Relegation

[Royal_jimmy]

Our home form is that of a team that should be bottom of the league. Away forms not been that bad. We'd end up with 3 home wins for 6-7 away wins at all season at current run rates

[CountryRoyal]

Our home form is that of a team that should be bottom of the league. Away forms not been that bad. We'd end up with 3 home wins for 6-7 away wins at all season at current run rates

Which means we'd have to get about 20 draws to guarantee survival.

[Dr_Hfuhruhurr]

I really don't see us being even CLOSE to relegation.

We have got a fair few of the bottom sides to play in November-December-January


Bolton, Barnsley twice, Sunderland, Birmingham and Burton
with Burton again at the end of January

That is seven winnable games, plus a fair few mid-table opponents
like Ipswich, Brentford

This is the opposition (current position) from now to the end of January with the sequence below it

24th 23rd 22nd 22nd 21st
19th 19th 18th 16th 14th 13th 12th, 11th 9th

That is TWELVE/FOURTEEN eminently winnable games

with only three REALLY tough matches TOP 2nd 7th (Wolves, Cardiff, Derby)

I would expect Stam to be sacked if we lost the next two and I'd be disappointed
if we only got two draws, especially as we then have Derby and Wolves.

But if we can WD or DW our next two, after Derby-Wolves (LL?) we have

24th-16th-19th-23rd, a great chance of twelve points

and let's not forget we have a game in hand


13th
12th
9th
TOP
24th
16th
19th
23rd
2nd
11th
22nd
7th
19th
21st
14th
18th
22nd

Everybody else still has to play the bottom four at least once, and in some cases, twice. That we have these games clustered around the next three months is irrelevant to our overall survival. Our game in hand can only take us up one place in the league and that is above another team with a game in hand, so in terms of league position, we dont have a game in hand yet. We've won one game in October, none in September and 3 all year, so the idea that games are 'winnable' or that we only fear anybody in the Top 6 to fear is pure folly. Ive actually seen some good posts here over the weekend describing our issues in tangible terms, and this seems to be a 'not listening' approach and a weak application of statistics.

[LUX]

a weak application of statistics.

shots fired

[bobby1413]

If we get relegated then I will run the entire length of Broad Street on a Saturday afternoon entirely naked

[Forbury Lion]

We're 20th in the table, 2 points above relegation and we've lost 4 of our last 5..... The club have to get a handle on this now, Identify the weakness and remove it/patch it until we are safe.

Right now we need points and if that means ditching fancy passing tactics that are not yielding points then it has to happen. If that's 11 men behind the ball and then a long ball over the top to score the winner, then so be it. The manager has to adapt his tactics to the players at his disposal as clearly they are falling short adapting to the tactics the manager wants to use.

Also, The Director of football should always have a managerial plan B ready to go if the manager does not turn things around, Be it a caretaker manager or a short term manager to turn things around - Sometimes you have to sacrifice the best manager long term, when there is a risk that long term could mean Division One, The problem is the Dutch connection, maybe it is too strong and the DoF can not be objective? - Dutch fancy tactics are not going to get us out of a relegation fight, they're not even working for the Dutch these days as everyone has moved on.

[Hound]

Barcelona and Man City could both be said to be using 'Dutch' tactics and they aren't doing so bad this year

We don't really have the players for 10 men behind the ball and go long ball - not at least until Yann is fully 100%. And we'd still concede no matter how many we put back the way we are playing

We just need to play the system that brought us success better. Thats two proper wingers playing as wingers and getting Swift on the ball as much as possible for starters

[PistolPete]

Barcelona and Man City could both be said to be using 'Dutch' tactics and they aren't doing so bad this year

We don't really have the players for 10 men behind the ball and go long ball - not at least until Yann is fully 100%. And we'd still concede no matter how many we put back the way we are playing

We just need to play the system that brought us success better. Thats two proper wingers playing as wingers and getting Swift on the ball as much as possible for starters

Agree

[Forbury Lion]

If we get relegated then I will run the entire length of Broad Street on a Saturday afternoon entirely naked

That's not much of an incentive for the manager or players, unless the board force them to watch.

[Forbury Lion]

Barcelona and Man City could both be said to be using 'Dutch' tactics and they aren't doing so bad this year

Do you think maybe their players might be slightly better than ours though?

