Rival Watch

[Hound]

Fulham are a bunch of flakey tossers who have massively benefitted from
the ridiculously unbalanced parachute system

They should never have been relegated with the squad they have and have many players who have already proven to be too good for the division

I do find it very hard to give them or Bournemouth any real credit tbh

[Snowflake Royal]

Fulham are a bunch of flakey tossers who have massively benefitted from
the ridiculously unbalanced parachute system

They should never have been relegated with the squad they have and have many players who have already proven to be too good for the division

I do find it very hard to give them or Bournemouth any real credit tbh

fyi Hound, leon stole your log in.

[Hound]

Fulham are a bunch of flakey tossers who have massively benefitted from
the ridiculously unbalanced parachute system

They should never have been relegated with the squad they have and have many players who have already proven to be too good for the division

I do find it very hard to give them or Bournemouth any real credit tbh

fyi Hound, leon stole your log in.

Tbf I didn’t start whining about their fans; then you’d know it was him

[SCIAG]

Just a word about Fulham.

A few weeks ago, just after their run of games where they were banging in multiple goals per game (including the 7 against us), there was a discussion before an EFL game where the panel were discussing that this Fulham side were potentially the greatest ever at this level, and were going to beat every record going.

The maximum points that Fulham can now get is 98; we all know what we got in 05/06

They have lost 8 games this season, including their last 2 on the bounce; we all know we only lost 2 all season, and went 33 unbeaten.

They have still to score 4 goals to catch up our 99, though with 5 games left, this they should do.

They currently have a GD of 58; ours in 05/06 was 67, so they will struggle to beat that.

Therefore, the best that this Fulham side can achieve is being ranked the 8th best at this level, ahead of Pompey and Bolton on having a better GD.

(I got the stats from FourFourTwo, and in the article they wrote this about the 05/06 team..........

"The record-breaking Royals put together one hell of a squad in 2005/06. They popped the cork with corking signings from, uh, Cork, and before long Kevin Doyle and Shane Long were joined by countryman Stephen Hunt and club-record signing Leroy Lita.

With a canny manager in Steve Coppell and a squad boasting strength and depth from back to front, Reading took a flying dump on the Championship, losing just a single game after the opening day and scoring 99 goals in total. They put five past Millwall, Brighton, Derby and Cardiff – twice – while also keeping things tight, as Steve Sidwell and James Harper protected a reliable defence.

Reading earned themselves a first ever top-flight campaign, and did so in style. No wonder they still go on about it."

I recently read a news article describing Norwich's 97-point total last season as "record-breaking". Of course I had to comment setting the record straight...

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Reading: DWDWLW = 1.8 ppg - puts us on ~47 come season end
Derby: LLDWLW = 1.2 ppg - ~ 36
Peterborough: LWLDDW = 1.3 ppg - ~ 36
Barnsley: DWLDLD = 1.0 ppg - ~ 36

So we need to basically go from near promotion form in recent games, to way worse than relegation form. At the same time as one of the bottom three go from relegation / lower mid-table form in recent games to record breaking form.

Ain't going to happen.

I don't really like this statistic really, because it becomes more and more irrelevant at the end of the season for teams at the bottom, especially if teams have the opportunity to bridge the gap. Derby have 4 very winnable fixtures, nothing this season suggests they will win all 4 (and 5 on the trot) and yes, it is very likely not to happen, but if they turn QPR over on Monday and we lose, that gives them even more hope for the next game. None of the 3 below us have anything to lose now and they will play that way, especially if we give them the opportunity to gain on us as well.

Now, I don't think it will happen, I can't see any of them doing enough to get out of it, but the longer we don't get the job done, the more difficult we will make it for ourselves and the more belief it gives those teams below us.

I'm saying it as if we are being caught up, we aren't, but we cannot really afford to drop too many points in our next couple, especially if someone else around us can gain on us. It's an all or nothing time of the season, the pressure is different for teams and so is the mindset for teams now as well.

There's absolutely no need to be concerned or talking about it.

IF Derby win the next two AND we lose them, then fair enough, it's worth talking about.

At the moment the chance of us gaining no more points and Derby winning 3 of their remaining games is so close to zero it may as well be zero.

You fannies have been worrying about them and Barnsley for weeks and they're further from catching us than ever.

When it's mathematically done you lot will be wringing your hands about Derby's points deduction being reduced or ours increased at this rate.

There's no real need for the name calling when I've agreed with the overall principle of your argument, just not the the statistics you have used to describe it.

[windermereROYAL]

Has a side at the bottom ever made up 9 points with 4 games remaining or 10 points with 5 games remaining?

Only if you expect a team that have won 6 in 41 to win their last 5 games or another team that have won 13 in 42 to win their last 4 while we pick up 4 or less in 4 games.

[Stranded]

Has a side at the bottom ever made up 9 points with 4 games remaining or 10 points with 5 games remaining?

Only if you expect a team that have won 6 in 41 to win their last 5 games or another team that have won 13 in 42 to win their last 4 while we pick up 4 or less in 4 games.

