by Millsy »
12 Nov 2018 20:45
Snowflake Royal Snowball 2 world wars, 1 world cup I literally cannot believe that HNA is still seriously even considering using stats based on 5-6 games chunks.
We have sunk to new levels of desperation.
Back to reality: we are still shit.
HTH
The manager, and the team, worked, set targets, based on the blocks of games finishing at each International break.
The manager has expressed this when talking to the media. It is reasonable, and perfectly natural, for us to look at blocks in this way, especially as the manager // team appear to be doing it.
Six-game blocks are a COMMON way of viewing progress, also form
In terms of points per game, the three blocks show clear and unambigous improvement and that is FACT.
The poor first six result (2 points) is holding us at a relatively low point but since those games we have got better
Even those of us who can count don’t think Reading FC are suddenly a good team, but ten points in our last five home games is hardly sh!t
It's so mind numbingly obvious isn't it. And it's been commonly used on the forum
(And rest of world) for years with no complaints.
But hey, we didn't beat someone shit and it doesn't tell the right narrative so it's stupid to use it.
In our last five "home games". There is no better lubricant for mental gymnastics than stat-wank
(I'm quite proud of this quote I've just come up with!!)
Fully fledged nerd and seasoned scientist here so fully get it.
On top of that my bias is I like Clement as a person and woidl love him to succeed.
It's just that I haven't seen this set of game-chunk cherry-picking many times before on HNA and each time anything similar has rightly been shot down in an instant.
The narrative you mention is that Clement is ineffective in getting us out of this. That he is sadly shit. And what is that narrative based on? Did people write that narrative when he joined and then try to bend the facts to make it work? The only fact bending I see here is cherry picking types of game and chunks of games. The "narrative" has developed like all good narratives should - based on the facts of the story. And the facts are plain to see. When he joined we were shit. Honeymoon results kept us up but we still ended the season being shit or arguably shitter. In the transfer market we were shit. In preseason we won nothing- we were shit - shitter than any preseason in my recollection. The first part of the season we were shit. Even now, we are shit. Constant unrelenting shit so the narrative as you rightly say is that we are shit because the facts of the story are lo and behold... That we are shit.
HOWEVER... as I say I fully get what is being said and love it to be true. Our home games are picking up, our PPG is picking up. The trend is upwards. From total shit to slightly less shit with the correct stat-wank oiling the wheels of faith but yes it is still a slow improvement nevertheless. My hope is that with Eza coming back we will continue to climb out of this. I can see this happening and was one of the few (I think one of only two on here) guilty of defending Brenda in this way before he got sacked. On the other hand I think aid be more than relieved not to have to put too much faith in all this and we get rid of him and bring someone else in with a sense of urgency.
I'm merely pointing out that I find it amusing.
Still, it makes for great discussion so.. respect.
