The Snowball stat thread

[cmonurz]

No, I wasn't. Don't be so sensitive.

[Cripple Creek]

Sepp Blatter could enter the fray and decide to deduct Reading nine points for Sockgate. He's done and said stranger things.

[Snowball]

So 16 games is now the form table.

OH DO explain

[RoyalJames101]

Only our bad run of defeats early in the season currently stops us being
contenders for the top-two spots.


Table since the 5 consecutive defeats (beginning with Doncaster game)

1 16 9 3 4 8 22-13 +09 30 1.88 ppg West Ham United <<<<
2 16 9 3 4 6 22-16 +06 30 1.88 ppg Hull City
3 15 8 4 3 4 29-15 +14 28 1.87 ppg Southampton <<<<
4 16 8 5 3 7 22-14 +08 29 1.81 ppg Reading

5 16 8 4 4 5 25-19 +06 28 1.75 ppg Leeds United<<<<
6 16 7 6 3 6 27-19 +08 27 1.69 ppg Cardiff City <<<<
7 16 7 6 3 8 16-14 +02 27 1.69 ppg Middlesbrough <<<<
8 14 6 4 4 4 18-15 +03 22 1.57 ppg Birmingham City <<<<

9 16 7 3 6 3 26-26 +00 24 1.50 ppg Barnsley

Note how close we are to the top of the form table despite having played 6/8 of the other top clubs in this run

What does this show? You could then show the table for the last 4 games since Hull's bad run and the table looks better for them.

[cmonurz]

So 16 games is now the form table.

OH DO explain

You're being very sensitive. Or is it paranoid? I'm not sure.

[Snowball]

So 16 games is now the form table.

OH DO explain

You're being very sensitive. Or is it paranoid? I'm not sure.

And you ducked the question. Of that I'm sure.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

It always happens doesn't it. The form table means very little IMHO, what matters is the full table, at the moment we are 7th, so for the second season running my view that McD will be gone by xmas is wrong, damn him for doing so well. Much was explained by the loss of players in the summer, the squad have had to adapt, and yet again McD has done wonders within the budget so far.

A good run over the next 6 or so games loks likely, so I could see us move into the top 6.

What we seem to have is belief again, so well done McD.

[Snowball]

It always happens doesn't it. The form table means very little IMHO, what matters is the full table, at the moment we are 7th, so for the second season running my view that McD will be gone by xmas is wrong, damn him for doing so well. Much was explained by the loss of players in the summer, the squad have had to adapt, and yet again McD has done wonders within the budget so far.

A good run over the next 6 or so games loks likely, so I could see us move into the top 6.

What we seem to have is belief again, so well done McD.

Obviously, ULTIMATELY, the only table that counts is the final one
but form DOES matter, and anyone who judges who will end up where
based solely on the total form (ie the table) to date isn't thinking well.

A club could start with four straight 3-0 defeats then buy three top-class players.
It would take a long while to make up the dropped 12 points and -12 GD.

Say they averaged 2.2 ppg, League-Winning Form.
After 24 games they'd now be on 44 points. 4 Losses, then 44 points.

Any club averaging 1.83 ppg+ (an 83-point season) would still be above them



IMO current form, especially the last 12+ games (6 is a bit short) is the key,
provided a club didn't get too far behind at the start of the season.

[Snowball]

What worries me about the RFC set-up is it clearly doesn't have any MAGIC.

McD is doing brilliantly but the only player we've got who might do something truly extraordinary is Jimmy.

We grind out results based on solid defending but rarely do we look like we can out-class a team.

That kinda worries me.

Madejski can persuade himself we don't need to spend, mainly
because McD can turn water into a cheapish wine.

Gylfi (a man can dream) might be that extra

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

It always happens doesn't it. The form table means very little IMHO, what matters is the full table, at the moment we are 7th, so for the second season running my view that McD will be gone by xmas is wrong, damn him for doing so well. Much was explained by the loss of players in the summer, the squad have had to adapt, and yet again McD has done wonders within the budget so far.

A good run over the next 6 or so games loks likely, so I could see us move into the top 6.

What we seem to have is belief again, so well done McD.

Obviously, ULTIMATELY, the only table that counts is the final one
but form DOES matter, and anyone who judges who will end up where
based solely on the total form (ie the table) to date isn't thinking well.

A club could start with four straight 3-0 defeats then buy three top-class players.
It would take a long while to make up the dropped 12 points and -12 GD.

Say they averaged 2.2 ppg, League-Winning Form.
After 24 games they'd now be on 44 points. 4 Losses, then 44 points.

Any club averaging 1.83 ppg+ (an 83-point season) would still be above them



IMO current form, especially the last 12+ games (6 is a bit short) is the key,
provided a club didn't get too far behind at the start of the season.