[Forbury Lion]

Barcelona and Man City could both be said to be using 'Dutch' tactics and they aren't doing so bad this year

We don't really have the players for 10 men behind the ball and go long ball - not at least until Yann is fully 100%. And we'd still concede no matter how many we put back the way we are playing

We just need to play the system that brought us success better. Thats two proper wingers playing as wingers and getting Swift on the ball as much as possible for starters

Agree

Well I think we all agree something has to change and much as I would prefer to see us play exciting football I think winning football is now more important.

[double d]

If we get relegated then I will run the entire length of Broad Street on a Saturday afternoon entirely naked

I'm going to quote this every week until the last game of the season

[Hound]

Barcelona and Man City could both be said to be using 'Dutch' tactics and they aren't doing so bad this year

Do you think maybe their players might be slightly better than ours though?

well of course - that was just in response to this comment:

"they're not even working for the Dutch these days as everyone has moved on."

[leon]

The whole "Dutch football" thing is a massive red herring.

It's the inability to implement a very possession focussed style of play and not changing when it's failing is the problem.

[bobby1413]

If we get relegated then I will run the entire length of Broad Street on a Saturday afternoon entirely naked

I'm going to quote this every week until the last game of the season

I always knew you were a pervert

(if we do get relegated, you can run alongside me if you want?)

[double d]

If we get relegated then I will run the entire length of Broad Street on a Saturday afternoon entirely naked

I'm going to quote this every week until the last game of the season

I always knew you were a pervert

(if we do get relegated, you can run alongside me if you want?)

Of course I will run beside you.

[bobby1413]

Of course I will run behind you.

Filthy

[Snowflake Royal]

Technically speaking not 4 posts up

'In other words'? Oh dear.

You most likely don't know what my understanding is or isn't. For my part, I'm not sure I know yours.

And I'm guessing you don't know a lot about my TV's. I certainly know nothing of yours. But at last count, I have six of them. And they are big. But hey, I'm always looking to upgrade, you know? Any recommendations?

Yeah I have.

Go and watch RFC at the Madejski. Once.

And then you'll want him sacked immediately.

Drivel, there plenty who attend who don't hold that view. Me included.

[leon]

'In other words'? Oh dear.

You most likely don't know what my understanding is or isn't. For my part, I'm not sure I know yours.

And I'm guessing you don't know a lot about my TV's. I certainly know nothing of yours. But at last count, I have six of them. And they are big. But hey, I'm always looking to upgrade, you know? Any recommendations?

Yeah I have.

Go and watch RFC at the Madejski. Once.

And then you'll want him sacked immediately.

Drivel, there plenty who attend who don't hold that view. Me included.

Oh hello Mr Literal's back in town.

[Sutekh]

I really don't see us being even CLOSE to relegation.

We have got a fair few of the bottom sides to play in November-December-January


Bolton, Barnsley twice, Sunderland, Birmingham and Burton
with Burton again at the end of January

That is seven winnable games, plus a fair few mid-table opponents
like Ipswich, Brentford

This is the opposition (current position) from now to the end of January with the sequence below it

24th 23rd 22nd 22nd 21st
19th 19th 18th 16th 14th 13th 12th, 11th 9th

That is TWELVE/FOURTEEN eminently winnable games

with only three REALLY tough matches TOP 2nd 7th (Wolves, Cardiff, Derby)

I would expect Stam to be sacked if we lost the next two and I'd be disappointed
if we only got two draws, especially as we then have Derby and Wolves.

But if we can WD or DW our next two, after Derby-Wolves (LL?) we have

24th-16th-19th-23rd, a great chance of twelve points

and let's not forget we have a game in hand


13th
12th
9th
TOP
24th
16th
19th
23rd
2nd
11th
22nd
7th
19th
21st
14th
18th
22nd

Everybody else still has to play the bottom four at least once, and in some cases, twice. That we have these games clustered around the next three months is irrelevant to our overall survival. Our game in hand can only take us up one place in the league and that is above another team with a game in hand, so in terms of league position, we dont have a game in hand yet. We've won one game in October, none in September and 3 all year, so the idea that games are 'winnable' or that we only fear anybody in the Top 6 to fear is pure folly. Ive actually seen some good posts here over the weekend describing our issues in tangible terms, and this seems to be a 'not listening' approach and a weak application of statistics.

Let's not mention that Reading have looked poor against some of the supposed weaker (by position) sides that they have already played so saying there's a load more of that type of game coming up isn't all that encouraging.