5th in the form table!

[Woodcote Royal]

It is a great achievement to be 5th in the form table, however, I think the majority of us accept we are better lucky than good at the moment.

There is a saying that "class is permanent, form is temporary" - and our level of class will show at the end of the season.

Thanks, this is precisely the view I was referring to.

Those who had us relegated weeks ago cling desperately to elements such as luck and "our level of class will show at the end of the season" when those with no agenda, that would be "the majority" blessed with a moderate knowledge of the game, know that for every bit of good fortune that has come our way this season there has been at least one example of misfortune and that citing luck as the main element of our form in one of the best leagues in the world is nothing less than laughable.

They will know, too, that "class" is about far more than a player's transfer fee and that Hope Akpan and Adam Le Fondre had sufficient to ensure we gained a point against the current European Champions with no element of luck involved in either goal.

You do appreciate that thinking we will be relegated does not equate to wanting us to be relegated don't you? Or that thinking we will be relegated is not necessarily a criticism of the players or manager?

Despite a wonderful little points spurt, I still think we will be relegated but will be delighted to be wrong.

I'm not even saying we won't be relegated.

I'm saying we never reached the point when only a miracle would save us and that now, given our current form, the form of those around us, the fact we are no longer in the bottom 3 and have a favorable run-in, we should be an even money bet at the very least.

I'm also saying that, yes, we do have people here who are more concerned about not being wrong than seeing us survive...................but I'm certainly not placing you in this category.

For the record, if was to place a bet it would be on us surviving........................because our current form would now achieve this with ease.

[melonhead]

you oxf*rd shut up!
i never even mentioned statistics you massive spanner vvvv

this upturn in form cant be put down to luck imo

And the only way it can be robustly demonstrated to not be luck is.......through spastistics.

im not rubusty demonstrating anything. i have no wish to.
im saying that from what ive watched, and in my opinion, the upturn in our performances and results isnt luck.
youre the one somehow trying to link it to concrete FACT by bringing stats into it.

[melonhead]

i also still think its likely we will go down.
but im delighted with how we are makeing a go of it.

Comparing our squad to everyone else, just putting up a decent fight to stay up is a monumental achievement. Staying up would be quite extraordinary.

It's full credit to the squad and manager that we go into February still competing.

agreed- staying up imo would match coppells 8th place finish
and if we go down, its at least been entertaining, and theyve made me very happy on a few occasions

[melonhead]

I'm determined to love the ride and not be bitter at the end.

I treasure the decency and calm about our club.

this^^6 perfect summation

and love that last sentence

[Schards#2]

Thanks, this is precisely the view I was referring to.

Those who had us relegated weeks ago cling desperately to elements such as luck and "our level of class will show at the end of the season" when those with no agenda, that would be "the majority" blessed with a moderate knowledge of the game, know that for every bit of good fortune that has come our way this season there has been at least one example of misfortune and that citing luck as the main element of our form in one of the best leagues in the world is nothing less than laughable.

They will know, too, that "class" is about far more than a player's transfer fee and that Hope Akpan and Adam Le Fondre had sufficient to ensure we gained a point against the current European Champions with no element of luck involved in either goal.

You do appreciate that thinking we will be relegated does not equate to wanting us to be relegated don't you? Or that thinking we will be relegated is not necessarily a criticism of the players or manager?

Despite a wonderful little points spurt, I still think we will be relegated but will be delighted to be wrong.

I'm not even saying we won't be relegated.

I'm saying we never reached the point when only a miracle would save us and that now, given our current form, the form of those around us, the fact we are no longer in the bottom 3 and have a favorable run-in, we should be an even money bet at the very least.

I'm also saying that, yes, we do have people here who are more concerned about not being wrong than seeing us survive...................but I'm certainly not placing you in this category.

For the record, if was to place a bet it would be on us surviving........................because our current form would now achieve this with ease.

Other than WUM's, I don't believe there is anyone in this category.

Appreciate you are probably only speaking theoretically about betting on us staying up but, if not, don't take evens, we are about 4/7 to go down on Betfair.

[Esteban]

It is possible to buy class and that'll cost you anywhere between £0 and £80m. But it's much harder to identify and buy a group of players that have discipline, fight, hunger and team spirit and even harder to quantify that in points.

What we've shown recently is ALL of that and just a little bit of quality to set it off. That may well be enough to save us, provided we can get a touch of luck with injuries and suspensions.

[Woodcote Royal]

It is a great achievement to be 5th in the form table, however, I think the majority of us accept we are better lucky than good at the moment.

There is a saying that "class is permanent, form is temporary" - and our level of class will show at the end of the season.

Thanks, this is precisely the view I was referring to.

Those who had us relegated weeks ago cling desperately to elements such as luck and "our level of class will show at the end of the season" when those with no agenda, that would be "the majority" blessed with a moderate knowledge of the game, know that for every bit of good fortune that has come our way this season there has been at least one example of misfortune and that citing luck as the main element of our form in one of the best leagues in the world is nothing less than laughable.

They will know, too, that "class" is about far more than a player's transfer fee and that Hope Akpan and Adam Le Fondre had sufficient to ensure we gained a point against the current European Champions with no element of luck involved in either goal.

Haha, your reply is laughable. You're assuming I am jumping on the relegation bandwagon and read my post with that in mind...

I didn't have us relegated weeks ago, and don't now. But I sit firmly between the optimist and the pessimist - I think most people call it a realist.

