Goal Difference!

[Snowball]

GD is a very good predictor of final position and our current GD OF +10 is twice that of last season's finish.

1 22 +26 +1.18 per game Queens Park Rangers
2 22 +15 +0.68 per game Cardiff City
3 22 +10 +0.45 per game Reading
4 20 +07 +0.35 per game Nottingham Forest
5 21 +07 +0.33 per game Burnley

[Big Foot]

Reading vs Swansea play off final

[Snowball]

Compared with the same games last season (the 22nd game was Mac's first, the 1-1 draw at Bristol)


We are 13 places better off, 11 points better off, with a GD 20 goals better, effectively an extra point.



2009-10 20th Reading 22 1 5 5 08 15 4 2 5 16 19 -10 22
2010-11 07th Reading 22 5 5 2 21 12 3 4 3 13 12 +10 33

[Snowball]

Reading vs Swansea play off final

I'd rather try to squeeze into 2nd a couple of games before the end...

[brendywendy]

Reading vs Swansea play off final

would be a sickener to lose, but i would love winning that game.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

GD is a very good predictor of final position

No sh!t, top teams have better goal difference than lower teams, never would have thought that would be the case.

[Snowball]

GD is a very good predictor of final position

No sh!t, top teams have better goal difference than lower teams, never would have thought that would be the case.

DUH. We have the third-best GD and clear of others, but are 7th.

That's a way of saying, maybe we'll end up third if we have a GD of about 22 by season's end

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Once again you are happy to take one day/game as evidence of something, prior to today we did not have the 3rd best, but then we won by a clear 3, and others that we were on a par with did not play.

At the end of the day we have 33 points from 22 games, which in most 46 games seasons might make the play offs. then again it may not, it means we are up there and in with a good shout.

[leww_rfc]

The Game in hand is nice too have !
but Burnley have 1 more and
Forest have 2 however.

[Arch]

At a certain point in today's proceedings, I realized I didn't really care what other teams were doing. If we get 75, we'll be in the playoffs regardless. 69-74 and we're in that grey area where it matters what other people do, but then maybe we shouldn't be too excited about getting in the playoffs anyway in those circumstances.

[Snowball]

Once again you are happy to take one day/game as evidence of something, prior to today we did not have the 3rd best, but then we won by a clear 3, and others that we were on a par with did not play. At the end of the day we have 33 points from 22 games, which in most 46 games seasons might make the play offs. then again it may not, it means we are up there and in with a good shout.

VERY unfair.

I have been saying for ages that I thought we were solid high mid-table but possibly not quite good enough for 5th/6th.

I've also been saying that we should go 442 with Hunt/Long and we'd gain more points.

I've also been saying that Elwood gives us a real chance to play 442

So to begin to think we have a real chance of getting into the top six is hardly a stretch, is it?

[Hampshire Royal]

What's all this defeatist talk about playoffs? We're only seven points behind second place! And we've still got every team above us to play!! It's in our hands I tell ya!!

[Barry the bird boggler]

What's all this defeatist talk about playoffs? We're only seven points behind second place! And we've still got every team above us to play!! It's in our hands I tell ya!!

the games being

qpr at home
cardiff away
swansea away
leeds away
norwich away
coventry away

not my idea of an easy run, esp. as we've not beaten any of them as yet.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Once again you are happy to take one day/game as evidence of something, prior to today we did not have the 3rd best, but then we won by a clear 3, and others that we were on a par with did not play. At the end of the day we have 33 points from 22 games, which in most 46 games seasons might make the play offs. then again it may not, it means we are up there and in with a good shout.

VERY unfair.

I have been saying for ages that I thought we were solid high mid-table but possibly not quite good enough for 5th/6th.

I've also been saying that we should go 442 with Hunt/Long and we'd gain more points.

I've also been saying that Elwood gives us a real chance to play 442

So to begin to think we have a real chance of getting into the top six is hardly a stretch, is it?

The same Leigertwood you said should eff off back to QPR, of course we have a chance of getting into the top 6, has been the same all season almost. Couple of times that a win would have done it.

