Are Reading the real deal?

It's the beauty of the championship. I certainly wouldn't rule out them sustaining it, seen it too many times. People thought Warnock's Cardiff would eventually fall away. No-one really expected Sheffield United or Norwich to get automatic promotion in recent seasons. Even Brighton in our promotion season almost managed it.

Not much would surprise me with this league. Momentum and confidence goes a long way.
 
I think they have a bit of quality and will be up there but our emerging team would have beaten them but for a very bad decision from an incompetent linesman.

Watching the highlights last night Blackburn were wide open at the back, it was the sort of defending which gets managers the sack.

I can’t see them being runaway winners or anything like that.
 
I originally thought of them in the same vein as Charlton last season, but I'm changing my mind having seen a bit more of them. Their striker Meite is a bit of a beast, and Lucas Joao is someone I'd have here in a heartbeat.

Outstanding start from them and it's obviously put them in a superb position. Early days, but a lot of points on the board already and they can afford a few blips now.
 
Has to be a good sign that we barely gave up a chance when we played them, looked a very ordinary side to me though. Just shows how weak the league actually is this season.
 
JM14 said:
Has to be a good sign that we barely gave up a chance when we played them, looked a very ordinary side to me though. Just shows how weak the league actually is this season.
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I think we should start give ourselves a bit more credit for that result: they're a good side and we made them look ordinary.
Even if we'd won, it wouldn't disprove that they're a good side: the champions usually lose 7-8 over a season in this league, so it will happen.
 
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BoroBen92 said:
Must have watched a different Bournemouth match to me.
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Clearly. They never needed to get out of 2nd gear until we equalised yet still fashioned three good scoring chances before we even got a sniff at goal. Whoever finishes above them this season will go up automatically.
 
Marvanelli said:
Think they'll eventually come back to the pack. Can't see them continuing that type of form and them staying 7/8 points clear at the top.
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They won't need to.
If they maintain this form (2.75 points/game), they'll end up with a record 126 points, and probably be promoted some time in early February.

If they go 1.8 points/game from now on, they'd break the 90 point mark, which has always been enough for automatic promotion.
 
Alvez_48 said:
First one pears is off to grab a cup of tea
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behave man, you can't blame Pears for that, he was getting in position for the pass back from the defender. You must as a keeper get wide of the goal for the back pass......but the defender took his eye off the ball, it hit his heel and well 0-1, it's the kind of goal a fan will blame the keeper, but a coach will say the keeper was in the right position.

I wouldn't blame Pears for any of them goals. I would say Blackburns defending was horrific, littered with individual errors. The first goal CB turning back on the ball and hit his heel. Second goal, twice players dived in and got beat. Third goal, keeper had to dive for it because it hit inside of post, great shot, unlucky for keeper. Fourth goal defence wide open, clever play by striker to use defender as a shield to unsight Pears, and bent into far post.

Is Ayala crocked again for Blackburn?!
 
since1970 said:
Clearly. They never needed to get out of 2nd gear until we equalised yet still fashioned three good scoring chances before we even got a sniff at goal. Whoever finishes above them this season will go up automatically.
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Can't say I remember these three good chances.
Pop shot from outside the box, huge deflection to actually score, and not much else.

We were the better team before they scored, we missed golden chances to equalise before we finally did and had more chances throughout the entire match.
 
Bournemouth weren’t great against us at all. The best team we have played is Reading but even then we didn’t look like conceding. Early days yet but their is no one to be afraid of in this league and it’s to early to be giving out statements such as whoever finishes above such and such will get promoted.
 
Corcaigh_the_Cat said:
Every season we get that same comment about how weak the league is. I'm not sure there's any truth in it.
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Leeds and West Brom always seemed the far better sides last season. Relegated teams dont seem that strong this year, best teams gone from the league and no one promoted that will likely challenge the top 6. Just seems really weak to me this season compared to last.
 
