Dreaded Third Place

[maffff]

[Ian Royal]

Who'd have thought start of the season we'd end up third. This is an amazing achievement but I'd actually rather finish fourth than third. My reasoning is we play in a league over 46 games and three teams go up , and when you finish third it sucks. Of course we all know the play offs system but it still rankles with me. Here we go again then starting at Fulham Saturday 5.30pm KO

Finishing third isn't a problem, it's competing with thetop twofor automatic and failing that's the issue. We may have finished 3rd, but we were never really in the fight for second and didn't expect 6th even.

So there's no negative psychological impact.

Think on when Burnley knocked us out. We came fourth (or was it fifth) in a three horse race.

We've finished the season strong. It's our fragile defence and extremely mixed away form that we need to worry about, not our position.

[harry]

Thread needs renaming

Or are we finally actually true third now?

[tidus_mi2]

Who'd have thought start of the season we'd end up third. This is an amazing achievement but I'd actually rather finish fourth than third. My reasoning is we play in a league over 46 games and three teams go up , and when you finish third it sucks. Of course we all know the play offs system but it still rankles with me. Here we go again then starting at Fulham Saturday 5.30pm KO

Finishing third isn't a problem, it's competing with thetop twofor automatic and failing that's the issue. We may have finished 3rd, but we were never really in the fight for second and didn't expect 6th even.

So there's no negative psychological impact.

Think on when Burnley knocked us out. We came fourth (or was it fifth) in a three horse race.

We've finished the season strong. It's our fragile defence and extremely mixed away form that we need to worry about, not our position.

Yeah it was 4th, we lost at home to Brum who nicked 2nd and just to compound it Sheffield United overtook us into 3rd, remember when we always finished next to them in the league?

EDIT: Just looked it up, we finished next to Sheffield United 6 consecutive seasons when we were both in the Championship starting from the 02/03 season.

[Royal_jimmy]

A really good season that has exceeded my expectations. I think we are a really good side, had wee not gifted so many poor goals like the 2 we let in today then we'd have finished top 2

[The Royal Forester]

By my reckoning this is the seventh highest league finish in our 146 year history.

Yeah that's what it said on the RFC twitter feed. I'm struggling with this one.

Champions twice.
3 seasons in the Premiership
1994-1995 second place.

That makes 6. Or did we finish 3rd one time with more points?

1994-5 there were 22 teams in the Premier League making us 24th from the highest place possible. This season we are 23 places from that top spot. So, is third this season better than the 1994-5 second? if so, then surely this season is our 6th. best position.

[mheholt]

I reckon we are being written off because we have been thrashed (beaten by 3 goals+) away several times this season (at Newcastle, Brentford, Fulham, Brighton, Preston and Norwich). That just doesn't happen to teams that are good enough to go up. We will have to buck a trend.

[Nameless]

Two games cost us automatic promotion.
Nothing to do with Norwich away, Fulham away or QPR at home.
If we'd won the two games againstBrighton we would now be celebrating being a Premiership club.

It was that close.

Stam out.

[Top Flight]

I'm really pleased that the odds appear to be against us. I have just dropped a ton on us winning the play-offs. At 6-1 on Bet365, I think this is a great price. We have every chance of winning this. The media love affair with Fulham is great news. It only adds to the pressure on them. For us to be billed as the underdogs is music to my ears. All the pressure is on Fulham. They won't want to let down all their admirers.

Really, we should be the favourites. The fact that the bookies rank us as the outsiders is the best news possible for a betting man.

[Royal Squiffy]

Well having put £10 E/W at 40/1 in August and then another at 50/1 in September I am quite happy with third, though I would have preferred that we had finished top, still time to put more on for the playoffs...

[Lower West]

Finishing third isn't a problem, it's competing with thetop twofor automatic and failing that's the issue. We may have finished 3rd, but we were never really in the fight for second and didn't expect 6th even.

Only finished 8 points behind Brighton. The gulf isn't that great. Consider also the injuries we've had to bear. Mendes is like having a new signing.

[windermereROYAL]

I'm really pleased that the odds appear to be against us. I have just dropped a ton on us winning the play-offs. At 6-1 on Bet365, I think this is a great price. We have every chance of winning this. The media love affair with Fulham is great news. It only adds to the pressure on them. For us to be billed as the underdogs is music to my ears. All the pressure is on Fulham. They won't want to let down all their admirers.

Really, we should be the favourites. The fact that the bookies rank us as the outsiders is the best news possible for a betting man.

The reason we are the outsiders is because we are playing the favourites. if we were playing anyone else we we would be 2nd or 3rd in the betting

[Ian Royal]

I'm really pleased that the odds appear to be against us. I have just dropped a ton on us winning the play-offs. At 6-1 on Bet365, I think this is a great price. We have every chance of winning this. The media love affair with Fulham is great news. It only adds to the pressure on them. For us to be billed as the underdogs is music to my ears. All the pressure is on Fulham. They won't want to let down all their admirers.

Really, we should be the favourites. The fact that the bookies rank us as the outsiders is the best news possible for a betting man.

Not sure why you think we should be favourites.

Fulham and Wednesday are in better form over the last six (and are only 1 and 2 points behind us over 10 games). Worth factoring in our run in has been comparatively easy too. Fulham have an excellent away record to match our excellent home record and whilst it's a win a piece, they would appear to have an edge given an aggregate view is Fulham 5-1 Reading. We did beat Sheff Weds twice of course. But again, Huddersfield was a win a piece at Huddersfield 3-1 Reading.

