The benefit of an early goal

[Skyline]

If we do not score in the first 19 minutes we do not win.

Those statements apply to all League games this season with the exception of Watford

Why? We didn't score in the first 19 minutes and didn't win!

Neither did we lose.

No-one said anything about whether we lost or not, only about whether we won. It's not an either/or y'know - there are these things called 'draws', you might want to look up the definition of them.

Or are you being deliberately obtuse in order to up your post count?

[Great Knolly]

Incidentally my brother has maintained for some time that mainly in home games we have power plays and in particular during the first 20 minutes of a game-The Cube's stats seem to prove him right.

That's interesting. I've often wondered why there isn't more talk of this in football.
Everyone's always told to give 100% all the time, but if you know you've got to give 100% over 90 minutes, then you still have to pace yourself as an individual over all of those 90 minutes. If the coach says give everything for 20 minutes and then rest as best you can for say 10 minutes, that could be a useful tactic. Obviously if you are playing a team that is stretching you, you have to give everything most of the time in order to not concede a goal. But if you are in control, you can choose to slow the pace at certain times as a team, and then pick it up other times. A better tactic might be to keep the game slow for the 1st 10 minutes and then catch the oppo out with the team raising the pace for minutes 11-20. Has anyone ever played for a coach who tried this sort of stuff ?

On a similar tack, I reckon Kebe could hustle his full-back by making his runs at 80% pace the 1st 2 or 3 times and then put it all in to blow him away.

[Dirk Gently]

Incidentally my brother has maintained for some time that mainly in home games we have power plays and in particular during the first 20 minutes of a game-The Cube's stats seem to prove him right.

Agreed - I've also noticed that for the last 5-10 minutes of the first half we always noticably pick up the pace and attack more. Not sure if it's beacuse the players know that they're aout to get a break so can put more energy in, or if it's a conscious tactic. but I'm vonvinced it happens.

[The Cube]

Traditionally, it was reckoned that players put more effort in at half-time because it decreased the chance of getting told off by the manager in the dressing-room. I suspect that we've moved on from there though.

Anyway, some interesting comments throughout the thread. I had meant to mention in my post that I think we also have a good spell at the start of the second half, although I haven't yet looked to see if this also has an apparent effect on results. The "powerplay" idea, something I'd never considered, would fit with that.

[SLAMMED]

It seems that if we dont score earley, the whole team lacks ideas ane generally keep trying the same techniques to score with little success. Bring on the earley goals!

I'd prefer early Reading goals than early Earley goals.

yeh well Earley is awesome! especially the Lower part

[PlasticRoyale]

Now I realise that it's stating the bleeding obvious to say that an early goal helps a team get results, but I had the feeling that this season it's been more significant to how Reading do than it really should be.

So eventually I got round to looking up the facts, and they are as follows:
If we score in the first 19 minutes we win.
If we do not score in the first 19 minutes we do not win.

Those statements apply to all League games this season with the exception of Watford, which I think can safely be counted as a special case. Excluding Watford, the earliest goal in a game we did not win was after 27 minutes at Preston (and the next earliest was 45 minutes at Charlton).

Reading just scored in the 19th minute

[atarax]

Now I realise that it's stating the bleeding obvious to say that an early goal helps a team get results, but I had the feeling that this season it's been more significant to how Reading do than it really should be.

So eventually I got round to looking up the facts, and they are as follows:
If we score in the first 19 minutes we win.
If we do not score in the first 19 minutes we do not win.

Those statements apply to all League games this season with the exception of Watford, which I think can safely be counted as a special case. Excluding Watford, the earliest goal in a game we did not win was after 27 minutes at Preston (and the next earliest was 45 minutes at Charlton).

Reading just scored in the 19th minute

BBC live scores put it on 20, so I guess we're not gonna win after all

[The Cube]

Cube Mean Time had the first goal at 19 minutes and 5 seconds, which counts as the 20th minute. So what I said has to be adjusted to the "first 20 minutes".

Of course we did also score a perfectly good goal which was in the first 19 minutes, but another referee totally out of his depth chose to disallow it.

[JC]

Now I realise that it's stating the bleeding obvious to say that an early goal helps a team get results, but I had the feeling that this season it's been more significant to how Reading do than it really should be.

So eventually I got round to looking up the facts, and they are as follows:
If we score in the first 19 minutes we win.
If we do not score in the first 19 minutes we do not win.

Those statements apply to all League games this season with the exception of Watford, which I think can safely be counted as a special case. Excluding Watford, the earliest goal in a game we did not win was after 27 minutes at Preston (and the next earliest was 45 minutes at Charlton).

So what you could have said is that if we score in the first 26 minutes we win. That would cover off today then!

[KC Royal]

Interesting stats Cube and a good thread. Just reinforces the feeling i've had for a long time that we're a confidence team. Whenever we concede the first goal we always lose (apart from a handful of occasions last season).

Of course this is in contrast to 05/06 when there seemed great character in the team to come back from 1-0 down. Palace away and Leicester away stand out but also the Boro home game at the start of 06/07 is another one that springs to mind.