Reading have got me worried

[SaintAmongSkates]

With the results this afternoon, and hoping for a bore draw when Cardiff play W Ham, I was thinking its starting to look like two from three for auto promotion. One team will need a big pick up psychologically before the play offs.

 

Thoughts?

[Dr Who?]

They are bloody good and will go up with us!

[trousers]

Without wishing to appear too smug, I called Reading as auto-promo candidates when they were still mid-table a few months ago :-)

[SOTONS EAST SIDE]

We are 2 points clear, and have a far better goal difference. Which if we maintain , means we will finish ahead of them!!! HTH

[Thedelldays]

if they go up, they sure will have to keep this form

 

they have to play all the teams around them

[alpine_saint]

Yes, they worry me more than WHU and Brum (who may just be showing the first signs of slipping out of contention) at the moment.

 

They keep going and going, and worked a winner this afternoon. Bastards.

 

Our match with them looks bigger and bigger.

[miserableoldgit]

But IF we win today that will put us 5 points ahead of them and they still have to come to SMS. It is still in our hands.

[hutch]

Reading will get a nosebleed soon. Just like Brum. We had ours.

 

We're going up as Champions. Reading, West Ham & Brum will fight it out to join us.

 

Even if we lose tonight at Leeds.

[Kingsland Red]

Are Reading our new Huddersfield, keeping us on our toes?

[SNSUN]

If my old school mate and his millions denies us promotion, school reunions are going to be fun...

 

Lots of games to go yet, form to dip. I think Reading and West Ham are our main concerns now, but nobody can truly be ruled out yet.

[Cabrone]

Reading's last 4 away games are at West Ham, Brighton, Saints and Birmingham so I can see them dropping a fair few points in those.

 

They will hit a sticky patch between now and season's end.

[S-Clarke]

They're winning the games against teams they should be winning against, they're in the middle of their ''easier'' run.

 

They will drop points when they get into their run-in, and they cannot afford to drop many if they want a top 2.

[Dr Who?]

It looked nailed on the Brum were going to run off at the top, then they lost at home to Forest, and we're held by Derby today. All it takes is one bad result and the wheels can come off.

 

I think Reading have the same kind of set up, and a calmness about them.

 

Saints

Reading

west Ham

Brum

Cardiff

Blackpool

[Dr Who?]

They're winning the games against teams they should be winning against, they're in the middle of their ''easier'' run.

 

They will drop points when they get into their run-in, and they cannot afford to drop many if they want a top 2.

 

They won at Boro, but no game is easy in this league. They are a good team.

[st.sj]

Reading are a good team, and brilliant run, but if we keep our consistencey we will go up as champions. Its just that bloody if though isnt it!

[70's Mike]

Reading run has come to early

[WealdSaint]

Would be happy if Reading go up with us and WHU then miss out on the play offs

[S-Clarke]

I think after our result, we're going to have teams worried.

 

And it's all down the timing of the run. They have peaked too soon IMO.

[RobM]

They are doing very well, but I'm not convinced they have the legs to keep this performance level up for the rest of the season. We've seen a few teams go on an excellent promotion-form run (Derby first, Brighton, Middlesborough, Birmingham, now Reading), but only us and West Ham have consistently been in and around the top two all season.

[Dalek2003]

Without wishing to appear too smug, I called Reading as auto-promo candidates when they were still mid-table a few months ago :-)

 

I can confirm that. It was a bold statement and you may be proven right.

[SuperSAINT]

They'll be gutted after our result tonight.

[kpturner]

Without wishing to appear too smug, I called Reading as auto-promo candidates when they were still mid-table a few months ago :-)

I said they would go up automatically this season before the 2009-2010 season started

[London Saint]

They have won six in a row I think

 

Simple law of averages says that can't continue

 

They would have been seething watching our result tonight And have a tougher run in

[toofarnorth]

Especially if pompey go pop. They dont lose any points.

[miserableoldgit]

I said they would go up automatically this season before the 2009-2010 season started

I said this back in 1979

[kpturner]

I said this back in 1979

Damn!

[saints-cris]

Im pretty sure they cant keep this run going, if they can though then fair play. Pretty sure they have some big sides left though? A couple injuries, suspensions..? We'll see

[Chez]

they took us to pieces at their place, and one of the few sides to do so, so have always thought they were a threat. Fair play to them of they overhaul us they would certainly deserve promotion if they do itt, but there is a long way to go yet.

[pressingon]

Their next game is home to the skates, can I bring myself to hope the blue few help derail Reading's promotion push? maybe 0-0 would be acceptable

[Saint J 77]

We will beat them at St Mary's and that will put an end to their charge up the table

[saints-cris]

Leicester, Blackpool, West Ham, Leeds, SAINTS, Brighton, Birmingham.

 

Still got some big games to play!

[Mowgli]

Would love to see Reading go up with us. Keeps local derby on the schedules.

[gingerone]

Seriously west ham need to be more worried about reading than us.

[Danbert]

They have won six in a row I think

 

Simple law of averages says that can't continue

 

They would have been seething watching our result tonight And have a tougher run in

 

"Simple law of averages says that can't continue." Errr... no it doesn't.

