Luggy's drawing on the positives
The Pilgrims have picked up only one point from their first two Championship fixtures, after drawing 2-2 against Wolves at Home Park last weekend.
Sturrock is convinced, however, that Wolves and Reading will be two of the leading in the division this term.
Sturrock said: "A fan always believes there has been a bad performance in a defeat.
"That's just human nature, but there were things in this game today that give me food for thought and give me hope.
"Certain individuals did the job I was asking from them. Certain individuals had reasonable performances.
"We are not going to meet a Reading every week, and the important thing for me now is to get one or two more players in.
"I also want to get settled in my own mind of what my strongest eleven is.
"That's difficult when you have transition going on in your club, but when we do that I believe we will start to win football games."
The performance of Jason Puncheon was one of the positives for Sturrock.
Puncheon made his full league debut for Argyle, after his £250,000 transfer from Barnet in June.
The 22-year-old had been a second half substitute against Wolves.
Puncheon started the match at the Madejski Stadium on the right-side of midfield.
But he moved to a central attacking role following a tactical change after half-an-hour.
Sturrock said: "I thought Puncheon showed he's going to handle this league, once he settles down and knows his job of work when the other team has the ball."
The Pilgrims' boss also picked out full-backs Chris Barker and Karl Duguid.
Duguid began the game at right-back but he moved into the centre of midfield when David McNamee came on as a 66th minute substitute.
Sturrock admitted the match fitness of Barker, and midfielder Simon Walton, was a concern.
Barker and Walton were both signed from Queens Park Rangers at the end of pre-season.
Sturrock said: "Duguid has come and done very well at right-back and I think Barker will be a good addition once he's up to speed.
"I think his fitness levels are poor – and I think Walton's fitness levels are poor.
"They have got a rude awakening coming to them next week, but the important thing now is we are starting to settle down and bed in a squad of players."
Argyle had an early chance to take the lead against Reading when Rory Fallon fired wide from a Chris Clark cross.
But centre-back Ibrahima Sonko put the Royals ahead in the 13th minute with a header from a corner.
And Sonko repeated the trick four minutes after half-time, from another Stephen Hunt flag kick.
Sturrock said: "We looked quite bright at the start. Fallon had a chance at the back post and we got crosses in the box.
"But when you go away from home, the killer is when you lose a goal as early as we did. It was always going to be an uphill tussle after that."
He added: "The pleasing thing was that we didn't crumble after losing the second goal.
"We kept at it and, in the end, we have had one or two chances late on in the game.
"But I honestly believe, with one or two added players to this Reading squad, you might be looking at champions, or just below that.
"There will not be many teams that will come here and pick up points.
"My job now is to rally the troops, get on that training ground and get working with these players."
Argyle also lost 2-0 away to Luton Town in the Carling Cup last Tuesday.
But Sturrock thought the Pilgrims had put in contrasting performances in those two matches.
He said: "I'm not going to go down the road of castigating the players today.
"Castigating was Tuesday, because the attitude and workrate was not there to the standards I know we can achieve.
"I could not blame the players for a lack of attitude today."
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