As for 4-4-2 and Long Hunt, through the months you have suggested most things on here, I guess that at some point you would be proven to be right, as it seems so important to you.

[Hampshire Royal]

In our current record of unbeaten in seven, those seven include Cardiff, Norwich, Leeds and Coventry. Now I'm the first to admit that I've not seen any of those games, but by all accounts we could have won most of those that we drew, and as we now seem to have a team that is functioning well in all departments we should really fear no-one.

As is my wont, I shall remain happily optimistic until such time as we rally cannot get automatic promotion and will then settle for the playoffs. What I won't do is to repeat the 'realistic' (snigger) mantra that we can beat no-one and will never win anything until such time as we sack the board, replace all the strikers, replace the defence, go back to the cauldron that was Elm Park (even bigger snigger) etc, etc. Just choose the one that fits your perfectly 'realistic' view of being a supporter of a second tier football club that is lying seventh in the table. Or just choose your own 'realistic' reasons.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

I look from the other direction, the sooner we cannot go down the happier I am, always look at minimum and maximum points possible, just 6 more wins and relegation would be almost impossible, , we would have to do very bad not to get another 18 poits, worse than anyone so far this season. Then I look towards the play offs and auto places, at the mo if we do as we are play-offs poss, but not guaranteed, so we still need to improve, hopefully the two wins are the start of the higher standards we need.

[Hampshire Royal]

The doomsday scenario means that fifteen teams have to overtake our points total and push us into relegation. Of course it's possible, but until it happens I won't take my eyes from the top of the table. At the beginning of every season I expect that we are going to win every game and win whatever league we happen to be in at the time. If we lose a game or two, I just expect us to bounce back and start winning. Before every game, I look to see where three points will take us, I never look to see what position we would be in if every team below us wins and we lose. I've been supporting Reading since I moved to the town when I was fifteen, and I've always had that attitude. One day, maybe, I'll grow up and take a different view, but I hope it's not for a few years yet. Being a fan of a football club, to me, means always hoping for the best for them. In my 43 years of supporting the team, I have tasted success in maybe 10 seasons, the rest of the time I have been supporting a team that plays real dross. This season is not one of them (I gather this from various reports I get of how we are playing) and I fully expect us to end up at or very near the top of the table. Mind you, if this was one of those dross seasons, I'd still expect us to finish the same!! If the worst happens and we do get relegated, I would just expect us to come straight back up next season.

In my opinion, you just don't support a team and expect them to fail!!

[Snowball]

Once again you are happy to take one day/game as evidence of something, prior to today we did not have the 3rd best, but then we won by a clear 3, and others that we were on a par with did not play. At the end of the day we have 33 points from 22 games, which in most 46 games seasons might make the play offs. then again it may not, it means we are up there and in with a good shout.

VERY unfair. I have been saying for ages that I thought we were solid high mid-table but possibly not quite good enough for 5th/6th.
I've also been saying that we should go 442 with Hunt/Long and we'd gain more points.
I've also been saying that Elwood gives us a real chance to play 442
So to begin to think we have a real chance of getting into the top six is hardly a stretch, is it?

The same Leigertwood you said should eff off back to QPR, of course we have a chance of getting into the top 6, has been the same all season almost. Couple of times that a win would have done it.

As for 4-4-2 and Long Hunt, through the months you have suggested most things on here, I guess that at some point you would be proven to be right, as it seems so important to you.

Point 1. I have defended Elwood from his first RFC game and have said he's exactly what we need and that he gets better every game.

Point 2. I have argued non-stop that we are better suited player-wise to 4-4-2 and that Long will score more goals in a 442. I have also argued that Hunt-Long is the partnership of choice, that both will score goals if they play in combination. I have also argued that IF we have to drop to 451, Hunt is our best option in the hole as he has a good football brain and has played as a winger.


You obviously have reading difficulties. I can recommend a remedial teacher.

[leww_rfc]

Reading vs Swansea play off final

Yes Please!

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

You obviously have reading difficulties. I can recommend a remedial teacher.

Once again personal insults keep it up, seems to be your standard.