A nervous couple of months ahead

[rhroyal]

It's so unbelievably tight up there now. If all games in hand from us and Cardiff are won the top 4 teams will be separated by two points. With our next 2 games the table is deceptive, Bristol City and Forest are two of the most in form teams at the moment and then we have lots of away games, and we haven't always found going away from home easy so far this season. We have to start reaching the performances we had from around September-November/December to ensure that we see it through. To top the entire season off we've got Brum at home on the last day. It's going to be an exciting, tight couple of months.

I'm trying to remember the last boring season Reading FC had. The closest we've come to going into the final day with nothing riding on it since I've been a fan (around 2000) was either going into the QPR game needing to win to get the record or going to Blackburn with the chance of Europe, which we didn't care about that much. Maybe the exceptions to this were 00/01 02/03 where we were already guaranteed play-off places and couldn't get auto promotion, but we had enough excitement at the end of those seasons. I honestly believe there can't have been a club more exciting to support since the turn of the Millenium.

[rfcjoe]

It's so unbelievably tight up there

Stop the threads about muppet_!

[Snowball]

for Cardiff to challenge, don;t they need to hurt Wolves? and Swansea?



I don't think it will be tight by the end.

[Rex]

With a congested set of fixtures in march this will be our telling month which will make or break our season. Fingers crossed for no more injuries. It's certainly going to be the tightest run in this season and will be a squeeky bum time. Wolves might let the pressure get to them and it certainly seems that way at the moment.
The games in hand add to the fact that wolves will be looking over their shoulders for at least the next few games. We need to peg them back. It's the ideal situation in some ways.

[Snowball]

Of course it can go wrong for any club, but the big extra we have
is that the other clubs will be hurting each other

eg Wolves v Cardiff

IMO best for Cardiff to win there, which I suspect would finish Wolves off

I know on paper a draw is good for us, but as long as Wolves are in front I want them to BLEED

For Cardiff to hurt us they have to win both their games in hand, and after that gain 3 points on us in 15 games

[Man Friday]

Draw's best for us. Cardiff need pegging back. We should be able to afford to give Wolves one point.

[Snowball]

Draw's best for us. Cardiff need pegging back. We should be able to afford to give Wolves one point.

I agree, and Cardiff are a threat


I just wondered whether it was worth "killing" Wolves, as surely that would finish them off?



I don't mind Cardiff being second to us at the end of the season and Swansea beating Birmingham in the play-off finals


BTW did you watch Swansea today? They must be the best footballing side (maybe the best side) in our league


16 games now undefeated, including two Premiership clubs. Our defeat there doesn't look so bad

[cmonurz]

Liverpool are also unbeaten in around 14 or 15 league games. But like Swansea, they are drawn far too many. A decent run, but I'm going to apply Snowball's rules as per another thread. Their run includes draws with Southampton, Coventry (twice), Barnsley and Blackpool. So I guess it's not a great a run as you first claimed.

[Snowball]

Liverpool are also unbeaten in around 14 or 15 league games. But like Swansea, they are drawn far too many. A decent run, but I'm going to apply Snowball's rules as per another thread. Their run includes draws with Southampton, Coventry (twice), Barnsley and Blackpool. So I guess it's not a great a run as you first claimed.

So you pick just 5 out of 16?

They beat Reading (3rd) slaughtered them, the side with two games in hand, favourites for the title
They beat Preston (4th) 4-1 away
They beat Burnley (8th)
They beat Ipswich 11th

They also managed to win away to a Premiership team, and draw at home to a premiership team

They drew with Cardiff, the side currently fifth (who have three games in hand) and tipped for an automatic place
They drew with Sheffield currently sixth, a play-off team
They drew with Birmingham currently second. second favourites for the title?

A 1-1 Coventry City
H 2-2 Cardiff City
A 0-0 Bristol City
H 2-2 Barnsley
H 1-1 Sheffield Utd
A 1-1 Blackpool
H 0-0 Coventry City
A 0-0 Birmingham
A 2-0 Burnley
H 2-0 Reading
H 4-1 Preston
A 2-2 Southampton
H 3-0 Ipswich Town

A 2-1 Histon FACP
A 2-0 Portsmouth FACP
H 1-1 Fulham FACP

[Super Kevin Bremner!]

I think 9 points from our next 4 games will see us top with games in hand. 9 points is doable as well, and allows for a defeat. A couple of wins and a couple of draws may also see us in the same position, with none of Cardiff, Wolves or Birmingham having straightforward games over that coming period.

The one consolation for us is that everybody WILL beat everybody continually in this league and much as we aint gonna set the World alight with our style of play, we don't look like getting hammered by anyone so if we can get firing up front (which is probably due to happen sooner rather than later with the quality we have) we've got a huge chance to stamp our authority on the league.

Will be nice to be a couple of points clear in 4 weeks with a couple of games in hand.

[The 17 Bus]

I agree with SKB, chill out folks, we have the same number of points and games as this time last week, was itnot better from brum to be the winner rather than Wolves?? They are falling apart faster than an Austin Allegro

[cmonurz]

So in other words, Snowball, it's one rule for one thread, and one for another. Twist the stats so that they show what you want.

