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The significance (or otherwise) of goal difference


LondonBristolian

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I've had a long held but admittedly untested theory that the best test of whether a team is in a false position or not is looking at the goal difference.  I believe that, as a general rule, teams that are high in league after ten or fifteen games but have only a slight positive goal difference will ultimately fall away whilst teams that are low in the league with only a slight negative goal difference will ultimately be okay over the course of the season.

With that in mind, I noted yesterday we've got the fourth best goal difference in the league.  I know it's early days but to me it gives the lie to the idea that we've been playing poorly but had a lot of luck.  It's a long way and a tight league but 6th in the table with the 4th best goal difference is a brilliant place to be, especially as we've just had our first real blip.  There's a Hell of a lot of work to do of course and we do need to confront the fact that Cardiff and QPR seemed to work us out but the real positive is LJ has acknowledged that and I've got a lot of confidence we can address it. 

We're not yet a third of the way into the season and I think Villa, Derby and perhaps even Wolves and Ipswich will get stronger as the season goes on.  But I also look down the table and I'm not convinced the nine teams directly below us are any better than we are.  Anyone can beat anyone for sure, and some of those teams could well finish ahead of us but I'm sure those teams' fans would say they have their strengths and weaknesses just as we do I'm starting to think we really can compete this season. 

Now to focus on getting to the quarter-finals of a cup competition! 

COYR!

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3 hours ago, LondonBristolian said:

I've had a long held but admittedly untested theory that the best test of whether a team is in a false position or not is looking at the goal difference.  I believe that, as a general rule, teams that are high in league after ten or fifteen games but have only a slight positive goal difference will ultimately fall away whilst teams that are low in the league with only a slight negative goal difference will ultimately be okay over the course of the season.

Oddly enough at the end of the 90-91 season City finished 9th in the division we're now in.

P46 W20 D 7 L19 and we had a goal difference of minus three. Twelve teams below City, including one of those relegated, conceded fewer goals.

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3 minutes ago, The Horse With No Name said:

And didn't we finish the 2007/8 season in the play offs (4th?) with a zero goal difference. Reason being we only used to win often by the odd goal , but took some real hidings. 

Including an embarrassing 0-6 thrashing by Cardiff.........:facepalm:

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2 minutes ago, The Horse With No Name said:

And didn't we finish the 2007/8 season in the play offs (4th?) with a zero goal difference. Reason being we only used to win often by the odd goal , but took some real hidings. 

Was just about to post the same. Top scorer though IIRC was Byfield with less than Tammy has now. 

The similarity to me with 2008 is until very late that season we felt under radar, even though we weren't out of the top six. Even with the decent media profile now, when it comes to the media talking of the promotion shake up, we're not mentioned. Long may that continue and we sustain out of the spotlight.

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1 hour ago, Bo Andersons dietician said:

Believe we did have a 6-0 defeat...but it was at Ipswich that year. 

I was there and despite the score- it was a  decent away day! 

I was there also  yes I could  have been double figures with no complaints  ,,,          On the flip side of the debate did any body notice every match in the championship was won by an odd goal ? indeed 8  1 nils !

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