Playoffs: Who we could face...pros and cons....

[Snowball]

Last Six Away Games

Again, the best side in the league over six games, a clear point ahead of Cardiif,
3 better than Norwich and QPR, TEN better than Swansea and Forest

1 6 4 2 0 4 2 10 4 +6 14 2.33 Reading
2 6 4 2 0 3 0 7 3 +4 14 2.33 Hull City
3 6 4 1 1 3 1 11 5 +6 13 2.17 Cardiff City
4 6 3 2 1 2 1 13 9 +4 11 1.83 Middlesbrough
5 6 3 2 1 1 1 12 9 +3 11 1.83 Norwich City
6 6 3 1 2 3 1 7 8 -1 10 1.67 Queens Park Rangers
7 Ipswich
8 Millwall
9 Bristol
10 Portsmouth
11 Coventry
12 Burnley
13 Leicester
14 Watford
15 Preston
16 Doncaster
17 Derby
18 Barnsley
19 6 1 1 4 2 2 5 7 -2 4 0.67 Swansea City
20 6 1 1 4 0 0 9 14 -5 4 0.67 Nottingham Forest
21 Scunthorpe
22 Palace
23 6 1 0 5 0 3 5 12 -7 3 0.50 Leeds United
24 Sheffield United 6 1 0 5 0 3 6 15 -9 3 0.50

[Hoop Blah]

OK. Current Form. Home and Away we are equal to Swansea, a tad behind Forest,
a little more behind Cardiff, better than QPR and a full point a game better than Leeds

So what was this about then? I guessed it was the form table based on the last 6 games?

Anyway, as I've said. I'm basing my judgement on the way we've been playing which, to my mind, hasn't been that great since the end of March.

[Snowball]

Try reading my earlier post Snowball. I'm not talking about results, I'm talking about the way we're actually playing!

Incidently, the fact we're the in the (joint) worst form by virtue of the last 6 results really doesn't give much rise to optimism either.

If I say we are playing well but not getting points, I get trashed.


Points are points. END

As McDermot says, the season tells the tale. As I say, just look at RFC in 2011

We are TOP of the form tables for last six away games

4-3 Forest
2-0 Scunthorpe (Days after they'd beaten QPR 4-1)
1-0 Barnsley
3-1 Ipswich
0-0 Leeds
0-0 Coventry

10-4

We are top of the form tables for the last six home games

[Snowball]

There's last six (either home or away)

Last six away (brilliant)

Last six home (brilliant)

You're judging us on how we are playing,

yet we haven't capitulated 0-3 at home (Cardiff)

been trounced 4-1 by a relegated side (QPR),

lost 2-1 at Derby, 2-1 at Preston, 2-1 at Burnley (Swansea)

lost 4-3 and 4-1 in consecutive games (Forest)

We had ONE blip, where we went 2-0 up v Sheffield and stopped playing. 0-0 draws at Leeds and Coventry are GOOD RESULTS

Both Pompey and Leicester had Premiership-quality strikers. Combined we beat them 5-1

[Thomas L'Heureux]

Snowballers, you are moving the goal posts big time here fella.

You posted up the form table for the last six games which clearly shows we are in the worst form of the four play-off sides. To then try to prove your point that we're in fact in the best form you segregated the results between home and away games, but still chose the last six games for both (so effectively you're now showing form over the last twelve which incorporates a big chunk of our winning run) to back your view up.

If you were fair with these stats you'd split the home and away games from the six fixtures you originally posted about (i.e. with us bottom of the form guide).

For what it's worth I agree with your main point though; none of the teams will fancy playing us.

[mikey0406]

Snowballers, you are moving the goal posts big time here fella.

You posted up the form table for the last six games which clearly shows we are in the worst form of the four play-off sides. To then try to prove your point that we're in fact in the best form you segregated the results between home and away games, but still chose the last six games for both (so effectively you're now showing form over the last twelve which incorporates a big chunk of our winning run) to back your view up.

If you were fair with these stats you'd split the home and away games from the six fixtures you originally posted about (i.e. with us bottom of the form guide).

For what it's worth I agree with your main point though; none of the teams will fancy playing us.