"Our level of class will show at the end of the season" wasn't me sitting in my chair being smug and assuming I will be able to say "told you so". It was quite literally a logical statement that at the end of the season it will be our class that shows whether we stay in the division, as opposed to luck. It is unreasonable to say we got lucky over a whole season but perfectly reasonable to suggest luck has played a part in the last 5 games.

And I don't recall mentioning that because a player was cheap it means he lacks class. You've made an assumption and entered that in to your argument to strengthen your position in poking fun at my statement. I agree that there is not neccesarily a correlation between a players cost and his class - I think any Reading fan would agree after Long/Doyle/Sig etc!

In which case, it's rather odd that you chose to mention only one side of the occasion in your original post. This, of course, leaves the "luck" element..........................do you wish to back out of this view, too, or maintain your initial and laughable assertion?

[Woodcote Royal]

"Luck" is far more influential when looking at a short time period such as 5 games

Nice one!

So this is the watered down version of your original point........................and THIS is my point. No one gets to 5th in the form league in the EPL with luck as the major element.

We are there on merit because we are playing better than most of this league right now and this is not a point that is "kinda" not there in your original post.

[Anfield Kopite]

I flipped a coin 1000 times, at one point it landed heads 8 times in a row! Unbelievable! Must be something special about the coin!

I dont beleive you. Nobody is sad enough to flip a coin 1000 times and keep score of the results. Are they ?

[Croydon Royal]

i also still think its likely we will go down.
but im delighted with how we are makeing a go of it.

Comparing our squad to everyone else, just putting up a decent fight to stay up is a monumental achievement. Staying up would be quite extraordinary.

It's full credit to the squad and manager that we go into February still competing.

This.

2 months ago I was hating the Premiership and couldn't care less about some of our matches. Now I still think we'll go down, but we'll go down fighting. I'm enjoying going to matches and you feel that we're up for a scrap, even if we're outplayed for the first 85 minutes! I'll go to watch Reading whichever league we're in, all I ask is that the club looks like they're (sensibly) making progress off the field, that the team has some cohesion to it and that the players on the pitch play with a bit of fight. That didn't really happen for a few months, now it is.

[Big Ern]

I'm also saying that, yes, we do have people here who are more concerned about not being wrong than seeing us survive......

Congratulations, without doubt the stupidest comment ever made on HNA by some distance!!! Only an absolute moron would state that to justify their views.

You sir are a penis of the highest order.

[Royal With Cheese]

I'm also saying that, yes, we do have people here who are more concerned about not being wrong than seeing us survive......

Congratulations, without doubt the stupidest comment ever made on HNA by some distance!!! Only an absolute moron would state that to justify their views.

Did someone call?

[creative_username_1]

this upturn in form cant be put down to luck imo

1 game would be luck.

Of course it can. There's a huge amount of randomness in everything. We are currently attributing the recent
upturn in form to moving to 4-5-1 or some kind of personel change but it can still be down to a fair degree of
luck.

I don't know why form has improved - at a guess i'd go with what was mentioned above

[creative_username_1]

this upturn in form cant be put down to luck imo

1 game would be luck.

Of course it can. There's a huge amount of randomness in everything. We are currently attributing the recent
upturn in form to moving to 4-5-1 or some kind of personel change but it can still be down to a fair degree of
luck.

I don't know why form has improved - at a guess i'd go with what was mentioned above

I should read the rest of the thread before posting

[Platypuss]

..and THIS is my point. No one gets to 5th in the form league in the EPL with luck as the major element.

Prove it.

At least Brendy has the excuse of drugs to explain his muddled thinking.

[ellpryjon]

Hope this row over statistics doesn't spill into y26 today .... That fight in the Chelsea end was over differing opinions on causality

[Snowball]

and the radio, right, don't forget the radio.

[Woodcote Royal]

..and THIS is my point. No one gets to 5th in the form league in the EPL with luck as the major element.

Prove it.

At least Brendy has the excuse of drugs to explain his muddled thinking.

So what's your excuse?

You, apparently, moderate this board yet appear to jump on your keyboard only to throw insults at those you don't like.........................do you need a hobby, a life

[Woodcote Royal]

I'm also saying that, yes, we do have people here who are more concerned about not being wrong than seeing us survive......

Congratulations, without doubt the stupidest comment ever made on HNA by some distance!!! Only an absolute moron would state that to justify their views.

You sir are a penis of the highest order.

What a surprise that observations like this are so popular with the resident pricks who had us relegated weeks ago and wanted McDermott sacked. It should, of course, be "the stupidest comment ever made on HNA by some distance!!!" but after more than a decade of reading this board, it's merely stating the obvious.

We were supposed to be doomed because we didn't spend the money Grade A Twats like you insisted gave us our only slim chance of survival yet now we don't even occupy one of the relegation places with 13 games remaining and, there are only 4 teams in better form.

So, having got that wrong, we are now in the highly tedious "We've been lucky" "The odds are still stacked against us" period because the alternative is that.................................. you were wrong


This period will continue until/if we reach the point when it is mathematically impossible to be relegated, at which point, guess what? Resident pricks like Little Ern will start posting the same blinkered sh*te about next season as they do season, after season, after season, after season, after season, after season, after season, after season, after season, after season, after season..........................................yet the club is recognizable from where it was 15 years ago

[SHORT AND CURLY]

http://stats.football365.co.uk/dom/ENG/PR/sndhalf.html

2nd half form