Championship play-off preview: The numbers game

With his own side falling out of the play-off race towards the end of the season, Leicester City fan Foxblogger has been kind enough to widen his usual scope and provide a few statistics about the four sides involved in the Championship’s end-of-season showdown.

Swansea City

Form: Won last three matches.

Pedigree: 1st appearance in the Championship playoffs.

Points won against other playoff contenders this season: 12

15 – The number of Swansea home league wins, more than any other Championship side.

16 – The number of goals Brendan Rodgers’ side have scored in their last 6 fixtures.

21 – The number of clean sheets Swansea have kept this season, only bettered in the division by QPR (25).

28% – The percentage of the Swans’ league goals scored by Scott Sinclair (19/69).

Cardiff City

Form: One win in their last four, unbeaten in five away matches.

Pedigree: 2nd appearance in the Championship playoffs – P3 W1 D0 L2 F5 A6.

Points won against other playoff contenders this season: 5

3 – The number of league matches in 2011 in which Cardiff have failed to score.

11 – The number of away wins recorded by the Bluebirds, more than any other Championship side this season.

21 – The number of points Dave Jones’ side have lost from winning positions.

26 – The number of Cardiff matches this season which ended with City in the automatic promotion places.

Reading

Form: One defeat in 16, unbeaten in eight away from home.

Pedigree: 4th appearance in the Championship playoffs – P7 W1 D1 L5 F7 A11.

Points won against other playoff contenders this season: 6

9 – The number of matches since Reading failed to score at home.

14 – The number of goals scored by the Royals in the last 5 minutes of league matches this season.

20 – The number of points Brian McDermott’s side have gained from losing positions.

20% – The percentage of Reading’s league matches which have finished 1-1.

Nottingham Forest

Form: Won five of the last six heading into the playoffs. Forest are the Championship’s form side.

Pedigree: 3rd appearance in the Championship playoffs – P4 W0 D1 L3 F8 A11.

Points won against other playoff contenders this season: 10

9 – The number of matches since Forest failed to score.

13 – The number of goals Forest have conceded in their last six league fixtures away from home.

17 – The number of goals Billy Davies’ men have scored in their last six league fixtures.

30 – The number of players used by Forest this season. Only Burnley (29) used fewer.

The Seventy Two

The Seventy Two published an outstanding series of articles about the Football League between 2010-12 and was the brainchild of Leicester City fan, David Bevan. As well as collaborating with The Two Unfortunates on the Football League Blog Network and a mammoth 2011-12 season preview, the site featured a host of leading bloggers and David was rewarded with a nomination in the 2011 Football Supporters’ Federation awards. Latterly, he was joined as co-editor by Joe Harrison and TTU is happy to present this archive of the site’s output.