Mr Popodopolous

Picture speaks a thousand words as they say. @W-S-M Seagull Decent spread of sides reputation wise etc in this snapshot. As we can see, proportionately we surely can't be the only ones wirh a softer reputation, perhaps Swansea another? Reading are in a similar bracket. Then again Reading when it comes to penalties are much better off.

Matches should be judged individually and on merit. Although I understand how reputation can carry, e.g. if a player goes down easily. Perhaps, and that's an interesting argument though it was Warnock and others, probably not so much under Wilder but he was quite a footballing manager. I digress. The foul to yellow card ratio, while quite dry is also quite revealing. I don't have time now but might make a couple of graphs for that across this and last season, likewise my work on Shot/Penalty ratios which I might restart soon. Yet the fact that we are 17th for fouls shows that we are far from a dirty side, and more sinned against than sinned by some way.

The problem is, how do we square the circle given that we seem to get penalised more often than many for similar offences. How do we do this more smartly may be another way of looking at it? Did we not get 2-3 booked at Sheffield United last season for kicking the ball away? Yellow card can be fine but is a tight rope. Causation isn't correlation but 17th for fouls committed vs 3rd for yellow cards received is a bit of a mismatch?? There are loads of similar stats if the figures are right and we delve into them correctly. Why for example have Luton only received 28 yellow cards despite being 2nd for fouls committed? Why did us and Birmingham jointly each have 9 penalties awarded against despite them being 2nd and us being 19th in Fouls Committed? Last season I mean.

Don't think the booing was aimed at team and management but at the officials and perhaps Sheffield United for some of their gamesmanship.

I can check but fairly sure that statistically at this juncture we are superior to last season in a range of ways. How that translates into results still remains to be seen. (Shots for, Shots against, clean sheets etc, possession etc). Happy to re-read the 10 games thread.

In many ways yes, although underlying performance can be an indicator of things to come, whether good or bad.

One more observation. Posted it elsewhere, proviso I assume the stats are accurate. We are 17th for fouls committed this season but... *Have two entries who are joint top for individual yellow cards (4 players have 7, of these Scott and Williams make an appearance). *2nd for yellow cards as a team (top 4 each have 44 apiece, we have 40). *3rd for red cards. (We have 2, Blackpool have 4, and Cardiff 3). *Joint 3rd for penalties against (Hull have 4, Cardiff, Birmingham and Huddersfield 3 apiece). Clearly we need to be smarter too.

Bar not open yet, Major? (Sure that was a Fawlty Towers line).

Those two are among the joint leaders for players who have been booked this season. Are we notably more physical than other sides? Are we less smart, where do we need improvement as cheap yellows really can cost sides. I know it's a central midfielders lot to an extent but... Although we're apparently only 17th for fouls committed yet it says we are 2nd for bookings (top 4 have 44 apiece) and 3rd for red cards??

Do totally agree with you though, the ratio of big decisions, lucky or otherwise. Unbelievable all told. For a time the penalty stuff could be explained by how much the opposition might dominate us on a regular basis, but we're much more competitive now despite a few no shows and yet??

1st game. Tone set early.

Agreed with your post for the most part, last bit? Dunno travelling at speed as Wells was, even a slight nudge can send you flying then again it is a contact sport. I'm leaning towards penalty but certainly not nailed on.

Thanks Sheltons. Looked at the pic across the line several times now and did wonder if he was just about level or just ahead of the last defender. Had Scott been able to get it across, tap in?

Isn't Nakhi offside in that pic though? Maybe not by much but...

XG using the Experimental 361 had us winning. 1.8-0.5 in our favour.

We seem to be improving overall IMO. More pts from the same fixtures as set against last season, ie vs opponents, less thrashings, some statistical uplift in certain areas. Is a long road ahead but there are some encouraging signs while cutting our cost base at the same time.

Agreed, although we are coming from a worse base. For FFP I believe it is the Holdings and not the club in isolation that is the starting point. If we lost £28m last season it surely didn't fall as much as assumed last season.

Helps of course if Chelsea offer their apparently usual gratis or massive discounts for Reading but generally agree.

I was just thinking about that @BTRFTG the great run and shot by Scott. Could/should he have looked for someone or was he right to go for goal?

Am whooshing myself here probably but... Applies to away fans only, coins fine for home fans and presumably visiting officials. Visiting officials can have a Vape too I expect.

I think Sunderland are on a sticky wicket here but a post from the Sunderland forum is interesting if legally problematic to implement IRL. Otoh it's just a post on a forum. In theory perhaps they could use metal wands to search minors, in practice people just need to say NO!! A step too far, this coin and vape thing.

Yes as I thought on closer inspection, that **** Mark Roberts.

Just on the standing stuff, expansion of Safe Standing ideas etc. This particular officer if it's the one I am thinking of is well known for his prejudice towards football, liberalisation of certain aspects etc. https://twitter.com/FairCop_/status/1587721322838298624?s=20&t=p3-16OoaZTpz_fkiQgVufg

My question therefore is, would we get away with similar. Something tells me we would not!

Some of those sides play each other ie the teams below us, they can't both win. Ppg wise we are not in relegation danger, 22/19 extrapolated is usually lower midtable, maybe lower but definitely not bottom 3. Talking of Sykes and DaSilva, had a quick look at Sofascore and this stat surprised me. It said that only 2 big chances apiece created this season. Stats can he used to prove and disprove many things but that's fairly shocking if accurate.