Reading are starting to scare me a little now. Eight wins in a row now, and another win for them and the Hammers will leave goal difference seperating the top three. At that point it becomes a game of ****ing H.O.R.S.E., match your rival's score and result, or get left behind. So, I pose the following: 1. Who will stop the Reading machine? 2. Who misses out on the automatic spots? 3. Who takes top spot? 4. Which team will have the best form over the run in? All three teams are in and around the top three on merit, but the one who misses out and has to go to playoffs will be gutted. Personally I'd love to see West Ham drop points from draws here and there and then finish third, only to see if the howls of despair from East London are audible over here in the Middle East.
Reading have to play West Ham and Saints...those matches could be season defining for all 3 teams. Reading also have to play Leeds and Blackpool. The best 2 teams will get autos...we have to trust Adkins and team to make us one of them. Personally, I think it's West Ham that should be worried. The important thing at the moment is that we are back at the top properly...even if Reading and WHU win their games in hand, we will still be top.
I too am concerned about Reading and have been for a while. However we need to focus on the games we play as although the Reading game coming up is important it really could loose its importance if we are not on the ball in the games coming up.... Millwall (A) Hull (A) Doncaster (H) Blackpool (A) Portsmouth (H) C Palace (A) Then the Reading game.... We need to focus on the games we have before this otherwise by the time of the Reading game it may be irrelavent. I really think we need to keep our head in the game because although we're looking good, and I hope to god we do it, we are very much not home and dry and it is too early to say it is only between 3 teams. I still think that another team will go on a good run before the end of the season and challenge. We just need to focus on our own results as it is far to early to call.
If they win this afternoon, I think Boro would still be in it. They'd be just 4 points behind West Ham and Reading, having played the same amount of games. They've also still got to play both ourselves and West Ham, so it is almost in their own hands still - especially with West Ham-Reading and Saints-Reading both resulting in dropped points which they could take advantage of.
It will be West ham and Southampton. Reading wont keep their run going for the rest iof the season and their last 5 games are tough.
Reading have three games in the next 10 days, and whilst they are all away, they are all very, very winnable. Doncaster, Barnsley, Posh. I'd be surprised if Reading didn't pick up the maximum nine points (and if they did, then only wins for us away to Millwall and Hull would keep us above them, and I can't see us beating Hull away). However, once those three games are out of the way, they do then walk straight into the fixture list from hell. Seven of their last eight games are against teams currnetly in the top 11 (albeit that does include a home game vs 11th placed Palace).
Whichever team finish 3rd will be so gutted and won't win in the playoffs its better to know sooner than later your going to be contesting them so you can get focused for them. If its this tight going into the final three games the team who fails will be gutted and unable to pick themselves up I feel so I hope that's not us.
Reading have won their last 8 games! Who has come in and played in their last 8 games? Jason Roberts...he has scored 4 and has 3 assists in that time. He has quickly become Readings Lambert and has a winning influence on the team turning games that they might previously have drawn into 3 points. What a great signing he has turned out to be for Reading... unfortunately!
I know there is very little point in guessing what the scores will be but I am going for something like this. Southampton 89 Points Millwall (a) 3 Hull (a) 1 Doncaster (h) 3 Blackpool (a) 1 Portsmouth (h) 3 Crystal Palace (a) 1 Reading (h) 1 Peterborough (a) 3 Middlesbrough (a) 1 Coventry (h) 3 West Ham 90 Points Leeds United (a) 1 Middlesbrough (h) 3 Burnley (a) 1 Peterborough (a) 3 Reading (h) 1 Barnsley (a) 3 Birmingham (h) 3 Brighton (h) 3 Bristol City (a) 3 Leicester (a) 0 Hull (h) 3 Reading 88 Points Doncaster (a) 3 Barnsley (a) 3 Peterborough (a) 3 Blackpool (h) 1 West Ham (a) 1 Leeds United (h) 3 Brighton (a) 0 Southampton (a) 1 Nottm Forest (h) 3 Crystal Palace (h) 3 Birmingham (a) 1
Hmm, interesting distribution of points, there Twixter. One extra interesting point I take from it is that Saints have 4 Home and 6 Away games left. WHU have 5 and 6 respectively, and Reading have 4 and 7. That could make the difference, given that Home games are meant to be won, and Away games are hopefully won, or at the very least, drawn. Of course, WHU can't win their Home games regularly enough, which complicates the equation. With 7 Away games left, Reading may not be as close as we all think. And before you reply, Twixter, do remember that Saints already have the points on the board and both WHU and Reading can slip up.
Why do you call me Twixter? Is it an attempt at winding me up or do you just think thats how my username is spelt? Genuine question.
Sorry, I have genuinely not noticed. trixter, trixter, trixter. There you go, I've changed the habit. If you want me to do the whole trixter_whufc, I may have to resort to t_whufc. Correct me if I do it again. Anyway, why trixter..? Come on, there must be an interesting reason.
And again. 60 minutes away from being able to rule Boro out. And even better, this should really build a head of steam up behind Leeds going into their home game with West Ham next weekend. Play-offs not out of the question just yet for them.
2-0 to Leeds - what this does do apart from remove Boro from the equation (most likely anyhow) - is that it makes Leeds v WHU even better as Leeds are getting into contention for the play-off positions...I have a genuine belief if they win today they could upset the hammers...
