Rival Watch

[NewCorkSeth]

True enough

Could we have been contenders for
Worst points record in Prem?

Maybe but we'd have collected some decent money to rebuild and try again

And like you say the last few years can't have been much worse

Would take some doing to beat Stokes record.

What record have Stoke got ?

Lowest top division points in history. Why do you ask? Did you not keep an eye on the league season of 1889/90? It's interesting that it came 4 seasons after they recorded the record number of losses in the top flight. The famous 31 losses in 1884/85.

[Snowball]

You are bringing back bad memories

In the 197071 season my home-town club (Newport) didn't win a single game until game 26

in JANUARY 1971

LLLLLLLLLLDLLLDLLLLLLLDLDW


10 Defeats
2-2 Draw
3 Defeats
2-2 Draw
7 Defeats
2-2 Draw
1 Defeat
1-1 Draw
3-0 WIN 15th January

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1970–71_Newport_County_A.F.C._season

[Franchise FC]

Would take some doing to beat Stokes record.

What record have Stoke got ?

Lowest top division points in history. Why do you ask? Did you not keep an eye on the league season of 1889/90? It's interesting that it came 4 seasons after they recorded the record number of losses in the top flight. The famous 31 losses in 1884/85.

Silly me - football wasn't invented until 1991, apparently

[Stranded]

for all of Brentford's attacking prowess, they do look suspect at the back.

No more suspect than the other attacking sides tbf. A lot of people say we look suspect at the back and Blackburn look ready to ship comical goals every game.

Our defence is surprisingly solid given the injuries and total conceded.

We are on a run of just 11 goals conceded in 12 games. Add that to 3 goals in the first 8 and realistically our defence was only shocking for 6 games where we let in 15.

Otherwise it is 14 goals conceded in 20 games.

The run between Coventry to Bristol City was really shocking defensively.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

You are bringing back bad memories

In the 197071 season my home-town club (Newport) didn't win a single game until game 26

in JANUARY 1971

LLLLLLLLLLDLLLDLLLLLLLDLDW


10 Defeats
2-2 Draw
3 Defeats
2-2 Draw
7 Defeats
2-2 Draw
1 Defeat
1-1 Draw
3-0 WIN 15th January

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1970–71_Newport_County_A.F.C._season

But didn't they beat us in the league cup that season?

[Zip]

On Brentford they may already have had their wobble early on in the season. They got off to a slow start with 4 points from their first 5 games and something 17 from their first 13.

[Snowflake Royal]

I'm not looking to start a debate about the merits of xG or anything but I have kept my eye on it this season and have listened/read a lot of championship opinion pieces and one thing has really stood out when it comes to the metric.

The frequent use of it to point out we are overperforming. It has been used as a stick to beat us with, mostly early on in the season, when the sample size was a lot smaller. But the point I want to make isn't about us. It's about Swansea. A team many "pundits" have talked up as a real challenger and have been called a better team than us. I havent seen any xG slurs thrown at them yet, in an xG table we are in 10th and they are in 15th.

They have 21 points more than xG dictates they should but have not seemed to have attracted the ire of podcasts like we have.

Now, I'm not saying they should have. It just seems odd that we were picked apart for it, so much so that other fans (I remember 2 separate Coventry fans bringing it up on twitter) have picked it up and run with it, while Swansea have just been considered a good team. Odd eh?

Interesting. Cooper is a bit of a favourite though

yeah I don't really buy into the swansea love in.

Proper dull team. Solid, efficient, hard working and all those other cliches which basically mean dull as shit. Reckon they are due a poor run

It just seems odd. We are pretty similar results wise. They play solid, defensive football and we play blistering, attacking football. Usually the praise would be reversed.

I'll tell you the difference right here and now.

2019/20
Swansea - 6th
Reading - 14th

2018/19
Swansea - 10th
Reading - 20th

2017/18
Swansea - Premier League
Reading - 20th


We're not expected to do well, so people are looking for reasons it's a fluke. Swansea are expected to do well, no one's looking for reasons why they can't sustain it.

[Ascotexgunner]

On Brentford they may already have had their wobble early on in the season. They got off to a slow start with 4 points from their first 5 games and something 17 from their first 13.

