Opposition fans back from the game - 24/25 page 225 onwards

[genome]

Watford

http://wfcforums.com/index.php?threads/ ... 08/page-49

Reading 7 points clear as it stands

They’re nearly gone. Obviously they hired the right Serbian.

With that famous tactic of 'actually having a balanced squad that doesn't look like it was cobbled together at the last minute'

I thought Reading's start to this season was a bit of an anomaly, until last night. To go to Blackburn and win 4-2, on the back of their amazing start, is very impressive. They now have the confidence of a side who have won 7 from 8 and look the part. When we lost to them, I wasn't very unimpressed, but now they're growing in belief. They maybe this season's surprise package. Can they maintain it.....probably not, however, they are showing no signs of faltering as yet.

Before the season started, this is how I expected us to be. The dominant side in this division, picking up 22 points from a possible 24......and it should still be us, but we cannot allow them to pull this far away. We are in the mix with everyone else, but after tonight we'll drop at least one place. Top 6 is about right for where we are right now. This clearly has to improve.

Is Ivic under pressure? Not right now, but a couple more poor performances like last night and he could well be.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Norwich

air play to them - they've certainly come from nowhere! I guess it has been a masterstroke appointing Paunovic as manager.

The only thing I'd say is that they've had decent fixtures so far. I'd argue Watford, Blackburn and Borough are the toughest they've faced.

Has anyone seen any of their games? Are they as good as the table suggests?

5 shots on target and 4 goals. Barely any possession and giving teams chances up the other end.

Either theyre one of the best drilled, disciplined teams with exceptionally clinical frontmen or they're going to slowly fall down the table.

The start they've had will always do wonders for confidence though and that can go a long way.

Apparently before tonight, they were bottom in the league for both shots on goal and xG, despite being top of the table.

As has been said, either they've got some extremely clinical finishers or they've been riding their luck somewhat.

It’s unusual for the early pacesetters to stay the course, but not unheard of. I recall Gillingham being in a similar position in this division a few years back and they slowly but surely fell away.

I've just seen a few of their highlights and a number of their goals seem to be long range strikes that seem to find the back of the net. Who knows if they can keep it up. It looks like they commit numbers forward and play with a clear attacking intent.

Yep, I'd go with best drilled, disciplined team with exceptionally clinical finishers.

Yeh, that's the thing. If people had watched our games, they'd know this is the case. But instead they see the stats and assume it's all luck.

Not sure what algorithm the bookies use, because we're still 8/5 to beat Cov, whereas going by respective form and league position we should be odds on.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Watford

http://wfcforums.com/index.php?threads/ ... 08/page-49

Is Ivic under pressure? Not right now, but a couple more poor performances like last night and he could well be.

Lol wot? They're third ffs

[Old Man Andrews]

Norwich

Yep, I'd go with best drilled, disciplined team with exceptionally clinical finishers.

Yeh, that's the thing. If people had watched our games, they'd know this is the case. But instead they see the stats and assume it's all luck.

Not sure what algorithm the bookies use, because we're still 8/5 to beat Cov, whereas going by respective form and league position we should be odds on.

Long may that attitude continue. I never want us to be favourites, I welcome other supporters and clubs thinking it is just dumb luck we are where we are. The more the underestimate us the more that plays into our hands.

[From Despair To Where?]

Norwich

Yep, I'd go with best drilled, disciplined team with exceptionally clinical finishers.

Yeh, that's the thing. If people had watched our games, they'd know this is the case. But instead they see the stats and assume it's all luck.

Not sure what algorithm the bookies use, because we're still 8/5 to beat Cov, whereas going by respective form and league position we should be odds on.

To be fair to Quest, their pundits often comment on how solid we are at the back and CM.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Yep, I'd go with best drilled, disciplined team with exceptionally clinical finishers.

Yeh, that's the thing. If people had watched our games, they'd know this is the case. But instead they see the stats and assume it's all luck.

Not sure what algorithm the bookies use, because we're still 8/5 to beat Cov, whereas going by respective form and league position we should be odds on.