That's a point that even I forget. Derby have "only" won as many as we have. The only difference is they have drawn 6 that we lost.

To be worried that they go from 12 to 17 wins over their last 5 whilst we go from 22 to 26 defeats seems a bit of a stretch.

[Hound]

Bloody hell, can the lads please put this to bed tomorrow to kill off this discussion

[Ascotexgunner]

Bloody hell, can the lads please put this to bed tomorrow to kill off this discussion

Think they have been reading the DCFC forum. It's like a website run by potentially budding Goebbels impersonators.
They were gobbing off and sounding so positive that it's still on that they were staying up. Left me getting nervous as well. Managed to snap out of their spell after.
Hopefully we can bang the final nail in tomorrow.

[Snowflake Royal]

I don't really like this statistic really, because it becomes more and more irrelevant at the end of the season for teams at the bottom, especially if teams have the opportunity to bridge the gap. Derby have 4 very winnable fixtures, nothing this season suggests they will win all 4 (and 5 on the trot) and yes, it is very likely not to happen, but if they turn QPR over on Monday and we lose, that gives them even more hope for the next game. None of the 3 below us have anything to lose now and they will play that way, especially if we give them the opportunity to gain on us as well.

Now, I don't think it will happen, I can't see any of them doing enough to get out of it, but the longer we don't get the job done, the more difficult we will make it for ourselves and the more belief it gives those teams below us.

I'm saying it as if we are being caught up, we aren't, but we cannot really afford to drop too many points in our next couple, especially if someone else around us can gain on us. It's an all or nothing time of the season, the pressure is different for teams and so is the mindset for teams now as well.

There's absolutely no need to be concerned or talking about it.

IF Derby win the next two AND we lose them, then fair enough, it's worth talking about.

At the moment the chance of us gaining no more points and Derby winning 3 of their remaining games is so close to zero it may as well be zero.

You fannies have been worrying about them and Barnsley for weeks and they're further from catching us than ever.

When it's mathematically done you lot will be wringing your hands about Derby's points deduction being reduced or ours increased at this rate.

There's no real need for the name calling when I've agreed with the overall principle of your argument, just not the the statistics you have used to describe it.

Term of frustrated endearment. If I wanted to be rude I'd go harder.

[NathStPaul]

Fulham are a bunch of flakey tossers who have massively benefitted from
the ridiculously unbalanced parachute system

They should never have been relegated with the squad they have and have many players who have already proven to be too good for the division

I do find it very hard to give them or Bournemouth any real credit tbh

fyi Hound, leon stole your log in.

Tbf I didn’t start whining about their fans; then you’d know it was him

Agree with your stance on Fulham. If you let them play like we did when we played them at home then they can be destructive but I've seen them multiple times this season bottle it against teams who battle and get in their faces. They are definitely not anything special at all and I look forward to seeing them get a battering week after week in the Premier League.

[Sutekh]

Reading at home sure does maximise encouragement for the sides below every time

Watching the second halfs at Oakwell and Loftus Road even more closely now.

[bcubed]

Clinton Morrison seems absolutely gutted that Derby are losing

[Rax]

Clinton Morrison seems absolutely gutted that Derby are losing

Ah Well. Never Mind. Here's Tommy Mac with a message for ya Clint!

[Snowflake Royal]

Brum trying hard to separate us from our long held position in 21st.

Obviously well safe of relegation. Win against Hull would put us 3 behind them with 2 to go as well.

Brum have really got to drop sooner or later. They've been bottom 8 for 6 years straight now.

[Sutekh]

Brum trying hard to separate us from our long held position in 21st.

Obviously well safe of relegation. Win against Hull would put us 3 behind them with 2 to go as well.

Brum have really got to drop sooner or later. They've been bottom 8 for 6 years straight now.

A 6-1 thumping at Blackpool keeps Brum entrenched on 45 points. Their remaining games are Millwall (h), Cardiff (a) and Blackburn (h).

Hull have 47 points and have Reading (h), Bristol C (a) and Nottingham Forest (h).

[Stranded]

Brum trying hard to separate us from our long held position in 21st.

Obviously well safe of relegation. Win against Hull would put us 3 behind them with 2 to go as well.

Brum have really got to drop sooner or later. They've been bottom 8 for 6 years straight now.

If it weren't for deductions, they'd be 2 points adrift in the bottom 3 right now and looking fairly doomed.

[NathStPaul]

Finding it hard to enjoy Derby going down as much as I want to. Could easily be us in that position this time next season should we struggle to get decent players in.

[windermereROYAL]

Finding it hard to enjoy Derby going down as much as I want to. Could easily be us in that position this time next season should we struggle to get decent players in.

That`s for another day, enjoy the moment if you can. we all know what`s coming next year.

[Hound]

Finding it hard to enjoy Derby going down as much as I want to. Could easily be us in that position this time next season should we struggle to get decent players in.

That`s for another day, enjoy the moment if you can. we all know what`s coming next year.

Yeah exactly that

And no doubts we won’t be receiving a media w@nkfest every time we win a game either