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Is this yeas league 1 weaker or stronger than last season..?


Thedelldays

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Weaker IMO you can't compare the teams that came down with the ones that went up last season. Both Plymouth and Wednesday came down with cash flow problems. Swindon are a shadow of their formerselves, having rather stupidly offloaded arguably the best striking pair in league 1 last season. Brighton are better than last season (but they were turnning it around towards the end of last season under Poyet). MK dons have improved over the team we tonked four times last season having got rid of Ince. Of the teams that came up bompey have had a good season, Rochdale not bad the others indifferent. Hudders aren't much different to last season.

Edited by doddisalegend
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given the 3 teams that went up are all doing OK in the CCC and the 3 that replaced them not so good, and the 3 that came up mixed, on balance yes - the irony is of course we beat leeds at home, Norwich 2 or 3 times, Millwall? But with changing squads, another years experience etc you can never do a true like For Like (LFL) in footie.

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given the 3 teams that went up are all doing OK in the CCC and the 3 that replaced them not so good, and the 3 that came up mixed, on balance yes - the irony is of course we beat leeds at home, Norwich 2 or 3 times, Millwall? But with changing squads, another years experience etc you can never do a true like For Like (LFL) in footie.

 

I've kept a record of this season's results compared to last (with Leeds replaced by Plymouth, etc) and we are slightly behind where we were last year. From the same fixtures last year we had 66 points (-10 = 56), this year it's 61. A win against Wednesday (Norwich) on Saturday would give us 64 compared to 67.

 

A pointless exercise but it keeps me busy...

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if it weaker...then with our remaining games, we could affored to drop around 12-15 points (out of 36) to gain 2nd spot...leeds did so last year on 86 points...

 

would you feel confident throwing away that many points being enough for 2nd..?

 

I think last year there were a couple of teams who were very strong and the rest were cr*p. This year there are a number of good teams, just not as good as Norwich were last year. This year more teams are stronger but overall the very best this season would not beat the very best from last season.

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3 very good teams at this level went up as shown by their performance this season in the Championship. 3 poor teams came down, Peterborough have only really impressed the last 10 games or so, up until then they have been looser at the back than Katie Price. IMO Leed, Norwich and Millwall were better than them and would beat them. Out of the rest only Brighton and Orient are any better, promotion or play off challegers Swindon and Bristol Rovers (they were up there up until the last 10 games or so) have gone into a massive decline and the rest are on a par or slightly worse. Do you honestly think ourselves and Huddersfield are better sides than last season? So overall the league is weaker. I think some of you are kidding yourselves that this league is full of great teams playing fantastic football. The fact that Bournemouth have lost their 3 best players and manager and are still second whilst credit to them emphasises this. The only team that has played to their full potential this season are unsurprisingly running away with the league.

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then if it weaker..do you feel confident in dropping 15 points (out of 36) and gaining automatic promotion..?

 

**** knows. There's no point over analysing. It's just a matter of getting behind the team and seeing what happens. Whatever happens it's not the end of the world.

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It's a weaker league than last season - but we have a weaker team than last season as well.

 

Norwich, Leeds and Millwall were very strong teams for League 1 last season - as shown by their league positions in the NPC this season.

 

Swindon and Charlton are considerably weaker than last season. Peterborough are a lot worse than the three teams that went up. Huddersfield are about the same as last season - as our MK Dons. Only Brighton are stronger than last seaon really.

 

At the end of last season we had the best team in League 1 - but we let the team get weaker over the summer - not stronger. That's the biggest difference for us!

Edited by Rebel
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Definitely weaker this year. The teams that went up last year were very strong (Norwich currently 2nd in the Champ, Leeds sitting comfortably in the top half and Millwall are doing okay too), and then they had teams like Huddersfield, Charlton, Saints and Swindon very close behind them, any of whom could have easily gone up. I don't really feel that quality is there this year. Brighton and Huddersfield have definitely improved as teams, but I think last season's Leeds team would tonk any of Peterborough, Bournemouth, MK Dons, probably even us.

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Doesn't make sense. We will probably need more than 86 points that Leeds got to go up in 2nd place.. Yet the league is a lot weaker?

 

 

It does make sense.

 

If for some bizarre reason, Barcelona and Man Utd joined League One next season, but the other 22 clubs were all literally pub teams, the division would - overall - be weaker.

 

But it would also be harder to gain automatic promotion.

 

Hope this helps.

