Rival Watch

[Mr Angry]

In amongst all of the posts concerning that GIF (and yes, it WAS Chelsea away, but after the 1st Reading goal rather than the 2nd....) our friends in Oxford were granted planning permission for their new stadium late last week.

Good news for them, and - rivalry not withstanding - I wish them all the very best in their new stadium (which they should be moving into it at the start of the 2027/28 season).

[LUX]

……in League Two

[Stranded]

……in League Two

We'll get the derby back then.

[Clyde1998]

Early results: Cardiff 4-0 Plymouth; Doncaster 1-0 Rotherham.

Cardiff and Doncaster now the top two ahead of the 15:00 kick-offs. We’ll jump above Rotherham with a win and Plymouth with a draw.

[The Royal Forester]

Early results: Cardiff 4-0 Plymouth; Doncaster 1-0 Rotherham.

Cardiff and Doncaster now the top two ahead of the 15:00 kick-offs. We’ll jump above Rotherham with a win and Plymouth with a draw.

And Port Vale with a win.

[morganb]

All the teams near us in the table currently winning

[Sutekh]

Reading now down to 20th after today’s games.

[Snowflake Royal]

The league table is pretty irrelevant at this point.

[stealthpapes]

The league table is pretty irrelevant at this point.

Yes. Games in hand will slowly stack up over season and only really unwind in March and April.

[tidus_mi2]

The league table is pretty irrelevant at this point.

Yes. Games in hand will slowly stack up over season and only really unwind in March and April.

Just hoping we don't have too many games called off because of international breaks, somewhat ironic since we were the ones last season getting games called off.

[Sutekh]

Well let’s hope the club have used the “2 weeks” off wisely and arrive at Barnsley well drilled and up for things.

[stealthpapes]

The league table is pretty irrelevant at this point.

Yes. Games in hand will slowly stack up over season and only really unwind in March and April.

Just hoping we don't have too many games called off because of international breaks, somewhat ironic since we were the ones last season getting games called off.

I think I've expressed this elsewhere, but I'm of the exact opposite opinion.

Long term, I think we're going to improve over the season, I think there's a good chunk of L1 teams that 'give up' towards the end of the season, so this could easily turn out into our favour.

Short term, it gives the squad more time to gel away from such distractions as 'goals conceded'.

[Snowflake Royal]

Yes. Games in hand will slowly stack up over season and only really unwind in March and April.

Just hoping we don't have too many games called off because of international breaks, somewhat ironic since we were the ones last season getting games called off.

I think I've expressed this elsewhere, but I'm of the exact opposite opinion.

Long term, I think we're going to improve over the season, I think there's a good chunk of L1 teams that 'give up' towards the end of the season, so this could easily turn out into our favour.

Short term, it gives the squad more time to gel away from such distractions as 'goals conceded'.

I never like stacking up too many games for later in the season. Legs are tired, pressure is higher. I think that counter acts more time to train. And I think the best way for us to improve is by playing games.

[tidus_mi2]

Just hoping we don't have too many games called off because of international breaks, somewhat ironic since we were the ones last season getting games called off.

I think I've expressed this elsewhere, but I'm of the exact opposite opinion.

Long term, I think we're going to improve over the season, I think there's a good chunk of L1 teams that 'give up' towards the end of the season, so this could easily turn out into our favour.

Short term, it gives the squad more time to gel away from such distractions as 'goals conceded'.

I never like stacking up too many games for later in the season. Legs are tired, pressure is higher. I think that counter acts more time to train. And I think the best way for us to improve is by playing games.

Yeah, that's the camp I find myself belonging to.

[Snowflake Royal]

I think I've expressed this elsewhere, but I'm of the exact opposite opinion.

Long term, I think we're going to improve over the season, I think there's a good chunk of L1 teams that 'give up' towards the end of the season, so this could easily turn out into our favour.

Short term, it gives the squad more time to gel away from such distractions as 'goals conceded'.

I never like stacking up too many games for later in the season. Legs are tired, pressure is higher. I think that counter acts more time to train. And I think the best way for us to improve is by playing games.

Yeah, that's the camp I find myself belonging to.

Didn't we go quite a long time.with a horrendous record for.first game back after the international break?

I'm sure I remember people regularly saying we could use the extra time to get people fit, and then we always lost.

[stealthpapes]

The question to ask is 'has the* club ever turned down the opportunity to postpone the game'.

*I'm going to go with any here. Just find one.

Anyway, because I'm bored, here's 2023-24

Matchday 7 cancelled due to internationals - next match was Bolton (H), won, rearranged match was Bristol (H) draw
Matchday 13 cancelled due to internationals - next match was Charlton (A) lost, rearranged match was Oxford (H) draw
Matchday 18 cancelled due to internationals - next match was Wycombe (A) won, rearranged match was Derby (H) won
Matchday 40 was cancelled due to internationals - next match was Northampton (H) won, rearranged match was Bristol (A) won

We also had two other games postponed - Stevenage (A) due to FA cup and Post Vale (H) due to fan protest.

Analysing this is quite hard - basically, trying to work out what might have happened anyway i.e would we have lost to Oxford, but moving games out of our rough spell certainly did appear to work.

[stealthpapes]

Didn't we go quite a long time.with a horrendous record for.first game back after the international break?

That could also be because we were pretty shit for quite a long time.

[Snowflake Royal]

Didn't we go quite a long time.with a horrendous record for.first game back after the international break?

That could also be because we were pretty shit for quite a long time.

You make a strong point.