Long may that attitude continue. I never want us to be favourites, I welcome other supporters and clubs thinking it is just dumb luck we are where we are. The more the underestimate us the more that plays into our hands.

Ya man Gabriel Sutton is a perfect example of this. He was saying after the first few games that despite the results Reading's performances weren't impressing him. Someone questioned whether he'd actually watched the games, and he admitted he hadn't

[Snowflake Royal]

brentford

nick logan said:
if we don't finish above reading i will parade naked through the Invo

Mate, I will do it next to you. And then I will donate my house to any charity.

As I said in another thread, thank god its them and not watford, Bmouth or Norwich pushing on. Reading are irrelevant and its not a case of catching them, it is a case of letting them fade away. I know about 20 Reading fans who I see regularly when playing football or at work and they all think they have already used up their whole seasons luck, they are loving it but they know they are rubbish.

think we may need to keep tabs on this one

I'd like to know who these 20 Reading fans are.

Fukwits tend to flock together, so if they associate with this clown they're probably clueless about us.

[CountryRoyal]

Yeh, that's the thing. If people had watched our games, they'd know this is the case. But instead they see the stats and assume it's all luck.

This is the problem with stats. Seen some fans of other clubs say we "got absolutely smashed" last night. Based on what? Possession and shots? It doesn't tell the story. Possession as we well know is useless unless you can do anything with it, and a lot of their shots were speculative or from untroubling areas where we had defenders in good positions to mitigate any danger to our goal. Holtby shot being a good example, result was a fairly comfortable save for Rafael.

People then highlight us scoring with every one of our 4 shots on target but stats fail to show that the keeper pulled off a ridiculous save to stop an own goal, which had the defender had missed it would have been a tap in for Joao. They fail to demonstrate Joao's cross/shot which Olise was about a foot away from getting a touch and a certain goal.

For all of Blackburn's "possession and shots" they didn't create any chances as good as these, I've said it before and I'll say it again, both their goals were really good but before Armstrong somehow managed to nip in and get an incredible touch to guide it home, I'd have been fairly comfortable with the two crosses being defended or the resultant shot saved. That is credit to them and Armstrong specifically, but for the xG twats around (correct me if I'm wrong) neither situation seemed to have a high probability of resulting in a goal, for me.

[Snowflake Royal]

Watford

http://wfcforums.com/index.php?threads/ ... 08/page-49

Is Ivic under pressure? Not right now, but a couple more poor performances like last night and he could well be.

Lol wot? They're third ffs

He also said he expected to be 22 from 24 not us.

No one with a brain hopes for a start that good let alone expects it.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

Norwich

air play to them - they've certainly come from nowhere! I guess it has been a masterstroke appointing Paunovic as manager.

The only thing I'd say is that they've had decent fixtures so far. I'd argue Watford, Blackburn and Borough are the toughest they've faced.

Has anyone seen any of their games? Are they as good as the table suggests?

5 shots on target and 4 goals. Barely any possession and giving teams chances up the other end.

Either theyre one of the best drilled, disciplined teams with exceptionally clinical frontmen or they're going to slowly fall down the table.

The start they've had will always do wonders for confidence though and that can go a long way.

Apparently before tonight, they were bottom in the league for both shots on goal and xG, despite being top of the table.

As has been said, either they've got some extremely clinical finishers or they've been riding their luck somewhat.

It’s unusual for the early pacesetters to stay the course, but not unheard of. I recall Gillingham being in a similar position in this division a few years back and they slowly but surely fell away.

I've just seen a few of their highlights and a number of their goals seem to be long range strikes that seem to find the back of the net. Who knows if they can keep it up. It looks like they commit numbers forward and play with a clear attacking intent.

That comment

The only thing I'd say is that they've had decent fixtures so far. I'd argue Watford, Blackburn and Borough are the toughest they've faced.

Norwich have played Wycombe, Derby, Rotherham and Birmingham so far, hardly the hardest fixtures in the world

[Only one Trevor Morley]

We're already reaching the point where predictions of falling away are inaccurate simply because of points on the board.