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LoL

 

Whoever gets 6th will probably need more than 80 points... Which again, will be higher than last season

 

Ok...even then the points stands.

 

The top six can - on average - be better. But the overall division weaker.

 

In fact, I'd argue that the points total required for automatic promotion going up shows the strength of the division is probably going down. (in my loopy Barca & Man Utd example, you'd need about 130 points for automatic promotion precisely because the division was so weak....a weak division means the relatively strong teams find it easier to notch up points.....)

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Also. 50 points was enough to stay up last season. The team 5th from bottom today is only 14 off that with 33 to play for.

 

So, despite your theory of man u being in league 1. As it stands we could easily have a league that requires more points to get at least 2nd spot.. More points to get into the playoffs and more points to stay in the division....

 

Odd

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I'd say last season was tougher TBH. Other than Posh going on a rampage at the moment, there's really that much quality in the League. Saints are hit and miss, but seem to be matching the top teams for results.

 

Don't forget last season we had Swindon, Millwall, Leeds and Norwich at the top and only the 10 points deduction stopped Saints from being right in the mix. This season we could have Dons or Orient in the playoffs. 'Nuff said.

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I'd say last season was tougher TBH. Other than Posh going on a rampage at the moment, there's really that much quality in the League. Saints are hit and miss, but seem to be matching the top teams for results.

 

Don't forget last season we had Swindon, Millwall, Leeds and Norwich at the top and only the 10 points deduction stopped Saints from being right in the mix. This season we could have Dons or Orient in the playoffs. 'Nuff said.

 

Dons orient... Swindon Colchester

No difference really

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Last season's Colchester and Swindon were better than Dons and Orient are now. Impossible to prove that either way mind so... meh.

 

Were they? Orient are a very good team and have not lost at home since about september and held arsenal too.. They are right on form.

 

I think you are doing them a disservice really.

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Also. 50 points was enough to stay up last season. The team 5th from bottom today is only 14 off that with 33 to play for.

 

So, despite your theory of man u being in league 1. As it stands we could easily have a league that requires more points to get at least 2nd spot.. More points to get into the playoffs and more points to stay in the division....

 

Odd

 

 

Mathematically then, all you are measuring is the number of draws.

 

Draws diminish the total number of points distributed amongst the 24 teams.

 

For example, it's technically possible to win the league with just 46 points and a high number of goals scored.

 

I'd say this is actually a fair way to measure a tough division...alongside narrow wins (if there are lots of wins by 3, 4 or 5 goals by the same sort of teams...the division isn't that competitive).

 

It can't be simultaneously:

 

1. harder to win the division

2. harder to get automatic promotion

3. harder to get into the play-offs

4. harder to win the play-offs

5. harder to avoid relegation

 

unless there has been some incredible injection of talent that has passed your team by.

 

My only argument really is that "points needed" (for anything) is not a measurement that's worth using if you're trying to measure how tough the league is.

 

My Barca-Man Utd example is the extreme end of this. But you could also have a harder relegation battle with a lower points threshold to stay up.

 

Assuming the number of draws is about constant, the points totals aren't a measurement of difficulty, they may even be a measure of ease.

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So basically. We could need More points to gain auto promotion. More points to get a shout at the playoffs and more points to stay up.... Yet the league will not be as good/strong/hard as last season??

 

Every spectrum of success in this league could require more than before.. Yet that could be seen as being easier/weaker league

 

Is that what you are saying?

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So basically. We could need More points to gain auto promotion. More points to get a shout at the playoffs and more points to stay up.... Yet the league will not be as good/strong/hard as last season??

 

Every spectrum of success in this league could require more than before.. Yet that could be seen as being easier/weaker league

 

Is that what you are saying?

 

Yes, that is pretty much exactly what I'm saying.

 

Because the division is weaker this year, you may need 95 points to win it, 90 to come 2nd and 85 to make the play offs and 55 points to stay up (these are just guesses)

 

To flip my Barca-Man U example slightly - if the worst 3 teams in the division were (doomed to relegation) amateur pub teams - they would all end up with about ten points each. Every other team in the division would expect to cane them. So you might then need 55+ points to stay up.

 

Other than the fact that draws diminish the total number of points, it's basically a "zero-sum" game.

 

For example, a 24 team division that finished as follows:

 

1. 138 points

2. 132 points

3. 126 points

4. 120 points

5. 114 points

6. 108 points

....

