[Football] Unbeaten runs

[Bozza]

If the analysis in The Argus is correct, some recent Championship seasons have seen a longest unbeaten of a mere 5 games.

CHAMPIONSHIP: BEST UNBEATEN STARTS (Won-drawn-lost, final position)

2014-15: Nottingham Forest 11 (5-6-0, 14th); Charlton 11 (4-7-0, 12th).
2013-14: QPR 11 (8-3-0, 4th*).
2012-13: Nottingham Forest 6 (2-4-0, 8th).
2011-12: Middlesbrough 11 (5-6-0, 7th).
2010-11: QPR 19 (11-8-0, 1st).
2009-10: West Brom 8 (6-2-0, 2nd).
2008-09: Wolves 9 (7-1-0, 1st).
2007-08: Bristol City 8 (3-5-0, 4th).
2006-07: Cardiff 5 (4-1-0, 13th); Southampton 5 (1-4-0, 6th).
2005-06: Derby 5 (2-3-0, 20th).
2004-04: Wigan 17 (11-6-0, 2nd).
*- promoted via play-offs

At the time of writing (although Derby are 1 down) there are some impressive sequences currently in The Championship:

Albion 15
Derby 10
Hull 9
Shelf Wed 9
Burnley 6
Preston 5

It's not inconceivable that we could be the only one still in tact after this weekend...

Forest v Derby
Hull v Middlesbrough
Charlton v Sheff Wed
Wolves v Burnley
QPR v Preston

 

[Bozza]

I've just noticed the Argus stats are on unbeaten starts not runs any time.

Regardless, it will be interesting to see how many of the current runs are still going.

 

[nicko31]

Interesting what the longest unbeaten League run from the start of the season is..

 

[Ernest]

Derby have BUST

 

[Simster]

Derby have BUST

This. And remain below us.

 

[Mackenzie]

Can't see Wednesday losing to Charlton, but the rest could go either way.

 

[Dick Head]

It's not inconceivable that we could be the only one still in tact after this weekend...

I thought better of you than to suppose you would disrespect the grammarists. Were loose.

 

[BattFink]

Well that's just put the kiss of death on our run

 

[atfc village]

It's still a long way off Readings 85/86 13 straight wins in Div 3 as much as it pains me to say it. It will never be beaten.

 

[Triggaaar]

It's still a long way off Readings 85/86 13 straight wins in Div 3 as much as it pains me to say it. It will never be beaten.

Never never seems that long until you're grown.

 

[Bring back Bryan wade!!]

Never never seems that long until you're grown.

Ms Jackson?...

 

[Greg Bobkin]

I reckon we'll go unbeaten all season.



Either that, or we're loose today

 

[moggy]

I reckon we'll go unbeaten all season.



Either that, or we're loose today

Didn't Arsenal do that a few years ago? Or very close?

 

[Working class pride]

3 points for a win, and 1 for a draw. Points are what make prizes. Better to win one, draw one and lose one than three draws. Is it an achievement to be undefeated? It depends. Could we have won more games if we had been willing to lose more games? Would that have resulted in more points? No idea, but the only achievement so far is that we are third on goal difference. Must do better if we want to go straight up.

 

[sir albion]

Didn't Arsenal do that a few years ago? Or very close?

Yes they did and I think it was around 50 prem games unbeaten in all.

 

[chaileyjem]

Could we have won more games if we had been willing to lose more games?

Well we could have won 7 more games.
Huddersfield (A) - We're nearly nicked it at the end. Certainly weren't playing for a point. Hughton put Murphy on to try and make chances.
Wolves (A) - Well we should have won. playing against 10 men. missed a penalty
Bolton (A) - again should have won. Went 2-0 up. hardly being negative.
Cardiff (H) - Nope. Not playing for a draw as i recall.
Preston (H) - Disappointing match. Perhaps when we went down to 10 men in the last 10 mins we protected our point.
Reading/Sheff Weds (A) - We had chances. But Hughton didn't exactly pick defensive teams.

So aside from the last 10 minutes at Preston, then i'm struggling for any evidence that "we could have won more games if we'd been willing to lose games"... Hughton sets up his team to win matches and then defend leads. At Bristol City, Fulham, Leeds we've chased the game and won 3 points with less than 5 mins to go.

 

[Seagull58]

Yes they did and I think it was around 50 prem games unbeaten in all.

49 and then undone by Manure and a dodgy ref.

 

[Working class pride]

Well we could have won 7 more games.
Huddersfield (A) - We're nearly nicked it at the end. Certainly weren't playing for a point. Hughton put Murphy on to try and make chances.
Wolves (A) - Well we should have won. playing against 10 men. missed a penalty
Bolton (A) - again should have won. Went 2-0 up. hardly being negative.
Cardiff (H) - Nope. Not playing for a draw as i recall.
Preston (H) - Disappointing match. Perhaps when we went down to 10 men in the last 10 mins we protected our point.
Reading/Sheff Weds (A) - We had chances. But Hughton didn't exactly pick defensive teams.

So aside from the last 10 minutes at Preston, then i'm struggling for any evidence that "we could have won more games if we'd been willing to lose games"... Hughton sets up his team to win matches and then defend leads. At Bristol City, Fulham, Leeds we've chased the game and won 3 points with less than 5 mins to go.

It was a question about willing to lose more, not a statement. As for the games we didnt win but were close, well as we all know that three of the most pointless (excuse the pun) sayings are "could have, would have, should have" . It's what "is" that counts, and we are third but on the same points as top. Unbeaten? It's just is chip paper for another headline.

 

[Seagull58]

Interesting what the longest unbeaten League run from the start of the season is..

I know it's Div 3 rather than Div 2 (AKA Championship) but I think Bristol Rovers went 25 or 26 unbeaten from the start in the season of the infamous 8-2. It was the same season Leeds went 29 unbeaten in Div 1.

Edit: It was 73/74 and Rovers went 28 unbeaten - and finished runners-up to Oldham after drawing with Brighton in their last game!

 

[Machiavelli]

If the analysis in The Argus is correct, some recent Championship seasons have seen a longest unbeaten of a mere 5 games.

CHAMPIONSHIP: BEST UNBEATEN STARTS (Won-drawn-lost, final position)

2014-15: Nottingham Forest 11 (5-6-0, 14th); Charlton 11 (4-7-0, 12th).
2013-14: QPR 11 (8-3-0, 4th*).
2012-13: Nottingham Forest 6 (2-4-0, 8th).
2011-12: Middlesbrough 11 (5-6-0, 7th).
2010-11: QPR 19 (11-8-0, 1st).
2009-10: West Brom 8 (6-2-0, 2nd).
2008-09: Wolves 9 (7-1-0, 1st).
2007-08: Bristol City 8 (3-5-0, 4th).
2006-07: Cardiff 5 (4-1-0, 13th); Southampton 5 (1-4-0, 6th).
2005-06: Derby 5 (2-3-0, 20th).
2004-04: Wigan 17 (11-6-0, 2nd).
*- promoted via play-offs

Those that have gone on long unbeaten starts -- longer than we have (so far): QPR 10/11 and Wigan 04/05 -- got promoted.