Reality Check?

[Ian Royal]

The good thing about being third at Xmas is that it means we're almost guaranteed to finish top half, which was the entire objective for the season. Not only that, but the 'stretch' goal of 10th is pretty nailed on as well. That means this season is going to be a clear success, even if we fade away - which given where we were not that long ago, it's hard not to half expect.

[Snowball]

I don't so much think "We're in a false position".

It's more "Really?"

Another way to look at where we are currently is that we are (narrowly) "top of the rest" with two sides clearly classier and almost nailed on for the automatics and the rest of us squabbling over the pieces.

Any side that puts together a run can quickly challenge third. Our two recent defeats shouldn't mask the fact that we have won 7 of our last 9 games = 2.33 points per game and equates to a 107 point season!

Terrific credit must go to Jaap Stam, his crew and the players but I still can't get my head around the fact that most of the time we don't look like a stand-out team.

It seems weird that we could finish third and AAH could win player of the season.

[AthleticoSpizz]

pretty much already been said

[From Despair To Where?]

I don't so much think "We're in a false position".

It's more "Really?"

Another way to look at where we are currently is that we are (narrowly) "top of the rest" with two sides clearly classier and almost nailed on for the automatics and the rest of us squabbling over the pieces.

Any side that puts together a run can quickly challenge third. Our two recent defeats shouldn't mask the fact that we have won 7 of our last 9 games = 2.33 points per game and equates to a 107 point season!

Terrific credit must go to Jaap Stam, his crew and the players but I still can't get my head around the fact that most of the time we don't look like a stand-out team.

It seems weird that we could finish third and AAH could win player of the season.

We are 3rd because we are more steady, more consistent and grind out wins much better than any 21 other teams and ally that to decent team spirit. There's a hell of lot that's right with us and they tend to be the basic fundamentals. We don't win 5 straight then immediately lose 4 on the bounce like Huddersfield, we don't fall apart completely after a traumatic defeat like Norwich, we don't rely heavily on the form of one player like Leeds, Bristol City or Wednesday, we don't throw away points late on like Villa or Fulham, we don't have a spell of internal turmoil like Derby and we're not shit like Rotherham, Forest, Wigan and others.

In other words, we are currently 3rd on merit. There are 21 other forums where fans are saying "if only we had....." or "if only we could....."

[AthleticoSpizz]

calm down

You've already made your valid and cherished point a few posts ago

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Can someone remind us how much Brighton lost last year.

We could possibly have a manager that will move on to higher things,like Pardew and McGhee.

Is that better than a SSC who had nothing to improve on.

RFC to win via play offs, top ten next season above Man U, and the job is his after the special one gets sacked

[WAZZOCK]

Just imagine a Reading team where our first choice 11 is fit

Now imagine one with a classy striker that breaks our transfer record in January.

Welcome to 2017

[paultheroyal]

Having seen the chances Blackburn had I can only conclude that about twenty championship teams have bet on Reading.

We give away FAR too many chances to be a top six team. I think we need a top-quality DM more than a striker.

This reminds me of the season when I came away from countless games under McDermott (when we won the league!) trying to figure out how we won. That was different stlyistically but I don't think in terms of chances given the opposition we deserve to be third, probably not top six.


I feel confident that a few sides below us know that. Derby, Fulham, Villa if they put in a decent new year run, all should finish above us, and any of Huddersfield, Leeds, Wednesday could, too.

I so want to be wrong but despite our current position I expect to finish 7-10th

Of course we might get a brilliant DM and a top CB in January, then, who knows?

just imagine when we get a run going, we actually start performing to the level you expect, fit players back, new exciting players going to come in... when we are going to get our run together we might win the frigging league!!!

But hey, false position! Silly me.

[Snowball]

I presume that's a woosh

If we finish third that will be a managerial master-class
But autos is (ATM) dreamland and winning the league bananas.

Of course we might splash the cash (like we did on Vydra)...

[From Despair To Where?]

Anyone remember where we were in the league at Christmas 2011?

