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Reading v QPR



Green Cross Code Man

Wunt be druv
Mar 30, 2006
19,720
Eastbourne
It's good fun calling Reading sh1te, but more fun seeing their own fans doing it [emoji23][emoji23]

http://hobnob.royals.org/forum/view...id=a11757c72772779287129e0347d30f19&start=140
They are understandably in meltdown on several threads.

I like this Facebook comment....

09118d7b896577da93e8f3a0bfb5a04d.jpg
 






Iggle Piggle

Well-known member
Sep 3, 2010
5,336
From what I saw of that game last night, I have no idea how they've got to 3rd. If they didn't keep showing Jaap Sam on the sideline I'd have put money on the manager being Aidy Hoofroyd or Steve Cotterrill.

If we finish below Reading, I don't think we will have made the Play offs.
 


knocky1

Well-known member
Jan 20, 2010
12,971
I've worked out that iwe can send out make shift teams for 4 weeks after PNE. The others can go and train in the sun somewhere before coming back and winning the Championship. It will make the end of the season more exciting.
 






Moshe Gariani

Well-known member
Mar 10, 2005
12,091
I've worked out that iwe can send out make shift teams for 4 weeks after PNE. The others can go and train in the sun somewhere before coming back and winning the Championship. It will make the end of the season more exciting.
This is a good shout. Although as soon as the title is pretty much safe then we should also rest key players for the last few games to give them a longer break before the PL season starts.
 


Couldn't Be Hyypia

We've come a long long way together
NSC Patron
Nov 12, 2006
15,918
Near Dorchester, Dorset
From what I saw of that game last night, I have no idea how they've got to 3rd. If they didn't keep showing Jaap Sam on the sideline I'd have put money on the manager being Aidy Hoofroyd or Steve Cotterrill.

If we finish below Reading, I don't think we will have made the Play offs.

Experimental 3-6-1 (the best source of game data analysis i know) have been saying that Reading have been over performing for weeks. Their writer has even been getting twitchy because they keep scraping results despite every stat saying they shouldn't. Let's see what happens to Reading now.

On the other hand some people describe us as "winning despite not playing well". I'm not sure that's true. We're not always playing as well as we can (not the same as playing poorly), but we're matching the opposition at worst, then stepping up when needed. And again, this is consistent with how good our stats are and the predictions on Experimental 3-6-1.

40 years as about Albion fan means I'm not counting chickens, but I do know we have a damn good team and grounded manager who have reacted positively to the crushing disappointment of last season. Very excited, enjoying the ride and rather proud of the character shown by the club I love.
 


Peter Grummit

Well-known member
Oct 13, 2004
6,769
Lewes
Getting back to the thread subject, I can't believe the T word hasn't been more in evidence here. If anything confirmed our favourite adjective for the Biscuitcrumbs it was this game. Staam was out-tactic-ed by Wurzel, the team out-played by an ordinary QPR and the fans that did show up out-shouted by 1100 R's. The hobnob FKWs' only audible contribution was to boo a player they had formerly wor shipped because he had the audacity to look happy when he scored the winning goal.

Only 1 word can summarise this, it can't be avoided.....TINPOT!

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
 




Mellotron

I've asked for soup
Jul 2, 2008
31,850
Brighton
Has any team ever been 12-13-14 points clear with 18 to play and slumped as dramatically as that? I can't imagine so.

Good old Keegan.
At Christmas 1995 they held a lead of 10 points, which stretched to 12 points in mid-January 1996. However, a run of five defeats from eight matches enabled Manchester United to catch up and overtake them in March, and Newcastle ultimately finished four points behind Alex Ferguson's team.
 




Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
50,202
Goldstone
I think 88 points will be enough for 2nd.
There's a good chance it will, but we're discussing the idea that we're basically up if we win the next 4, and in that context, 88 points is not basically up.

They want to sack the manager? The manager who got them into 3rd? Madness.
I figured it was a joke, no?
 




Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
50,202
Goldstone
Experimental 3-6-1 (the best source of game data analysis i know) have been saying that Reading have been over performing for weeks. Their writer has even been getting twitchy because they keep scraping results despite every stat saying they shouldn't.
I like checking out the 361's probabilities on expected goals model, but it's only a model, it's not been tweaked to get the most accurate prediction. Some of the things it doesn't take into account are a team's character and resilience, how good their keeper and strikers are, how they might do under pressure in the final 10 minutes etc. I agree that Reading have probably got more points that their play has deserved (from reading game reports etc), but maybe not to the extent that 361's model would suggest. Maybe they concede a lot of chances, but their keeper is good - maybe they don't have many chances to score, but when they get them they take them.

On the other hand some people describe us as "winning despite not playing well". I'm not sure that's true. We're not always playing as well as we can (not the same as playing poorly), but we're matching the opposition at worst, then stepping up when needed.
Agreed.
 


theroyal

Well-known member
May 11, 2014
434
They want to sack the manager? The manager who got them into 3rd? Madness. That's almost as insane as celebrating 7th place with a pitch invasion. Almost.

One (absolutely mental) Facebook comment. Not a widely held opinion...

We have a small group of idiotic fans who have had it in for Stam from the start because of the way McDermott was sacked, and every time we lose they seem to pop up on social media.
 


Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
50,202
Goldstone
One (absolutely mental) Facebook comment. Not gospel!
Indeed. You seem to be coping pretty well with the shit you're getting here. I think we're just relieved to see you drop points.
 




Marshy

Well-known member
Jul 6, 2003
19,725
FRUIT OF THE BLOOM
Reading have not got to 3rd after half the season by being lucky. Clearly whatever they are doing is working most weeks.
 


Tooting Gull

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
11,033
Reading got found out a bit last night, and Stam wasn't far off admitting that in the press conference afterwards.

He is the main reason that team is in third in the first place, and he was back-tracking all over the place trying to lower Reading fans' expectations - even claiming they have the lowest wage bill in the division, which I doubt (Burton? Rotherham?).

He was also saying it was impossible to compete from where they came from the previous season, but that is what Brighton did last season.

I really rate Stam, and Reading are a good team but the ownership/takeover mess has come at very bad time in terms of recruitment and I think they will be lucky to finish in the top six with powerful teams able to spend massing up behind.
 




Simster

"the man's an arse"
Jul 7, 2003
54,209
Surrey
Good old Keegan.

Horrendous collapse though that was, even that isn't comparable to the scenario I have painted:

1) Their last 13 games yielded 18 points, 1.38 points per game. The collapse I'm suggesting (22 points from 18 games) is 1.22 points per game, which is actually significantly lower. If we only matched Newcastle's point return during our hypothetical 18 game collapse, we'd end up with anther 3 points (25) and almost assured promotion.
2) In 1996, Newcastle finished 2nd. That would do for most of us this year.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995–96_Newcastle_United_F.C._season#Premier_League


This is why I feel if we did win our next four games, the bookies would probably actually start paying out on an Albion promotion.
 




theroyal

Well-known member
May 11, 2014
434
Indeed. You seem to be coping pretty well with the shit you're getting here. I think we're just relieved to see you drop points.

We will get stick from opposition fans no matter what we do, so I'm used to it. We play a strange system for the Championship which doesn't always work and I think the squad deserve praise to be 3rd after only having been playing it for 5 months.

Last night was bloody awful, but I maintain that you don't fluke your way to 3rd in January! I think it will be interesting to see whether we drop off or not if teams suss the system out in the 2nd round of games. It's up to Stam to deal with that.
 




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