Your right.... no one will fancy coming to us!!! a good win against Derby will further this arguement

[Duke the Dog]

I don't really fear or fancy anyone other than ourselves. All the teams in the play-offs are beatable, but only if we get it right on the day (no silly mistakes and take the chances when they come). I think all the games be resolved with 1 goal in it and be low scoring (ok, they'll all be multi-goal thrillers now I've said that!).

[Snowball]

Snowballers, you are moving the goal posts big time here fella.

You posted up the form table for the last six games which clearly shows we are in the worst form of the four play-off sides. To then try to prove your point that we're in fact in the best form you segregated the results between home and away games, but still chose the last six games for both (so effectively you're now showing form over the last twelve which incorporates a big chunk of our winning run) to back your view up.

If you were fair with these stats you'd split the home and away games from the six fixtures you originally posted about (i.e. with us bottom of the form guide).

For what it's worth I agree with your main point though; none of the teams will fancy playing us.

I love the idea of "worst form" when we have the same points tally as Swansea and only fractionally worse than Forest's...





When you have a short, six-game form guide it can be misleading.

If we judge Swansea coming to us, then obviously we are interested THEN in their away form (which STINKS)

When we go to Swansea (if we do) then we worry about their HOME form, but our AWAY form, which is absolutely outstanding W4 D0

I haven't "fudged" anything, I have merely clarified it, separating home and away form to look at each in isolation.

If you were fair with these stats you'd split the home and away games from the six fixtures you originally posted about

And then I'd be accused of using misleading a three-game form guide.

I HAVE separated out home and away, but they give SIX games, home or six games away.

On both tables we are top of the league.


With 6-game tables a single defeat or two hard-earned away draws can distort the reality

[Snowball]

Home and Away


Last Seven Games

Reading are 3rd behind Norwich & Cardiff



Last Eight games

Reading are joint top with Norwich



Last Nine Games

Reading are joint top with Norwich



Last Ten Games

Reading are joint top with Norwich



Last 11 Games

Reading are TOP



Last Twelve Games

Reading are joint top with Norwich

[Thomas L'Heureux]

I haven't "fudged" anything, I have merely clarified it, separating home and away form to look at each in isolation.

I don't think you've fudged anything, I just think you shot yourself in the foot a bit by posting the recent form guide showing us joint bottom of the four teams, and then went off trying to persuade everyone that we're in the best position form wise.

I'm one of those that does appreciate your statistics work though so please don't think I'm having a dig.

[Hoop Blah]

Try reading my earlier post Snowball. I'm not talking about results, I'm talking about the way we're actually playing!

Incidently, the fact we're the in the (joint) worst form by virtue of the last 6 results really doesn't give much rise to optimism either.

If I say we are playing well but not getting points, I get trashed.


Points are points. END

Do you get trashed? I've no idea but personally I think over the course of time your points accumulation tends to follow your performances. I said much the same for long periods during Coppells last season when I think our league position flattered our performances (largely due to Doyles clinical spell IIRC) and then we went off the boil after Christmas.

If you look at our performances since the City game I think they've been very average. Although we got away with it for a while I think the results we've had in the last 3 games have started to reflect that run of performances prior to it.

Preston (can't remember the performance)
Barnsley (can't remember the performance)
Pompey - 2-0 flattered us after they missed a number of sitters before we nicked one and they had a player sent off. They still caused us problems even with 10 v 11.
Forest - fantastic performance and the highlight of the last couple of months
Scunthorpe - Poor first half but second half better
Leicester - dominated by a side better at retaining the ball. We hit them on the break (tactical move apparently) but didn't really play well in my eyes. They missed a number of very good chances
Leeds - Poor performance
Sheff U - Decent for20 minutes but battered for the rest
Coventry - lacklustre and hardly troubled them

I don't care how many points those games mustered, or how many the other teams have collected either. All I know is what I see and from what I've watched we're not in good form.

Cardiff look to have blown up and I think they're going to be the biggest losers in the play-offs unless Dave Jones gets a really good reaction out of the most talented squad in the league. I'd rather play them as Swansea and Forest look to have bounced back from their poor spells (results wise that is).

[watfordroyal]

How much have the boys taken their foot off the gas in the last three games, knowing they were pretty much assured of the playoffs. Nobody wants to get injured at this stage.

Seems most of us would prefer Cardiff at home first, to achieve this would we tolerate a loss to Savages Derby on Sat?