That goal difference

[Tetteys Jig 830]

It''s proven yet again that the three teams with the worst goal difference eventually prove to be the three worst teams. It''s been creeping away at us even when we were 12th and two points off 10th. That goal difference still looked dodgy and I guess it paints a bit of a picture that we were indeed in a false position as several people had warned.

It''s another reason i''m a bit annoyed with our demise. I genuinely think if we''d started the season completely useless like Sunderland or Palace and sacked Hughton earlier, we''d be out of this mess.

[Bury Green 0]

On reflection our current situation was styled at our first away game to Hull.

If goal difference is a product of negative tactics then just cast your mind back to last August, Hull got a pretty suspect penalty then went down to ten men,the chance to capitalise and to get something out if the game was there before the management.

Hull were always likely to be a team that would be towards the bottom end of the table, not quite a ''six pointer'' but a game we really needed something from.

Did they ----, no change in formation, just kept plugging away with the same old negative tactics and of course we lost.

You may say that this result harmed our goal difference by only one goal but for me at least it was the standout result in what was to follow through the rest of the season.

So to conclude, without the mystifying tactics in the really important games such as Hull away the issue of goal difference really shouldn''t be such an issue.

[Hoolahans Left Foot 0]

Don''t worry. we''ll score 18 against Arsenal and stay up....................................

[Tetteys Jig 830]

I do think it bears some relevance. Our 7-0 loss to Man City was far worse than a 1-0 loss, in a way, it should mean you have less points as it is markedly worse. I guess it shows we were genuinely not strong enough to compete at this level this season. If we''d won our few games 5-0 and lost a load 1-0 i''d be very aggrieved that we were going down having deserved more but big losses has just shown how weak we can be and there have been no big wins to show how good we can be.

[It's Character Forming 1,160]

What annoys me is that the season before we were entirely capable of keeping things tight at the back and grinding out points away from home.  This season we lost that while becoming even less effective up front.  It''s that combination of getting worse at both ends which has seen us relegated.  I don''t understand why our team isn''t good enough this year when last year it was clearly good enough to survive.

 

I think what has done for us this season is our away form but it''s not having won only two that''s the problem... it''s the fact that prior to Sunday, we had only got two away draws all season (and therefore 14 defeats).  Aside from the top 6 where you''d expect to lose (although you''d hope to come away with a point or two) we should have gone into all those games fighting for at least a point and I think we should have been able to get another 4-5 away draws against teams in the middle and bottom of the table at the very least with our current squad. 

 

That for me is where Hughton has got us relegated.

[Salopian 1]

At times our defence has certainly looked porous, and at times, like Old Trafford, we have virtually given up.

Even so, our goals against is better than the two teams below and not much worse than the two above.

We are in a mess not just because we have suffered big defeats too often, but more because we have scored so few goals. If we had scored as many as Fulham, i.e. 10 more, our goal difference would be -22, not good but not too different that of Sunderland.

For the record:

Cardiff F 31, A 72 GD -41

Fulham F 38 A 83 GD -45

Norwich F 28 A 60 GD -32

Sunderland F 38 A 57 GC - 29

WBA F 42 A 55 GD - 13

We have a leaky defence, but our main deficiency is an attack which has scored 10 fewer than all other bottom clubs except Cardiff, and we have scored 3 fewer than they have. I suspect that if we are to make progress in the Championship we shall need to do something about the defence, as well as the attack. Even at that level we could be in trouble.

[Mr Jenkins 0]

Goal difference is a big factor at the SH1TTY end of the table, but for me big heavy losses to top teams don''t define a season.Many teams have shipped lots of goals in games this year, more than I can remember in the past, but a seasons accumulated goal difference is only one point.

How many of those have slipped away because we have failed to make tactical changes and decisive subs when needed?

[Tetteys Jig 830]

I think what i''m trying to say is that it was clear evidence we were in a false position when we were 12th and it was clear to 90% of fans that a change was needed, either some significant investment in January or a change in manager and most probably both. The fact that despite the clear warning was there and we didn''t act is particularly galling. I remember Reading doing a similar thing a few years ago when they assumed in January they would be safe with no investment.

[Snoots 0]

[quote user="Salopian"]At times our defence has certainly looked porous, and at times, like Old Trafford, we have virtually given up.

Even so, our goals against is better than the two teams below and not much worse than the two above.

We are in a mess not just because we have suffered big defeats too often, but more because we have scored so few goals. If we had scored as many as Fulham, i.e. 10 more, our goal difference would be -22, not good but not too different that of Sunderland.

For the record:

Cardiff F 31, A 72 GD -41

Fulham F 38 A 83 GD -45

Norwich F 28 A 60 GD -32

Sunderland F 38 A 57 GC - 29

WBA F 42 A 55 GD - 13

We have a leaky defence, but our main deficiency is an attack which has scored 10 fewer than all other bottom clubs except Cardiff, and we have scored 3 fewer than they have. I suspect that if we are to make progress in the Championship we shall need to do something about the defence, as well as the attack. Even at that level we could be in trouble.[/quote]

Sunderland - 19

[Mr Jenkins 0]

Agree Jimmy

[Ray 111]

I don''t have the data to back this up but my memory (which of course can be selective) is that we''ve conceded a lot of our goals from our midfield not tracking back and allowing runners into our box unchallenged. That''s not to say the runner wouldn''t have scored at times, that is what they are paid to do after all, but imo far too often they were unchallenged, we only have to look at the first two goals against Liverpool and the last three against Man Utd to see the problem.

The back four are therefore left exposed, not only are they having to deal with the forward line but then midfileders coming at them at a pace unchallenged.

[Tetteys Jig 830]

Just looked, you have to go back to Wigan in 2009/2010 to find a team that survived despite having one of the three worst goal differences. Even then, they were only two worse.

The season before, Newcastle were "unlucky" to go down with the joint 14th worst goal difference but quickly proved the season after that this was just a blip.

I do think that if we''re not careful, we''ll be a in for a long stay in the championship. It''s vital we don''t break up the squad so much we have to buy in like 8 new players that will need to blend in.

[Canary Poirot 1]

It just goes to show that the team should never just give up once say 2-0 down to another side, and then ship 4, 5, 6,7 goals. We could easily have constrained man utd to only one goal a couple weeks ago if we hadn''t put in an abject second half display. I guess the goal difference is a reflection of the character of the players and manager. Abject.