The benefit of an early goal

[The Cube]

Now I realise that it's stating the bleeding obvious to say that an early goal helps a team get results, but I had the feeling that this season it's been more significant to how Reading do than it really should be.

So eventually I got round to looking up the facts, and they are as follows:
If we score in the first 19 minutes we win.
If we do not score in the first 19 minutes we do not win.

Those statements apply to all League games this season with the exception of Watford, which I think can safely be counted as a special case. Excluding Watford, the earliest goal in a game we did not win was after 27 minutes at Preston (and the next earliest was 45 minutes at Charlton).

[PEARCEY]

Now I realise that it's stating the bleeding obvious to say that an early goal helps a team get results, but I had the feeling that this season it's been more significant to how Reading do than it really should be.

So eventually I got round to looking up the facts, and they are as follows:
If we score in the first 19 minutes we win.
If we do not score in the first 19 minutes we do not win.

Those statements apply to all League games this season with the exception of Watford, which I think can safely be counted as a special case. Excluding Watford, the earliest goal in a game we did not win was after 27 minutes at Preston (and the next earliest was 45 minutes at Charlton).

So in short..if we dont score after 20 we slit our wrists then...

[AlexY25]

Yeah agreed, when we score an early goal we seem to score within a couple of minutes, for example sheff wed home where we scored in about 5 mins, then again at 9 mins. Same with brizzle away, where we scored 14th min then 16th min. We play extremely well when we've got confidence.

Bring on the early goals

I seem to remember last year in the prem we had early chances in almost every game but couldn't take them. This year we're taking our chances well.

Long may it continue

[SLAMMED]

It seems that if we dont score earley, the whole team lacks ideas ane generally keep trying the same techniques to score with little success. Bring on the earley goals!

[Millsy]

Good observation thanks Cube.

Sounds like a problem of confidence.

Score early --> increased confidence --> play to our potential --> win (as when on form we're one of the best sides here)

Fail to score soon --> confidence plummets --> don't win.

Again, might sound like the bleeding obvious but compare this to a team with normal confidence: can play for a while without scoring and be too disheartened by it. Can maybe even go a goal down and have the determination to get back into it.

Not us. Sports scientist anyone?

[Sir Rodney Effing]

It seems that if we dont score earley, the whole team lacks ideas ane generally keep trying the same techniques to score with little success. Bring on the earley goals!

I'd prefer early Reading goals than early Earley goals.

[Sun Tzu]

Sounds like a problem of confidence.

....

Again, might sound like the bleeding obvious but compare this to a team with normal confidence:

Given we're third I'm not sure calling it a problem or saying all the team sbelow us have 'normal' confidence is quite right !

presumably lots of other teams score early but fail to win, or fail to score early. We're actually doing something right here, not wrong !

[Ian Royal]

Sounds like a problem of confidence.

....

Again, might sound like the bleeding obvious but compare this to a team with normal confidence:

Given we're third I'm not sure calling it a problem or saying all the team sbelow us have 'normal' confidence is quite right !

presumably lots of other teams score early but fail to win, or fail to score early. We're actually doing something right here, not wrong !

But we should be able to come back from behind. Not being able to do that is a (small) worry. Likewise, not winning unless we've scored in the first 20 minutes could be a bit of a concern.

I remember a few years ago we went almost 3 seasons winning every game where we were ahead at half time. It was frightening.

[rabidbee]

It may just mean that we have one style of play, which is so effective that we score early, and frequently, against some teams. When this proves ineffective, though, we lack any ideas on what else to do. Hence, we don't score very early, nor do we win.

[loyalroyal4life]

the benefit is that we go 1-0 up

[Old Biscuitman]

It may just mean that we have one style of play, which is so effective that we score early, and frequently, against some teams. When this proves ineffective, though, we lack any ideas on what else to do. Hence, we don't score very early, nor do we win.

Agreed. There are two aspects. One is Coppell's apparent lack of Plan B. The other is that the players on the pitch don't seem to have the imagination to try something different when they are failing to break through. Also possibly a leadership issue. Our "being found out" in the second season in the Premiership stems from the same causes.

[Dirk Gently]

It may also be that teams know we are attacking and high-scoring, and so they sit back and defend. 5 in midfield is quite usual against us, especially at the MadStad

But when we score they have no alternative other than to come and attack us more, which plays to our strengths as we're at our best playing on the break.

[Skyline]

I remember a few years ago we went almost 3 seasons winning every game where we were ahead at half time. It was frightening.

A run ended, IIRC, in the defeat to Sheff Wednesday up at Hillsborough, where we were 2-0 up after 20 minutes, only to lose 3-2 in the end.

[basingstokeroyal]

well atleast knowing this info i can leave after 20 minutes and avoid the rush at 85 minutes when i normally leave

[Victor Meldrew]

Vision made the point on another thread on the lines of us having a bit of a soft centre,i.e if things don't go well we not only don't have a plan B but lack a bit of bottle for a fight.
I agree with that but I suppose when you are sat in 3rd spot it doesn't seem so important.
Incidentally my brother has maintained for some time that mainly in home games we have power plays and in particular during the first 20 minutes of a game-The Cube's stats seem to prove him right.

[Sun Tzu]

This kinds of is similar to the debate about individual players.

If you are good at something do you practice that and just get better at what you are already good at, or do you practice what you are weaker at and try and remove the weakness ?

Is it possible for us to play the way we do but also have an equally effective 'Plan B', or Plan C ?

Would we end up with more points if we spent less time on what we are good at and more on what we are not so good at, and won't need to use so often ?

I would argue that not being able to come back if we go a goal behind has not hurt as as much as failing to convert some of the excellent chances we have had in games we have lost. The two have the same end result, but in many games the ability to not come back from behind is not the thing, we've been inches away from winning games so have been playing the way we needed to.

I'm sure better football brains than mine will be pondering the question....

[Silver Fox]

If we do not score in the first 19 minutes we do not win.

Those statements apply to all League games this season with the exception of Watford

Why? We didn't score in the first 19 minutes and didn't win!

[Sarah Star]

Vision made the point on another thread on the lines of us having a bit of a soft centre,i.e if things don't go well we not only don't have a plan B but lack a bit of bottle for a fight.
I agree with that but I suppose when you are sat in 3rd spot it doesn't seem so important.
Incidentally my brother has maintained for some time that mainly in home games we have power plays and in particular during the first 20 minutes of a game-The Cube's stats seem to prove him right.

I know what you mean, but do you think we deliberately play like this, or is it just the way the match goes?

[SpaceCruiser]

If we do not score in the first 19 minutes we do not win.

Those statements apply to all League games this season with the exception of Watford

Why? We didn't score in the first 19 minutes and didn't win!

Neither did we lose.

[AF1]

Now I realise that it's stating the bleeding obvious to say that an early goal helps a team get results, but I had the feeling that this season it's been more significant to how Reading do than it really should be.

So eventually I got round to looking up the facts, and they are as follows:
If we score in the first 19 minutes we win.
If we do not score in the first 19 minutes we do not win.

Those statements apply to all League games this season with the exception of Watford, which I think can safely be counted as a special case. Excluding Watford, the earliest goal in a game we did not win was after 27 minutes at Preston (and the next earliest was 45 minutes at Charlton).

well yes, it's not exactley diggin in the crates of new ideas to suggest that scoring helps


thnx for posting though