

Adrian Popa showed some promise during his time in a Royals shirt, but was unable to enjoy long-lasting success at the club and went out on loan a few times before leaving the SCL Stadium permanently.

Jordan Mutch may have scored at Ipswich Town in the February of that season, but that was his only valuable contribution in the end, with the midfielder failing to perform well, and Reece Oxford fell below some people's expectations considering the potential he had.

In the end, Stam's side were able to secure a place in the play-off final, but fell just short of promotion in the end after losing on penalties against Huddersfield Town at Wembley.

Lewis Grabban didn't fulfil his potential in a Reading FC shirt

Lewis Grabban could have been an excellent addition to have, along with the likes of Yann Kermorgant and Joseph Mendes up top.

Unfortunately, he was unable to make a real difference for the Royals when it mattered.

In fairness to the forward, he didn't exactly endure a "poor" spell at the Madejski Stadium, because he did make some contributions in-front of goal.

Registering a goal and two assists away at Aston Villa, he also scored in a 2-1 win against Rotherham United and struck on the final day in a 4-2 away victory at Burton Albion.

However, his impact was often limited, partly because he was played out of position by Stam at times.

It's a shame that he was unable to produce a moment of magic against Huddersfield in May 2017's play-off final - because that would have seen him go down as a Reading legend if he had won the game for them.

He went close with a shot, but couldn't play a big role during what was a very dull game at Wembley, and he will go down as a fairly forgettable figure at the SCL Stadium.

The forward, however, enjoyed success later on in his career.

Grabban did very well during his time at Nottingham Forest, scoring 56 goals and 10 assists in 149 competitive appearances, which made his average stint in Berkshire even more puzzling.

That is a remarkable record - and his contributions made a real difference at the City Ground - with his 12 league goals during the promotion-winning 2021/22 campaign playing a part in their rise from relegation candidates to promotion contenders.

He also scored during a memorable FA Cup win against Arsenal during the same season - and that was one of many goals he registered during his time in the East Midlands.

If the Royals had managed to get the Forest version of Grabban, he could have been more of an asset under Stam, and perhaps could've fired them back to the Premier League.

The fact he joined the Royals halfway through the season has to be taken into consideration, as well as the fact he only joined on loan, but it's just a shame for Stam that he couldn't get more out of the striker.