The Royals will be facing Northampton Town at Sixfields Stadium tomorrow for a 2pm kick-off.
Reading are coming off the back of two 2-2 draws against Barnsley and Exeter City respectively, whilst the Cobblers have faced three back to back defeats against Wycombe, Blackpool and Rotherham respectively.
When asked about the game ahead, Richardson told RoyalsTV: “It is going to be a challenging game.
“It doesn’t matter who you play or where they are in the table. With Kevin, knowing him and managing against him a few times, he has a real way of playing. Balls will come into your box and you will be tested and challenged, so we have to have a real foundation in what we are going to do and do the basics really well because if we don’t, we will be challenged more than we think.
“We have to be a real threat going forward ourselves, so I am expecting a good game.”
He added: “We are coming off the back of two good performances. With the results, I feel for the lads because the output they gave in both games, on the metrics and physical data, were excellent. We are still making good improvements on a lot of the KPIs, so that’s pleasing.
“Ultimately, we will be judged by results and emotion. It’s my job to navigate through all the games and going into Saturday at Northampton, which will be just as challenging.
“First and foremost, if you get your performances consistent and talk about certain stats and KPIs that you try and hit as a team and collective, normally results will follow. I have been here 13 games, we have had six wins, four draws and three losses. We could be, should be, would be better as well but we are in a process.
“We are very aware that in sport, people want things yesterday or tomorrow. We will be judged by the end of it, and we are making good progress off the pitch.”
Another new face has joined the Royals this week as they announced their fourth signing of the January window with the permanent signing of Benn Ward from Accrington Stanley for an undisclosed fee.
Richardson praised the defender and said: “I just got out of meeting with Benn about how we see him in the team and what qualities he brings within that and what information we can slowly build with.
“A bit like Haydon Roberts, he is a really strong signing for the football club in the short-term, medium and long-term. He’s left-footed with good balance, he’s a good lad and athletic. It is a real positive step for the football club.”
More than 1,500 Reading fans are making the trip to the Midlands, the second of three successive away day sell-outs, and Richardson is hoping the supporters are sent home happy.
He said: “I was speaking to the players before about what it is like playing away from home with the energy away fans have.
“They have been superb so far and I think it is important that we keep giving a level of performance and keep evolving to lift our levels. Fingers crossed we can give them a positive result on Saturday.”