With a game tonight at Reading and one at QPR on Friday, this is one of the strangest schedules for City but there is nothing unusual about the aim - to get six points.

That is how key defender, Wayne Brown, sees it and he said: "It doesn't change the players' approach as far as getting results is concerned. We will still go there with the same objective, obviously six points out the two games. There is a little bit more travelling involved and the preparation has got to be right between games. They are two tough games but two games we are looking forward to."

The Royals are struggling in the relegation frame, without a home win since January, while City go there knowing a victory will propel them up from 10th in the table, into the top six, but Brown does not think the home side tonight are necessarily going to be soft touches.

He said: "The manager has brought a lot of new blood in and maybe they need a little bit of time to settle as a team. They are struggling of late for results but we are not going to take that for granted, or worry about them. It is about what we do and we are going there full of positives. We are on a high and that is what we will take into the game."

The strong figure of Brown at the back has been a constant feature of City's good start to the season, an ever-present in fact, and that is how he likes it. He said: "That is why I came to the club, to play in every game. You don't want to miss any minutes of any game. Any player you speak to wants to play in every game. I haven't done too badly this season and it is something I anticipated when I came to the club."

Neither is Brown surprised at City's progress straight after promotion up from Coca-Cola League One and sees the same signs he saw when he got promoted with Ipswich and Hull City into the top flight.

He said: "We have got some very good players at the club, fantastic team spirit and when you put the two together it is a great recipe. In the other promotions I have had, these have been the main ingredients. We work very hard for each other and that is the key."