[sandwichsaint]

Would love to see Reading go up with us. Keeps local derby on the schedules.

 

Why's Reading a derby? Other than that it is fairly near, duh!

 

We've hardly played them in the last (30) years.

 

For me. when the blue-few are no more, our 'rivals' will be Brighton, Spurs, maybe Palace or Charlton.

 

We have absolutely no history with Reading and let's not start creating a tradition with a Noddy club who were on nobodies' radar until 5 or 6 years ago.

[Crab Lungs]

Why's Reading a derby? Other than that it is fairly near, duh!

 

We've hardly played them in the last (30) years.

 

For me. when the blue-few are no more, our 'rivals' will be Brighton, Spurs, maybe Palace or Charlton.

 

We have absolutely no history with Reading and let's not start creating a tradition with a Noddy club who were on nobodies' radar until 5 or 6 years ago.

 

Spurs, Palace and Charlton? WTF? Spurs won't give a sh1te about us and the others won't care much either. They'll be a bit of needle with Brighton but their real rivalry is with Palace.

[Steeleye Saint]

Are Reading our new Huddersfield, keeping us on our toes?

 

My thoughts exactly

[Jimmy_D]

Reading have a horrible run in.

 

If they'll do manage to trouble us, they'll have more than earned it.

[Gorgiesaint]

Okay remaining fixtures:

 

Saints                              West Ham                      Reading                        Birmingham

Ipswich(h)                          Cardiff (a)                   Portsmouth (h)                 Coventry (a)
Barnsley (h)                        Watford (h)                   Leicester (h)                  Leicester (a)
Millwall (a)                        Doncaster (h)                 Doncaster (a)                  Middlesbrough (h)
Hull (a)                            Leeds (a)                     Barnsley (a)                   Portsmouth (a)
Doncaster (h)                       Middlesbrough (h)             Peterborough (a)               Cardiff (h)
Blackpool (a)                       Burnley (a)                   Blackpool (h)                  Doncaster (a)
                                   Peterborough (a)              West ham (a)
                                   Reading (a)

Portsmouth (h)                      Barnsley (a)                  Leeds (h)                      Burnley (a)
Crystal Palace (a)                  Birmingham (h)                Brighton (a)                   Crystal Palace (h)
Reading (h)                         Brighton (h)                  Saints (a)                     West Ham (a)
Peterborough (a)                    Bristol City (a)              Nottm Forest (h)               Bristol City (h)
Middlesbrough (a)                   Leicester (a)                 Crystal Palace (h)             Ipswich (a)
Coventry (h)                        Hull (h)                      Birmingham (a)                 Brighton (a)
                                                                                                Reading (h)

 

Have to say out of all the run-in's, I'd take ours.

Edited 4 March, 2012 by Jimmy_D
Fixing fomatting

[Gorgiesaint]

Bugger that didn't work at all!!! mods can you delete the post above (#39)

 

or how do I do it myself?

[rick1976.4.38]

i think the game at sms against reading will be the decider to our promotion

[whelk]

there is always someone putting together a run

 

Last 9 games Reading have only gained 3pts on us (them 21 pts, us 18 pts)

[Lighthouse]

there is always someone putting together a run

 

Last 9 games Reading have only gained 3pts on us (them 21 pts, us 18 pts)

 

In a nutshell.

 

A few weeks ago when West Ham knocked us off the top, they were going to run away with the league.

Before that Birmingham were unstoppable and were going to to come through and win the league, despite being just outside the playoffs.

Before that Cardiff were the in form team to look out for.

Before that it was Boro breathing down on the top 2.

 

Reading look strong, but if they can maintain this form through their run in I'd be astonished.

[Jimmy_D]

Fixed the fixture list for you.

[Horley CTFC Saint]

With the results this afternoon, and hoping for a bore draw when Cardiff play W Ham, I was thinking its starting to look like two from three for auto promotion. One team will need a big pick up psychologically before the play offs.

 

Thoughts?

I think they play in blue and white just like Huddersfield

[bender]

Both us and Reading have 2 home games next week, except their 2nd one is quite tricky. After that they have 3 straight away games whilst we have 2 away then 1 home. Then it leads us into their last 4 away games which as we know are BHA, us, Wham and Brum.

 

Im not sure theyre as good as us either.

[Professor]

Its true that if any of the top six teams were to win all their remaining games they would outstrip Saints and win automatic promotion. Even Brighton in 7th. But no team will win all their games, although at this stage of the season it is likely that the promotion competing clubs will increase their win ration compared to the season overall, just because of the extra motivation, and that some of the games will be against teams that increasingly have less to play for. What Saints must do to go up 1st or 2nd is to get enough points themselves and not worry about the others.

My estimate is that 87 points will be enough for 1st or 2nd place this year. Saints would reach that total from 12 games by W6 D4 L2. WHU could get there with a similar set of results but Reading need something like P13 W8 D3 L2. If Reading were to achieve it would be a remarkable run and they could still be behind Saints on GD, so its a big task for them, as long as we do get to 87.