Who we've played vs. who we haven't played

[coloradoan]

I was looking at our upcoming schedule and noticed we don't seem to have many high-flying teams left in the 1st half of the season. Thought it would be informative to go through the table and label teams as ones we've played (Y) or ones we haven't played (N)

1. Bournemouth (Y)
2. Fulham (Y)
3. West Brom (N)
4. Coventry (Y)
5. Stoke (N)
6. Blackburn (N)
7. Huddersfield (Y)
8. QPR (N)
9. Bristol (Y)
10. Cardiff (Y)
11. Brum (N)
12. Derby (N)
13. Luton (N)
14. Reading (N)
15. Sheffield (N)
16. Middlesbrough (Y)
17. PNE (N)
18. Millwall (Y)
19. Barnsley (N)
20. That's us!
21. Swansea (N)
22. Posh (N)
23. Hull (N)
24. Forest (N)

So, we've played 6 top half teams and 2 bottom half teams. Average current position of teams we've played is 8.5. Average current position of teams we haven't played is 14.2.

Now, one could rightly say that table position and whether a team has played us are not independent, given that four teams have taken 3 points off us and two have taken 1. But even if you go through and remove the points that opponents have taken off us, all but one top half side (Cardiff) would still be top half. And we've taken points off the top 2 in the division. (I suppose one could also say that those who haven't played us haven't gotten the chance to take points off us, but I don't feel like going through the whole table and figuring out average position of everyone's opponents so far).

It looks like our schedule up til now has been pretty heavily imbalanced toward better sides. With our team recently improving (there are RBs now!) and our upcoming opponents through the remainder of the 1st half of the season being on average substantially weaker than those we've already played, I'm feeling optimistic about what we'll see from now through December.

 

[Maths]

The six around us up to and including Preston could decide our season. Depending on how many points they get deducted, Derby seem to be flying under Rooney and might be dark horses to get out of this if they find some decent investment before the end of the year.

 

[Costero Poderoso]

i think its a bit early in the season to say who are top teams in this division, personally i think blackburn and reading will be up near the top at the end of the season, and i am really surprised that swansea are so near the bottom. From the results we have seen though every game is a winnable one. as always its fine margins on the day

 

[Triumph]

i think its a bit early in the season to say who are top teams in this division, personally i think blackburn and reading will be up near the top at the end of the season, and i am really surprised that swansea are so near the bottom. From the results we have seen though every game is a winnable one. as always its fine margins on the day

Quite correct, being a proud nobber I must say you have hit the nail right on the head. As you say it’s fine margins on the day, which personally I like. If , and it’s a big if , parachute payments where to cease, this division would be the best advertisement for football globally. Be fabulous Lancashire teams fighting for the honours, as long as Lancashire teams come out on top then I’m happy.

 

[coloradoan]

Quite correct, being a proud nobber I must say you have hit the nail right on the head. As you say it’s fine margins on the day, which personally I like. If , and it’s a big if , parachute payments where to cease, this division would be the best advertisement for football globally. Be fabulous Lancashire teams fighting for the honours, as long as Lancashire teams come out on top then I’m happy.

Well said on the parachutes. I don't know what the best solution is on the issue of Premier league wage contracts for teams that come down. But the current parachute payments are obscenely large, and having a handful of teams yo-yo season after season is not good for the division. Seems like the Prem have decided they'll accept the farce of Norwich going up or down every season in exchange for having a safety net for the likes of Newcastle and West Ham.

 

[Brazil]

I was looking at our upcoming schedule and noticed we don't seem to have many high-flying teams left in the 1st half of the season. Thought it would be informative to go through the table and label teams as ones we've played (Y) or ones we haven't played (N)

1. Bournemouth (Y)
2. Fulham (Y)
3. West Brom (N)
4. Coventry (Y)
5. Stoke (N)
6. Blackburn (N)
7. Huddersfield (Y)
8. QPR (N)
9. Bristol (Y)
10. Cardiff (Y)
11. Brum (N)
12. Derby (N)
13. Luton (N)
14. Reading (N)
15. Sheffield (N)
16. Middlesbrough (Y)
17. PNE (N)
18. Millwall (Y)
19. Barnsley (N)
20. That's us!
21. Swansea (N)
22. Posh (N)
23. Hull (N)
24. Forest (N)

So, we've played 6 top half teams and 2 bottom half teams. Average current position of teams we've played is 8.5. Average current position of teams we haven't played is 14.2.

Now, one could rightly say that table position and whether a team has played us are not independent, given that four teams have taken 3 points off us and two have taken 1. But even if you go through and remove the points that opponents have taken off us, all but one top half side (Cardiff) would still be top half. And we've taken points off the top 2 in the division. (I suppose one could also say that those who haven't played us haven't gotten the chance to take points off us, but I don't feel like going through the whole table and figuring out average position of everyone's opponents so far).

It looks like our schedule up til now has been pretty heavily imbalanced toward better sides. With our team recently improving (there are RBs now!) and our upcoming opponents through the remainder of the 1st half of the season being on average substantially weaker than those we've already played, I'm feeling optimistic about what we'll see from now through December.

Wow! Very impressive!

 

[Nuttalls Mint Toes]

There seems to be plenty of (N)'s near the bottom .. is that a good thing? When you look at our record from last season we always seemed to do much better against the better sides in the league.

 

[hills98]

There seems to be plenty of (N)'s near the bottom .. is that a good thing? When you look at our record from last season we always seemed to do much better against the better sides in the league.

See what you mean, but I think we struggled against teams who shut up shop against us; if we get to the position that lower Championship team are parking the bus, we'd have to be doing pretty well I think so I'm not sure we'll see the same trend.