Us being comparatively long odds is obviously stupid. But there really isn't a lot to pick between us, Weds and Fulham at this point. And we've had plenty of high profile thrashings.

Obviously, you're right that being unfancied can play into our hands. Personally, I've got no idea how this will pan out, unlike our last Play Off campaign where there was a clear favourite in Swansea. Sheff Weds have to be the favourite to make the Final given the slump Huddersfield are in, plus their missing keeper.

[maffff]

To be fair the Huddersfield fans I know have been saying all season Coleman is a better keeper. Their belief is Ward has to play because Klopp loaned him to them.... doubt many will be overly concerned that Ward is out.

[Nameless]

I'm really pleased that the odds appear to be against us. I have just dropped a ton on us winning the play-offs. At 6-1 on Bet365, I think this is a great price. We have every chance of winning this. The media love affair with Fulham is great news. It only adds to the pressure on them. For us to be billed as the underdogs is music to my ears. All the pressure is on Fulham. They won't want to let down all their admirers.

Really, we should be the favourites. The fact that the bookies rank us as the outsiders is the best news possible for a betting man.

Not sure why you think we should be favourites.

Fulham and Wednesday are in better form over the last six (and are only 1 and 2 points behind us over 10 games). Worth factoring in our run in has been comparatively easy too. Fulham have an excellent away record to match our excellent home record and whilst it's a win a piece, they would appear to have an edge given an aggregate view is Fulham 5-1 Reading. We did beat Sheff Weds twice of course. But again, Huddersfield was a win a piece at Huddersfield 3-1 Reading.

Us being comparatively long odds is obviously stupid. But there really isn't a lot to pick between us, Weds and Fulham at this point. And we've had plenty of high profile thrashings.

Obviously, you're right that being unfancied can play into our hands. Personally, I've got no idea how this will pan out, unlike our last Play Off campaign where there was a clear favourite in Swansea. Sheff Weds have to be the favourite to make the Final given the slump Huddersfield are in, plus their missing keeper.

If you are factoring I. OUr apparantly easier run of games are you also factoring in that Fulham's win against us was against 10 men ?
Or should we factor in that we've been missing our captain for the games considered to decide 'form' ?
It's really hard to call this year, there is little to chose between the teams except for a feeling that Wagner has perhaps tried to be too clever in recent games and seems to have rather unsettled his side.

[Stranded]

I reckon we are being written off because we have been thrashed (beaten by 3 goals+) away several times this season (at Newcastle, Brentford, Fulham, Brighton, Preston and Norwich). That just doesn't happen to teams that are good enough to go up. We will have to buck a trend.

How many teams that that happens to get 85 points and win 26 games? We also kept 15 clean sheets this year.

We are good enough to go up, whether we will is open to debate. The results against the other 3 teams mean nothing now, it's a different competition. It all depends which Reading turns up at the Cottage on Saturday evening.

[Gunny Fishcake]

It all depends which Reading turns up at the Cottage on Saturday evening.

I think we will turn up and though clearly a tough game I'm going to go for a classic 0-0

Waiting for Sutekh excellent Matchwatch for this game

[genome]

EDIT: Just looked it up, we finished next to Sheffield United 6 consecutive seasons when we were both in the Championship starting from the 02/03 season.

That's the kind of stat that turns me on a bit

[BR0B0T]

I'm really pleased that the odds appear to be against us. I have just dropped a ton on us winning the play-offs. At 6-1 on Bet365, I think this is a great price. We have every chance of winning this. The media love affair with Fulham is great news. It only adds to the pressure on them. For us to be billed as the underdogs is music to my ears. All the pressure is on Fulham. They won't want to let down all their admirers.

Really, we should be the favourites. The fact that the bookies rank us as the outsiders is the best news possible for a betting man.

Not sure why you think we should be favourites.

Fulham and Wednesday are in better form over the last six (and are only 1 and 2 points behind us over 10 games). Worth factoring in our run in has been comparatively easy too. Fulham have an excellent away record to match our excellent home record and whilst it's a win a piece, they would appear to have an edge given an aggregate view is Fulham 5-1 Reading. We did beat Sheff Weds twice of course. But again, Huddersfield was a win a piece at Huddersfield 3-1 Reading.

Us being comparatively long odds is obviously stupid. But there really isn't a lot to pick between us, Weds and Fulham at this point. And we've had plenty of high profile thrashings.

Obviously, you're right that being unfancied can play into our hands. Personally, I've got no idea how this will pan out, unlike our last Play Off campaign where there was a clear favourite in Swansea. Sheff Weds have to be the favourite to make the Final given the slump Huddersfield are in, plus their missing keeper.

I explained how they calcul8d the prices on the playoff odds threads

[Hound]

I'd be surprised if there are too many goals on Saturday. Stam will want to keep it tight and I think may well be 5 at the back, while Fulham will know they are very good away and will be happy with a 1 goal win I expect.

Both teams will be very wary of being too open and being punished with a 2+ goal defeat, which is more than possible either way, especially given the fact we suddenly have 3 strikers who look like scoring in each game

Agree that its a very close call between us, Fulham and Weds. Can see any of those 3 winning it, and the odds realistically should reflect that more than they do. I'd be very very surprised to see Hudders win it, although obviously can't completely rule it out.