Rival Watch

[From Despair To Where?]

But can Reading stand up and be counted against the likes of Huddersfield, Leeds, Brighton and Newcastle?

Not been overly impressive against the other current top 6 teams so far

Huddersfield. Got away with a win after they played with 10 men for a lot of the game
Brighton. Usual struggle but battled well to scrap out a point
Newcastle. Started well but were stitched up by dodgy refereeing at the start of the 2nd half and then collapsed
Leeds. Turned up and fart-arsed about in front of their defence for 90 minutes without creating anything and let in their only 2 shots
Sheff Wed. Played well and got the points but not before setting up the standard nervous finish

So I think Reading still have something to prove to these teams and hope they can step up to do so.

I don't disagree and I really don't see us getting automatic, I'm very much in the "6 wins to make the playoffs" camp.

However, I can see the Great Brighton Bottle Job V.2017 starting to take shape. I reckon they'll be playing catch up come April.

[genome]

But can Reading stand up and be counted against the likes of Huddersfield, Leeds, Brighton and Newcastle?

Not been overly impressive against the other current top 6 teams so far

Huddersfield. Got away with a win after they played with 10 men for a lot of the game
Brighton. Usual struggle but battled well to scrap out a point
Newcastle. Started well but were stitched up by dodgy refereeing at the start of the 2nd half and then collapsed
Leeds. Turned up and fart-arsed about in front of their defence for 90 minutes without creating anything and let in their only 2 shots
Sheff Wed. Played well and got the points but not before setting up the standard nervous finish

So I think Reading still have something to prove to these teams and hope they can step up to do so.

Focusing on the negative a bit there, which I often see you do. It doesn't matter if Huddersfield went down to 10 men (not our fault), or if we set up a nervous finish against Sheff Wed. We got 6 points from those games. Newcastle was near the beginning of the season too, with the players still getting used to the system.

A point was also decent against Brighton, and we've beaten them on their own patch already this season.

Leeds was the only proper warning sign there, really.

[Sutekh]

Just for the record here is the current form table for the Championship from soccerstats.com



Last 8 games so Reading should improve their standing if they can avoid losing their next two as those results would replace the two defeats.

[Sutekh]

And a fixtures update, now with added Norwich

[Dick Habbin's hairdo]

And a fixtures update, now with added Norwich

Well, looking at that lot and the last four games, we have - on paper - much the easiest run-in. Norwich and Newcastle the toughest, and the Biggest Club In The World's isn't particularly good.

Going to to the wire all round this season....

[maffff]

Our form over the last 6 is pretty tasty. Huddersfield billed as an unstoppable freight train and all eyes are on them and Leeds as we quietly go about business.

From the last 18 points available
15 - Huddersfield
14 - Reading, Newcastle, Norwich
13 - Sheffield Wednesday
11 - Barnsley, Brighton
10 - Fulham, Wigan
9 - Cardiff, Leeds, PNE, Nottingham Forest
7 - Derby
6 - Burton, Ipswich, Wolves
5 - Blackburn, Bristol City, QPR,
4- Birmingham, Brentford
1 - Aston Villa, Rotherham

[Hound]

I suppose to be fair that doesn't show the standard of the opposition though. Huddersfield beaten Brighton and Leeds in amongst that lot, whilst we've had a fairly gentle run of fixtures.

Not to diminish the points collected too much though, still be an excellent run. If we get anything near that from the next 6 games will be happy

[The Informant]

Huddersfield will smash us on Tuesday, the way they play is exactly what Stam's Reading struggle against.

[maffff]

Huddersfield will smash us on Tuesday, the way they play is exactly what Stam's Reading struggle against.

If they don't, things will get very very interesting.

[Maneki Neko]

would snap your hand off for a point there

[The Informant]

5-1

[Hound]

I'd say there is a fair chance we will lose heavily, however I wouldn't discount us getting something.

I watched them against Brighton and they were excellent, but presumably a lot less so in being a minute away from dropping points at rubbish Rotherham in the week. They will also likely play a full team against Man City on the weekend, so hopefully a bit of fatigue will come into it whilst we get the weekend off

[Sutekh]

Average points required for each position in the Championship over the last 15 seasons



68 is the lowest number of points to get a 6th place finish but I'd think we'd all agree that that total will not get a play off place this season

74 points is the average for 6th place which is exactly 1 ppg for the rest of the season.

78 points is the highest amount the 6th place club has reached over these seasons so Reading need another 6 wins from 14 games (1.28 ppg) to reach that total

Reading's current ppg is 1.875 so continuing that will get another 26 points into the coffers and would certainly guarantee a play off second leg at home (possibly not an advantage given the state of the pitch though)

[CountryRoyal]

would snap your hand off for a point there

+1

[bobby1413]

We'll beat Huddersfield 1-3 with two goals from Swift and one from Yann Kermit.

There will then be a giant killing at Brighton as we just scrape a 1-2 win with a goal in the 89th minute from Mutch. NSC will be an abusive place where the word "tinpot" and "sh*t fans" are the most used phrases on the forum.

[Kuhl_Runnings]

We'll beat Huddersfield 1-3 with two goals from Swift and one from Yann Kermit.

There will then be a giant killing at Brighton as we just scrape a 1-2 win with a goal in the 89th minute from Mutch. NSC will be an abusive place where the word "tinpot" and "sh*t fans" are the most used phrases on the forum.

Isn't it always like that anyway?

[bobby1413]

We'll beat Huddersfield 1-3 with two goals from Swift and one from Yann Kermit.

There will then be a giant killing at Brighton as we just scrape a 1-2 win with a goal in the 89th minute from Mutch. NSC will be an abusive place where the word "tinpot" and "sh*t fans" are the most used phrases on the forum.

Isn't it always like that anyway?

Very true. Ok... there will be no change on the NSC forums and it will be business as usual

[Brum Royal]

Average points required for each position in the Championship over the last 15 seasons



68 is the lowest number of points to get a 6th place finish but I'd think we'd all agree that that total will not get a play off place this season

74 points is the average for 6th place which is exactly 1 ppg for the rest of the season.

78 points is the highest amount the 6th place club has reached over these seasons so Reading need another 6 wins from 14 games (1.28 ppg) to reach that total

Reading's current ppg is 1.875 so continuing that will get another 26 points into the coffers and would certainly guarantee a play off second leg at home (possibly not an advantage given the state of the pitch though)

Interesting tables those. Looks like 2012-13 was the most evenly matched division with the highest totals recorded for finishing positions at the bottom and lowest totals recorded for finishing positions towards the top.

[Horsham Royal]

Average points required for each position in the Championship over the last 15 seasons ...

Bit pedantic, but isn't the points required for a given position equal to 1 + the points for the position below?
e.g. we only needed 91 in 2006.
As it happens, doesn't make much difference for 6th, but does for 1st and 2nd.

*Being more pedantic, you could argue required (points,goal difference) is (p,gd+1).

[Ian Royal]

Average points required for each position in the Championship over the last 15 seasons ...

Bit pedantic, but isn't the points required for a given position equal to 1 + the points for the position below?
e.g. we only needed 91 in 2006.
As it happens, doesn't make much difference for 6th, but does for 1st and 2nd.

*Being more pedantic, you could argue required (points,goal difference) is (p,gd+1).

There's two schools of thought. Yours only works if you assume the team that won the league wasn't in it.

Both have their merits.