Same as selling players affect form, used to love it wayback when in the Sun when Reading were top of the form table, never helped me win the pools tho.

[Snowball]

True, and buying one player in January can make a great difference

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

True, and buying one player in January can make a great difference

Or a returning player on loan

[cmonurz]

And you ducked the question. Of that I'm sure.

I've already explained, I was (obviously, as you appear to have picked up) questioning the idea that the last 16 games represented a form table. No passive aggression, no insult, just questioning your approach. Last time you did this sort of exercise, you decided 31 games was the appropriate cut-off, just questioning your methods.

Again, stop being so sensitive, we're not just here to read your posts and nod in agreement.

[Snowball]

We lost Long and Matt Mills at the start of the season, had to bring in Le Fondre and Gorks and young Mills.

We looked decidedly ropey for a number of games, the one good performance at Leicester partly covering the cracks.

After 6 games we were in 23rd place. We had played 7 W1 D1 L5 (including losing at Charlton)




It took time to weld a new team, still a work in progress.

It was only from Game 8 (League game 7) onwards that we showed any kind of settled form.

There is NO reason for not looking at "a run" whatever its length.

This run is 16 games. It will soon be 17 games.

There is nothing weird, or arbitrary in this selection. An intelligent monkey can see the change in performance.

It's no different from, say, saying, "I judge McDermot NOT since he was caretaker manager, but from when he was permanent manager."

You were UTTERLY wrong over Shane Long. I was proved totally right.

I'm right this time, too. Judge form once it has settled down. Maybe re-judge comparative form after any January incomings or outgoings.

[Snowball]

Exactly where did you "explain"?

[Ian Royal]

It always happens doesn't it. The form table means very little IMHO, what matters is the full table, at the moment we are 7th, so for the second season running my view that McD will be gone by xmas is wrong, damn him for doing so well. Much was explained by the loss of players in the summer, the squad have had to adapt, and yet again McD has done wonders within the budget so far.

A good run over the next 6 or so games loks likely, so I could see us move into the top 6.

What we seem to have is belief again, so well done McD.

Generally there's not a lot of point in using a form table in isolation. You use short term and longer term form to put the position in the full table into context, in terms of whether the team is heading up, down or staying pretty much where it is.

[SCIAG]

What worries me about the RFC set-up is it clearly doesn't have any MAGIC.

McD is doing brilliantly but the only player we've got who might do something truly extraordinary is Jimmy.

We grind out results based on solid defending but rarely do we look like we can out-class a team.

That kinda worries me.

Madejski can persuade himself we don't need to spend, mainly
because McD can turn water into a cheapish wine.

Gylfi (a man can dream) might be that extra

That's odd, I remember you saying we'd have been a worse team if we hadn't sold Sigurdsson?

[peterroyal76]

Last season a pretty average championship forward suddenly metamorphosed in to a average championship defence beater.

I would suggest it is unlikely that that will happen again.

[Snowball]

What worries me about the RFC set-up is it clearly doesn't have any MAGIC.

McD is doing brilliantly but the only player we've got who might do something truly extraordinary is Jimmy.

We grind out results based on solid defending but rarely do we look like we can out-class a team.

That kinda worries me.

Madejski can persuade himself we don't need to spend, mainly
because McD can turn water into a cheapish wine.

Gylfi (a man can dream) might be that extra

That's odd, I remember you saying we'd have been a worse team if we hadn't sold Sigurdsson?

CORRECT. But now we have a solid defence (which we didn't have then)
and we have two defensive, ball-winning defenders in top form (which we didn't have then)
so the scene is set for a "luxury" player to play in a 4-5-1

[cmonurz]

We lost Long and Matt Mills at the start of the season, had to bring in Le Fondre and Gorks and young Mills.

We looked decidedly ropey for a number of games, the one good performance at Leicester partly covering the cracks.

After 6 games we were in 23rd place. We had played 7 W1 D1 L5 (including losing at Charlton)




It took time to weld a new team, still a work in progress.

It was only from Game 8 (League game 7) onwards that we showed any kind of settled form.

There is NO reason for not looking at "a run" whatever its length.

This run is 16 games. It will soon be 17 games.

There is nothing weird, or arbitrary in this selection. An intelligent monkey can see the change in performance.

It's no different from, say, saying, "I judge McDermot NOT since he was caretaker manager, but from when he was permanent manager."

You were UTTERLY wrong over Shane Long. I was proved totally right.

I'm right this time, too. Judge form once it has settled down. Maybe re-judge comparative form after any January incomings or outgoings.

Thank you for taking the time to explain your rationale.

No idea what Shane Long has to do with this discussion.