Rival Watch

[Royals and Racers]

Ron Gourlay dropping West Brom in the mire ?- 20M loan over 4 years with MSD
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64111067

[Hound]

Ron Gourlay dropping West Brom in the mire ?- 20M loan over 4 years with MSD
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64111067

Doesn’t sound worrying for the wba fans at all

Guess similar to Villa a few years back when it’s basically promotion or bust

[Nameless]

Latest Sky relegation odds are still 16-1.

Some very strange others though given we are 16's... Middlesboro 200, Millwall 100??

I know. Truly bizarre.

Given the WAY we’re picking up points I’m not surprised we’re shorter odds but not that far

We’re picking up points by winning matches - seems as good a way of doing it as what other teams are doing….

[Snowflake Royal]

As always it's going to be about where the money is placed isn't it, not actually most likely outcome. We were one of the favourites to drop pre-season, perfectly understandable for our odds to still be quite different to teams not at all expected to drop pre-season

[Franchise FC]

I know. Truly bizarre.

Given the WAY we’re picking up points I’m not surprised we’re shorter odds but not that far

We’re picking up points by winning matches - seems as good a way of doing it as what other teams are doing….

And doing so with 24% possession will work for a while but is ultimately not particularly sustainable

[Stranded]

Given the WAY we’re picking up points I’m not surprised we’re shorter odds but not that far

We’re picking up points by winning matches - seems as good a way of doing it as what other teams are doing….

And doing so with 24% possession will work for a while but is ultimately not particularly sustainable

We don't tend to only have 24% possession, it was clearly a game plan against a Swansea side who see a lot of the ball. We average around 39/40%.

[Snowflake Royal]

We’re picking up points by winning matches - seems as good a way of doing it as what other teams are doing….

And doing so with 24% possession will work for a while but is ultimately not particularly sustainable

We don't tend to only have 24% possession, it was clearly a game plan against a Swansea side who see a lot of the ball. We average around 39/40%.

Still a little on the unsustainable side. I think we need to push that average up to at least 42/43% personally.

And we could do that pretty easily by making games safe a bit more often and cutting out the last 10 - 20 minutes camped in our 18 yard box with no outlet.

[Snowflake Royal]

We're really bad at making wins safe.

Over the last few seasons we just don't win by multiple goals enough.

2022/23
Won by: Three (or more) goals - 1, Two goals - 2
Lost by: Three (or more) goals - 3, Two goals - 2

2021/22
Won by: Three (or more) goals - 0, Two goals - 1
Lost by: Three (or more) goals - 6, Two goals - 3

It is clearly getting better though.

[Nameless]

Given the WAY we’re picking up points I’m not surprised we’re shorter odds but not that far

We’re picking up points by winning matches - seems as good a way of doing it as what other teams are doing….

And doing so with 24% possession will work for a while but is ultimately not particularly sustainable

Not sure Swansea’s 76% looks any more sustainable does it ?

[Hound]

We’re picking up points by winning matches - seems as good a way of doing it as what other teams are doing….

And doing so with 24% possession will work for a while but is ultimately not particularly sustainable

Not sure Swansea’s 76% looks any more sustainable does it ?

Being as 50% of that 76 is pointlessly playing it around their back 3 it probably is

[MR.CYNICAL]

Fact is, we have no style of play, other than long ball, no cutting edge, due to a lack of an attacking midfielder and often make ordinary teams look like Barcelona.
Most of our wins, including Swansea, we have been hanging on for the final 20 mins or so, making us look like a lower league side holding on against a big club in the cup.
You can't deny we are a hard watch and can see why others write us off.

[Nameless]

Fact is, we have no style of play, other than long ball, no cutting edge, due to a lack of an attacking midfielder and often make ordinary teams look like Barcelona.
Most of our wins, including Swansea, we have been hanging on for the final 20 mins or so, making us look like a lower league side holding on against a big club in the cup.
You can't deny we are a hard watch and can see why others write us off.

False 8th……

[Franchise FC]

Don’t get me wrong, I’m delighted with the points return so far and the position we’re in.

It’s just that I can see why others (i.e. non RFC fans) would still see us as a potential slider down the table

[YorkshireRoyal99]

I do think we should eventually shift away from it but, how many other sides who are 2-0 up at home keep the same tempo and rhythm to the game? Apart from the very best sides in the league, probably not many.

I'm not too bothered about conceding possession against a side who will play with the ball providing we get the result, especially this season anyway. But I don't think it's something that we can do over a longer period of time. There's usually a reason why the teams who have the least amount of possession in the league are towards the bottom end of the league, there are obviously exceptions.

[MR.CYNICAL]

Didn't say that.
If you enjoy watching us sit deep and invite teams to pass the ball around us and just lump it long for their centre half to win back possession, that's fine, but it won't bring back the missing fans.

[Nameless]

Don’t get me wrong, I’m delighted with the points return so far and the position we’re in.

It’s just that I can see why others (i.e. non RFC fans) would still see us as a potential slider down the table

Agreed, past seasons of struggle, severe financial constraints, useless manager, crocked players. To an outsider we’re definitely a candidate to struggle. But we’re half way through the season and perhaps a few might be changing their minds !

[Nameless]

Didn't say that.
If you enjoy watching us sit deep and invite teams to pass the ball around us and just lump it long for their centre half to win back possession, that's fine, but it won't bring back the missing fans.

There’s one objective this season and it really isn’t playing flashy football. That can come next year….

[From Despair To Where?]

Don’t get me wrong, I’m delighted with the points return so far and the position we’re in.

It’s just that I can see why others (i.e. non RFC fans) would still see us as a potential slider down the table

Agreed, past seasons of struggle, severe financial constraints, useless manager, crocked players. To an outsider we’re definitely a candidate to struggle. But we’re half way through the season and perhaps a few might be changing their minds !

I wouldn't put money on that. The Oppo BFTG thread is full of "Reading were shit" comments.

We're a very functional team but what we do have is fight and spirit by the absolute skip load and that goes a hell of a long way in a tight league and considering it is a squad of rejects thrown together at short notice, we're doing alright.

[3points]

For me we just seem to be playing the type of football many sides have played against us for a number of seasons, while we were trying to play pretty football. How many times did “functional” teams come to the Mad Stad/SCL, sit deep, let us have the ball, play in the counter/attack off of our mistakes and/or score goals from set plays? They would make themselves difficult to beat, waste time, shithouse their way through games. Just makes a change to see RFC do it instead

[From Despair To Where?]

I'd like to see us be a little bit more expansive but we've not got the players or budget to do that at present, and the short term aim really should be to build a platform to get to that.