Thread 1 - you diminish City's 5 match winning streak by citing the quality of the opposition.
Thread 2 - you refuse to diminish Swansea's unbeaten run when it includes five draws against similar relatively poor opposition.

Completely transparent and pathetic, Snowball. If you must hyper-analyse everything, you have to do it consistently.

[hughsies no.1]

Liverpool are also unbeaten in around 14 or 15 league games. But like Swansea, they are drawn far too many. A decent run, but I'm going to apply Snowball's rules as per another thread. Their run includes draws with Southampton, Coventry (twice), Barnsley and Blackpool. So I guess it's not a great a run as you first claimed.

So you pick just 5 out of 16?

They beat Reading (3rd) slaughtered them, the side with two games in hand, favourites for the title
They beat Preston (4th) 4-1 away
They beat Burnley (8th)
They beat Ipswich 11th

They also managed to win away to a Premiership team, and draw at home to a premiership team

They drew with Cardiff, the side currently fifth (who have three games in hand) and tipped for an automatic place
They drew with Sheffield currently sixth, a play-off team
They drew with Birmingham currently second. second favourites for the title?

A 1-1 Coventry City
H 2-2 Cardiff City
A 0-0 Bristol City
H 2-2 Barnsley
H 1-1 Sheffield Utd
A 1-1 Blackpool
H 0-0 Coventry City
A 0-0 Birmingham
A 2-0 Burnley
H 2-0 Reading
H 4-1 Preston
A 2-2 Southampton
H 3-0 Ipswich Town

A 2-1 Histon FACP
A 2-0 Portsmouth FACP
H 1-1 Fulham FACP

que the stats

[Ian Royal]

So in other words, Snowball, it's one rule for one thread, and one for another. Twist the stats so that they show what you want.

Thread 1 - you diminish City's 5 match winning streak by citing the quality of the opposition.
Thread 2 - you refuse to diminish Swansea's unbeaten run when it includes five draws against similar relatively poor opposition.

Completely transparent and pathetic, Snowball. If you must hyper-analyse everything, you have to do it consistently.

What can I say. Spot on again, but there is no point arguing with someone who has decided he is a visionary and can prove it with "FACTSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS" yet has a complete inability to be genuinely analytical. It reminds me of those who think they can prove creationism with spurious and incomplete "facts".

Or someone with something like an Aspergus Syndrome stat fetish.

[Snowball]

So in other words, Snowball, it's one rule for one thread, and one for another. Twist the stats so that they show what you want.

Thread 1 - you diminish City's 5 match winning streak by citing the quality of the opposition.
Thread 2 - you refuse to diminish Swansea's unbeaten run when it includes five draws against similar relatively poor opposition.

Completely transparent and pathetic, Snowball. If you must hyper-analyse everything, you have to do it consistently.

You're talking utter balderdash (why am I not surprised?)
All bar one of Bristol's results were against BOTTOM 6 sides

Swansea have played SEVEN sides from the TOP eight, PLUS two Premiership sides

16 games

2 games versus Premiership sides
7 games versus sides in the top 8 of the championsip
4 games versus sides in the top two thirds of the chamionshp

Just TWO games against relegation-threatened teams, and a win versus Histon

You are so overwhelmed by the red mist (or incredibly stupid) you cannot see simple facts

I do NOT dismiss the fact that Swansea have played ordinary sides. In case you hadn't
noticed, when a side goes SIXTEEN games undefeated they will play top sides, bottom sides
and middling sides.

How can I be "dismissing" the draws against weak sides when I f----g LIST them!!!

So you pick just 5 out of 16?

They beat Reading (3rd) slaughtered them, the side with two games in hand, favourites for the title
They beat Preston (4th) 4-1 away
They beat Burnley (8th)
They beat Ipswich 11th

They also managed to win away to a Premiership team, and draw at home to a premiership team

They drew with Cardiff, the side currently fifth (who have three games in hand) and tipped for an automatic place
They drew with Sheffield currently sixth, a play-off team
They drew with Birmingham currently second. second favourites for the title?

A 0-0 Birmingham Currently 2nd
H 2-0 Reading currently 3rd
H 4-1 Preston currently 4th
H 2-2 Cardiff City 5th
H 1-1 Sheffield Utd 6th
A 0-0 Bristol City currently 7th
A 2-0 Burnley challenging 8th

H 3-0 Ipswich Town 11th
A 1-1 Coventry City 14th have beaten Wolves and BirminghamMid-table
H 0-0 Coventry City 14th
A 1-1 Blackpool 15th


H 2-2 Barnsley 21st
A 2-2 Southampton 23rd


A 2-1 Histon FACP
A 2-0 Portsmouth FACP
H 1-1 Fulham FACP

[Ian Royal]

oh look there go the goalposts moving at the speed of sound.

[cmonurz]

Snowball on another thread, responding to Schards - 'I ignore cup games'.

[Ian Royal]

Snowball on another thread, responding to Schards - 'I ignore cup games'.

Only for us apparently.

[Rex]

Hopefully there will be a game where we are mathematically promoted so we turn up in numbers - pitch invasion......

[Archie's penalty]

At first I appreciated Snowball, now he bores the h*ll out of me. Sorry man.

I have to scroll down through all these numbers...