Nahhhhh......they had more than enough chances last season with arguably a better squad. Their end of season run showed what bottlejobs they are capable of being. There are more twists and turns to come yet.

[Snowflake Royal]

for all of Brentford's attacking prowess, they do look suspect at the back.

No more suspect than the other attacking sides tbf. A lot of people say we look suspect at the back and Blackburn look ready to ship comical goals every game.

Our defence is surprisingly solid given the injuries and total conceded.

We are on a run of just 11 goals conceded in 12 games. Add that to 3 goals in the first 8 and realistically our defence was only shocking for 6 games where we let in 15.

Otherwise it is 14 goals conceded in 20 games.

The run between Coventry to Bristol City was really shocking defensively.

And almost all of those goals seemed to come from
Defensive howlers
Screamers
Going all out to get back in the game because of one of the above

[NewCorkSeth]

Interesting. Cooper is a bit of a favourite though

yeah I don't really buy into the swansea love in.

Proper dull team. Solid, efficient, hard working and all those other cliches which basically mean dull as shit. Reckon they are due a poor run

It just seems odd. We are pretty similar results wise. They play solid, defensive football and we play blistering, attacking football. Usually the praise would be reversed.

I'll tell you the difference right here and now.

2019/20
Swansea - 6th
Reading - 14th

2018/19
Swansea - 10th
Reading - 20th

2017/18
Swansea - Premier League
Reading - 20th


We're not expected to do well, so people are looking for reasons it's a fluke. Swansea are expected to do well, no one's looking for reasons why they can't sustain it.

Fair point.

[From Despair To Where?]

Would take some doing to beat Stokes record.

What record have Stoke got ?

Lowest top division points in history. Why do you ask? Did you not keep an eye on the league season of 1889/90? It's interesting that it came 4 seasons after they recorded the record number of losses in the top flight. The famous 31 losses in 1884/85.

I think you're getting your centuries mixed up, Seth. Stoke lost 31 games in 1984/85. The Football League didn't exist in 1884/85.

To be fair to Stoke, it was 2pts for a win and a 22 game season in 1889/90 so still better than Derby.

[NewCorkSeth]

What record have Stoke got ?

Lowest top division points in history. Why do you ask? Did you not keep an eye on the league season of 1889/90? It's interesting that it came 4 seasons after they recorded the record number of losses in the top flight. The famous 31 losses in 1884/85.

I think you're getting your centuries mixed up, Seth. Stoke lost 31 games in 1984/85. The Football League didn't exist in 1884/85.

To be fair to Stoke, it was 2pts for a win and a 22 game season in 1889/90 so still better than Derby.

You got me there. That's what I get for skimming Stoke City records.

[tidus_mi2]

Big game tonight, what's everyone's preference for result?

I guess I'd go for:

1) Draw
2) Swansea win
3) Norwich win

[Hendo]

Yeah, draw has got to be the result to hope for tonight. Nice uneventful 0-0.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Yeah, draw has got to be the result to hope for tonight. Nice uneventful 0-0.

With a few big injuries thrown in

[Hound]

Yeah, draw has got to be the result to hope for tonight. Nice uneventful 0-0.

0-0 is prob the best. 4 games without a goal for Norwich. Swansea struggling to score. Both dropping points.

Couple of sending offs wouldnt go amiss - maybe Buendia can get a 3 matcher

[Pepe the Horseman]

Yeah, draw has got to be the result to hope for tonight. Nice uneventful 0-0.

0-0 is prob the best. 4 games without a goal for Norwich. Swansea struggling to score. Both dropping points.

Couple of sending offs wouldnt go amiss - maybe Buendia can get a 3 matcher

Would say 0-0 is nailed on, but surely Norwich can't make it three 0-0s in a row.

[Zip]

A draw would be ideal.

[Stranded]

Draw has to be a preferred result.

If so, then if Brentford fail to win at Boro on Saturday, we can be second and just 3 points off top with wins over Stoke and Brentford.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Draw has to be a preferred result.

If so, then if Brentford fail to win at Boro on Saturday, we can be second and just 3 points off top with wins over Stoke and Brentford.

Some big ifs in there