[Sutekh]

Anyone remember where we were in the league at Christmas 2011?

Seventh.

Interestingly in 2011 17 December was also a Saturday and Reading had just pulled off another away win at a dour awkward northern outpost where they seldom get much return - by 1-0 at Leeds. Much more impressive than yesterday though seeing as Leeds were in the Play Off positions at the time..

From statto.com

http://www.statto.com/football/stats/en ... 2011-12-17

[Snowball]

Not re-adjusted for current positions


1-4 Newcastle (A)
2-2 Brighton (H)
0-0 Birmingham (H)
0-2 Leeds
1-0 Huddersfield (H)
2-1 Wednesday (H)
?-? Norwich
1-1 Derby (H)
0-5 Fulham
1-2 Villa (H)
=================================
1-0 Preston (H)
2-1 Bristol (H)
2-1 Ipswich (H)
1-1 QPR (A)
1-4 Brentford (A)
2-0 Forest (H)
2-1 Barnsley (A)
3-0 Burton (H)
3-2 Blackburn (A)
0-2 Wolves (A)
3-0 Wigan (A)
1-0 Cardiff (A)
1-0 Rotherham (A)

[Fox Talbot]

Using statto.com to see what happened to clubs in 3rd place in the Champ after 22 games, i.e. like us today - over the past ten years.

None were promoted automatically.

6 made the play-offs. 2 finished 7th.

One finished 13th, one finished 16th.

Points gained at this stage - the spread is 38-43, averaging 40.5. We have 40.

On the basis of recent history only just a one-in-five chance our season will turn out to be an undramatic flop.

[Ian Royal]

Using statto.com to see what happened to clubs in 3rd place in the Champ after 22 games, i.e. like us today - over the past ten years.

None were promoted automatically.

6 made the play-offs. 2 finished 7th.

One finished 13th, one finished 16th.

Points gained at this stage - the spread is 38-43, averaging 40.5. We have 40.

On the basis of recent history only just a one-in-five chance our season will turn out to be an undramatic flop.

That makes a flop much more common than I'd have expected.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Like a night out on the pull in Reading, unless you are Kes.

[paultheroyal]

Not re-adjusted for current positions


1-4 Newcastle (A)
2-2 Brighton (H)
0-0 Birmingham (H)
0-2 Leeds
1-0 Huddersfield (H)
2-1 Wednesday (H)
?-? Norwich
1-1 Derby (H)
0-5 Fulham
1-2 Villa (H)
=================================
1-0 Preston (H)
2-1 Bristol (H)
2-1 Ipswich (H)
1-1 QPR (A)
1-4 Brentford (A)
2-0 Forest (H)
2-1 Barnsley (A)
3-0 Burton (H)
3-2 Blackburn (A)
0-2 Wolves (A)
3-0 Wigan (A)
1-0 Cardiff (A)
1-0 Rotherham (A)

Most useful stat out of all that is we have far more shittier teams than us to play at home!!

[Stranded]

Yep gotta be happy that we still have to play 6 of the current bottom 7 at home.

Means we have some tough away games ahead though.

[Greatwesternline]

Far far too early to talk about this, but when has that ever stopped anybody.......The problem about with being a team who are 3rd based on our ability to ruthlessly dispatch the weaker teams but not the better teams is that it suggests our style of play will be beaten by better teams in the play offs.

[maffff]

Far far too early to talk about this, but when has that ever stopped anybody.......The problem about with being a team who are 3rd based on our ability to ruthlessly dispatch the weaker teams but not the better teams is that it suggests our style of play will be beaten by better teams in the play offs.

Unless we continue to improve over the season... you'd hope come April/May we're a better and more settled team than we were in the first few weeks.

[tidus_mi2]

Far far too early to talk about this, but when has that ever stopped anybody.......The problem about with being a team who are 3rd based on our ability to ruthlessly dispatch the weaker teams but not the better teams is that it suggests our style of play will be beaten by better teams in the play offs.

To be fair, out of the teams currently in the play-off positions, we've only lost to Leeds so far.