It's worth looking at who Reading have played and the form of those teams. They've played the following league positions: 3, 7, 12, 15,16, 19, 22, 23. Average position of sides they have played is 14.6


Compare that to us: 1, 3, 4, 6, 15, 16, 18, 21 = average position is 10.5

They've had a good run of fixtures so far, you still have to beat these poor and off form sides, and they've done it in style, but it's how they fair in the tight games against the good sides that matters come May. they have another 3 relatively easy matches but then it's Bournemouth, Bristol C and Millwall. They then get another run of 4 easier games before Norwich, Brentford and Swansea. Lets see where they are in 10-12 games, I will guarantee their points per game will drop
 
Saying that I wasn't impressed with Reading, I wouldn't be surprised if they did go up, the league feels fairly weak this season.

I also don't think we'll have the same situation as last year where there's no team cut adrift in the relegation battle, I expect Wycombe to sink and hopefully the EFL win their appeal against Derby and they go down too.
 
BoroMart said:
behave man, you can't blame Pears for that, he was getting in position for the pass back from the defender. You must as a keeper get wide of the goal for the back pass......but the defender took his eye off the ball, it hit his heel and well 0-1, it's the kind of goal a fan will blame the keeper, but a coach will say the keeper was in the right position.

I wouldn't blame Pears for any of them goals. I would say Blackburns defending was horrific, littered with individual errors. The first goal CB turning back on the ball and hit his heel. Second goal, twice players dived in and got beat. Third goal, keeper had to dive for it because it hit inside of post, great shot, unlucky for keeper. Fourth goal defence wide open, clever play by striker to use defender as a shield to unsight Pears, and bent into far post.

Is Ayala crocked again for Blackburn?!
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Marty I was only kidding it just looked funny because he's kind of wandered off because of the direction of play. You're totally right though Blackburn don't look like they care about having defenders in position at all.
 
BoroMart said:
It's worth looking at who Reading have played and the form of those teams. They've played the following league positions: 3, 7, 12, 15,16, 19, 22, 23. Average position of sides they have played is 14.6


Compare that to us: 1, 3, 4, 6, 15, 16, 18, 21 = average position is 10.5
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The trouble with inferring that they've had an easy start from the position of their opposition is that one game makes a lot of difference at this point. Many of the teams they've played would be much higher if they had played an easier opponent than Reading.

However, it doesn't take away from the fact that we've has a tough start: our opponents have been highfliers DESPITE playing us.
 
BoroBen92 said:
Saying that I wasn't impressed with Reading, I wouldn't be surprised if they did go up, the league feels fairly weak this season.

I also don't think we'll have the same situation as last year where there's no team cut adrift in the relegation battle, I expect Wycombe to sink and hopefully the EFL win their appeal against Derby and they go down too.
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Can Sheff Wed pull themselves out of it as well? I mean they they've won 8 points on the field of play which would still put them 16th, they haven't won in their 4 home games, and are still 9 points from getting out of the bottom 3. They've got Rotherham and Wycombe away next two, if they don't get at least 4 points they are bang in trouble because they have Bournemouth, Millwall, Preston, Swansea straight after.
 
JM14 said:
Leeds and West Brom always seemed the far better sides last season. Relegated teams dont seem that strong this year, best teams gone from the league and no one promoted that will likely challenge the top 6. Just seems really weak to me this season compared to last.
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We're 7 games in. The relegated teams often struggle. We hear the same words every season about it being a weak division.
 
Frozen Horse said:
Many of the teams they've played would be much higher if they had played an easier opponent than Reading.
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Of course, teams won't finish where they are right now, but you can also infer that the teams they have played are not exactly favourites for challenging other than Watford, and that was a scrappy 1-0. They're a decent side, they're organised and rely on a bit of physical ability up top, but they're nothing special from what I have seen. They don't have the quality of say Norwich, Newcastle, Leeds promotions in recent seasons.
 
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