How impressed are you with BMcD's return to the club?

[No Fixed Abode]

spacepalm

You can't handle the truth.

[bracksroyal10]

Agree with the comments about 4-5-1, apart from the penalty incident that went our way thankfully, very rarely did Rotherham threaten at all.

What I don't understand at all is why on earth we are punting balls to Kermogant when he has x2 6ft + defenders challenging him in the air?

You would have thought after the 5th time of it happening, we would have started to play the ball on the floor, Rotherham were there for the taking and it would have been so much more had we gone with 4-4-2 from the off.

Don't understand why we are restricting ourselves so much against opposition like this, IMO should have played 4-4-2 with the combo Rakels and Cox up front for a bit of pace

[Maneki Neko]

Don't understand why we are restricting ourselves so much against opposition like this

you've seen our form generally this year yeah?
especially against the shit teams....

[genome]

Can't quite figure out why some are still moaning, did we not win

[Silver Fox]

I think those with even a fairly basic knowledge know that it is often not the best team that wins the league. Both Saints and West Ham were better than us when we won the league but we got more points.
Bad teams don't win titles but efficient teams can finish ahead of good footballing teams.

If only there was some way to judge who was the best team over a decent sample size, say 46 games?

And no offence but you're probably pissed at most home games. Things always look better when you're pissed. I should know m8!

None taken m8, probably the most vaLOLid point you've ever made

[Longhorn1970]

I think those with even a fairly basic knowledge know that it is often not the best team that wins the league. Both Saints and West Ham were better than us when we won the league but we got more points.
Bad teams don't win titles but efficient teams can finish ahead of good footballing teams.

Are you taking the p*ss

[Extended-Phenotype]

Can't quite figure out why some are still moaning, did we not win

Apparently it matters to kes if we 'only' beat Rotheram by 'only' one goal, rather than the 3 points completely contradicting himself that points are all that matter when comparing Clarke and Brian! 
‎
Loolz, he's a confused wee lad.‎

[OLLIE KEARNS]

I think those with even a fairly basic knowledge know that it is often not the best team that wins the league. Both Saints and West Ham were better than us when we won the league but we got more points.
Bad teams don't win titles but efficient teams can finish ahead of good footballing teams.

Are you taking the p*ss

In perhaps the longest (46 games), most competitive, most arduous league in world football it is very safe to say that the best team ALWAYS wins this league. Our last league winning side conceded less goals and won more games than any other side in the league which is kind of what good teams do.
Best footballing team is a completely different discussion to best team. I know many Arsenal fans who would happily sacrifice the "best footballing team" tag to actually win the league and become the best team.

[tidus_mi2]

I think those with even a fairly basic knowledge know that it is often not the best team that wins the league. Both Saints and West Ham were better than us when we won the league but we got more points.
Bad teams don't win titles but efficient teams can finish ahead of good footballing teams.

Are you taking the p*ss

Well he's right, teams can over achieve and finish higher than they should, that's what our last promotion team did, it's what Leicester are doing right now.

[OLLIE KEARNS]

I think those with even a fairly basic knowledge know that it is often not the best team that wins the league. Both Saints and West Ham were better than us when we won the league but we got more points.
Bad teams don't win titles but efficient teams can finish ahead of good footballing teams.

Are you taking the p*ss

Well he's right, teams can over achieve and finish higher than they should, that's what our last promotion team did, it's what Leicester are doing right now.

Leicester aren't over achieving, they are the best team to this point of the season. Have you watched them play ? You could argue that their scouts have over achieved in bringing the likes of Vardy, Mahrez and Kante to the club but the players are performing to their level of ability. You could also say that Leicester are over achieving in relation to their history and the perception that they are not a big club. The team however is simply playing to its very high level of ability.

[Maneki Neko]

I think those with even a fairly basic knowledge know that it is often not the best team that wins the league. Both Saints and West Ham were better than us when we won the league but we got more points.
Bad teams don't win titles but efficient teams can finish ahead of good footballing teams.