If we go at 1.4 points per game for the remainder of the season, solid mid table form, we'd end on 75 points, which is typically a play-off spot. So we'd need lower table form to miss out, and we're clearly better than that.

The longer this start goes on, the more important it becomes. And I'm expected a minimum of 6 points from our next 3, if not 9.

It is for these reasons the 11-10 being offered by skybet to finish top 6 is outstanding value. The bookies are saying it’s still more likely that we will finish 7th or below than top 6. But we just need around 51 points from 38 games to get 73 points which is average to get in play offs. So in our remaining games that is equivalent of W 13 D 12 L 13.... other bookies are saying around 4-6 and that I feel still underestimates chances but 11/10 is one for the rent money....

And bet 365 offering 6-4. It is buying money... no team has ever got less than 80 points having got at least 19 points after 8 games. From a sample size of 13 teams over last 20 years...

[CountryRoyal]

Tbf I'm not sure what's more illogical. Football fans, or the attempt at deciphering some meaning and sense from other football fans. Ah well it's still a bit of fun.

[paultheroyal]

Huddersfield Town

Reading seem to be getting outplayed in all their games yet they sit comfortably at the top of the table. Wouldnt be surprised to see them suddenly start tumbling down the table once things stop falling their way

This sort of comment grinds my gears and dont they realise how ridiculous they sounds?

So, on the basis we are playing awful and getting outplayed yet still win 7 matches and drawing 1, what does he think we are going to do when we hit a purple patch and start playing well?

[CountryRoyal]

Huddersfield Town

Reading seem to be getting outplayed in all their games yet they sit comfortably at the top of the table. Wouldnt be surprised to see them suddenly start tumbling down the table once things stop falling their way

This sort of comment grinds my gears and dont they realise how ridiculous they sounds?

So, on the basis we are playing awful and getting outplayed yet still win 7 matches and drawing 1, what does he think we are going to do when we hit a purple patch and start playing well?

Yeah dissapointed with that from Huddersfield. We we're in it together in the playoff season with everyone underestimating us and them #falsethird. Looks like a couple of seasons in the prem have addled their brains a bit.

[Snowflake Royal]

Most of them have something right.

We can't possibly keep this up long term. There's no way we'll finish with 125 points.

[tidus_mi2]

Huddersfield Town

Reading seem to be getting outplayed in all their games yet they sit comfortably at the top of the table. Wouldnt be surprised to see them suddenly start tumbling down the table once things stop falling their way

This sort of comment grinds my gears and dont they realise how ridiculous they sounds?

So, on the basis we are playing awful and getting outplayed yet still win 7 matches and drawing 1, what does he think we are going to do when we hit a purple patch and start playing well?

It was ridiculous really, from memory, before the Blackburn game, Rafael has maybe had to make a handful of decent saves all season and has done so, yesterday was the first time a team really got at us with decent chances and they scored twice because of it, it helped that they have a pathetic defence, they seem unbalanced, too loaded in the attack.

Up the other end of the pitch we are clinical because we don't oxf*rd around with half chances, most of our attempts are well worked, genuine chances and we get goals because of that, once we have the goals we can continue with our game of just taking the good opportunities as they come and not taking half chances.

Hopefully we can continue and have a nice collage of all the "Reading will eventually fall away" comments.

Who knows, maybe they'll be right, I remember several of us said the same of Charlton after they beat us 2-0 and they reacted much the same as we did.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

Most of them have something right.

We can't possibly keep this up long term. There's no way we'll finish with 125 points.

If we don’t end on 125 points surely Pauno has to go?

[CountryRoyal]

Most of them have something right.

We can't possibly keep this up long term. There's no way we'll finish with 125 points.

If we don’t end on 125 points surely Pauno has to go?

- Every watford fan ever.

[genome]

Surgical insight over on the Swansea forum

Are they genuine contenders, or will they blow up.

Thoughts?

Who knows

[Mid Sussex Royal]

All pretty harmless and shows how much everyone is now obsessed by match stats which are used to justify all the "they can't be that good" comments

I'm pretty sure we were the same on here last season (Charlton) and was it Bolton the year before? Admittedly their runs were only for half the amount of games at best though.