Are you taking the p*ss

Well he's right, teams can over achieve and finish higher than they should, that's what our last promotion team did, .

they 'over' achieved by being the best team.

no one was better than us. they may have had better players on paper, or a more experienced manager, but that doesn't make them a better team.
clearly

[No Fixed Abode]

Can't quite figure out why some are still moaning, did we not win

Apparently it matters to kes if we 'only' beat Rotheram by 'only' one goal, rather than the 3 points completely contradicting himself that points are all that matter when comparing Clarke and Brian! 
‎
Loolz, he's a confused wee lad.‎

You're saying Reading have improved under McDermott - I proved you wrong with points per game for Clarke and Brian. So if you can't prove it that way then prove it by 'good' performances and promising football. But you can't do that either as by all accounts most games have been dire to watch in general (apart from the FA Cup games). And the most entertaining football this season? Well, that was when Clarke was in charge.

[Winston Smith]

I think those with even a fairly basic knowledge know that it is often not the best team that wins the league. Both Saints and West Ham were better than us when we won the league but we got more points.

actual real life LOL

[No Fixed Abode]

I think those with even a fairly basic knowledge know that it is often not the best team that wins the league. Both Saints and West Ham were better than us when we won the league but we got more points.
Bad teams don't win titles but efficient teams can finish ahead of good footballing teams.

Are you taking the p*ss

Yep. Over the course of the season the best team always wins the title.

I think some like Nameless and EP are getting confused between the best team and the most entertaining team.

[Extended-Phenotype]

Can't quite figure out why some are still moaning, did we not win

Apparently it matters to kes if we 'only' beat Rotheram by 'only' one goal, rather than the 3 points completely contradicting himself that points are all that matter when comparing Clarke and Brian! 
‎
Loolz, he's a confused wee lad.‎

You're saying Reading have improved under McDermott - I proved you wrong with points per game for Clarke and Brian. So if you can't prove it that way then prove it by 'good' performances and promising football. But you can't do that either as by all accounts most games have been dire to watch in general (apart from the FA Cup games). And the most entertaining football this season? Well, that was when Clarke was in charge.

I get it m8, you are saying that we haven’t improved because of PPG. I’m saying that doesn’t paint the complete picture.
 
As mentioned, what I think has improved under Brian is the following:
 
1)      We are starting to concede less goals
2)      We are looking tighter as a team
3)      Players are playing with more confidence
4)      We have managed to come from behind in games, indicative of better team spirit
 
FTR, I wasn’t a basher of Clarke during his tenure and have no reason to be looking for something that isn’t there. And I wouldn’t have supported his sacking based on results or performance. But Brian is here now and after a bit of time getting up to speed with the players we look like we are showing signs of improvement, which you’d expect to translate more effectively into performance and points as we go forward.
 
Merely looking at PPG you are missing a lot of information which is why we are drawing different conclusions. And comparing two differently sized ranges in Clarkes games vs McDermotts games is disingenuous as it doesn’t account for current form, direction of progress or ambiguity of short ranges.
 
It’s okay if you don’t understand.
 
But seeing as you moan about Chelsea being the better team in a game they lost, you do seem to agree with me that points aren’t the whole story when assessing a team.
 
And seeing as you insist Liverpool have no right to expect to be in the champions league etc just because they used to be good, you do seem to agree current form is more important than judging the entire range.
 
And seeing as you rib Liverpool fans for judging their team on past glory rather than current level, you do seem to agree the size of a range (Liverpools entire history vs Liverpool this decade) can affect the conclusions you make.
 
So I can happily conclude that you agree with me on each point, even if you don’t appear to understand why.

[No Fixed Abode]

But still only 2 wins in 10 games.

That's confidence for you.

And as Bill Shankley once said "- “Football is a simple game, complicated by idiots,” Seems to sum EP nicely.

[Extended-Phenotype]

But still only 2 wins in 10 games.

But like you agree, it doesn't paint the whole picture

So, cool beans

[genome]

But still only 2 wins in 10 games.

That's confidence for you. :lol:

And as Bill Shankley once said "- “Football is a simple game, complicated by idiots,” Seems to sum EP nicely.

5 wins in 12 actually.

Do cup games not count? I thought they would have considering Chelsea's season, much like Reading's, is only really alive because of them.

[genome]

And as Bill Shankley once said "- “Football is a simple game, complicated by idiots,” Seems to sum EP nicely.

You know you've lost an argument when you start getting personal.

[Maneki Neko]

only 2 losses in 12 too...


and that's after losing our top two scorers