 

...

 

20. 60 points

21. 18 points

22. 12 points

23. 6 points

24. 0 points

 

would not strike me as obviously being a competitive league.

 

In fact, it would just be basically a series of mismatches.

 

Yet, by your criteria this would be the toughest, hardest league known to man.

Edited by SaintBobby
typos
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Bobby is right with the maths thing - the absolute points total tell you nothing about the overall 'strength' of the teams in the league or how they compare year to year - all they tell you is the relative distribution of the results and from that the relative stregth of the different teams compared with the other teams in the same league in the same season. (and we still have a quarter of the season to play so they don't even tell us that much at the moment).

 

My gut feeling is that there was more quality in the league last year (Norwich and Leeds would prob have beaten this year's top 2 whoever they turn out to be), the four play off sides this year aren't really going to be any stronger than Swindon/Charlton/Saints/Hudds were last year. Getting in the top 6 is always going to be hard when you have a competetitve league and this season there are enough good sides outside the top 6 who are capable of getting a result against a top 6 side to keep things interesting; eg at the moment Orient, Charlton, Exeter, Hartlepool, Notts County and others are all capable of picking up a result against a top 6 team. This is the weakness of using 'current form' and posting up bed-wetting league tables showing the last 8 games played - these take no account of who you have played - OR who you are going to play in your next 8 games.

 

Personally I think Saints were stronger last season, the other imponderable comparing over seasons is that the same players play differently - one word Lambert. Last season RL was on fire and that just hasn't happened this year, throw Ant and Dec into the mix and we scored in most games; I think we have already hit more zeroes in the league this season than the whole of last season (is that correct?). What you can't factor in is the confidence of having a player who can score for fun - I'm sure all P'boro's players are thriving on the CMS effect.

 

Rambling conclusion - this league is v tight - it will go to the last game - Saints have as good a chance as anybody - we will have to win tons of games - we can drop some points and still go up - the team that goes up will certainly deserve it ..... let's not give up on the play-offs before they have even happened ... if we can't beat (Bompey) over two legs and then win a cup final against (MK Dons) will we really deserve to go up?

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a considerable number of league placings right now have a higher points total compared to that position last season....up and down the league..

up and down the league, more teams are winning...it does not appear top heavy thus far

 

I'm still not sure the point you're trying to prove.

 

You think a league in which everyone wins 50% and loses 50% of their matches is more competitive than a league in which everyone draws 100% of their matches?

 

The former would mean "more teams are winning, up and down the league", but so what? It doesn't prove the league is harder.

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I'm still not sure the point you're trying to prove.

 

You think a league in which everyone wins 50% and loses 50% of their matches is more competitive than a league in which everyone draws 100% of their matches?

 

The former would mean "more teams are winning, up and down the league", but so what? It doesn't prove the league is harder.

 

sorry, you forgot to mention your "Man Utd - Barcelona" theory

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This season is surprisingly strong - I think that mid-table is particularly competitive as most teams have very good home records.

 

Nowhere is this clearer than L1 teams form in the FA Cup - from Leyton Orient beating Swansea and drawing with Arsenal to Notts County beating Sunderland and drawing with Man City (neither of which are in the top six), L1 is a tough old place - just look at how the relegated championship teams have fared.

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3 very good teams at this level went up as shown by their performance this season in the Championship. 3 poor teams came down, Peterborough have only really impressed the last 10 games or so, up until then they have been looser at the back than Katie Price. IMO Leed, Norwich and Millwall were better than them and would beat them. Out of the rest only Brighton and Orient are any better, promotion or play off challegers Swindon and Bristol Rovers (they were up there up until the last 10 games or so) have gone into a massive decline and the rest are on a par or slightly worse. Do you honestly think ourselves and Huddersfield are better sides than last season? So overall the league is weaker. I think some of you are kidding yourselves that this league is full of great teams playing fantastic football. The fact that Bournemouth have lost their 3 best players and manager and are still second whilst credit to them emphasises this. The only team that has played to their full potential this season are unsurprisingly running away with the league.

 

I agree with you Brighton are the only team to show consistency Bournemouth have over achieved but fair play to them it shows what can happen if you get promoted & maintain your confidence.

 

Overall I think the league is weaker the teams with the squad to do well havent really performed Sheff Weds and to a lesser extent us we should be better than we were last season but havent shown it yet dont get me wrong I am not a doom & gloom merchant I just dont think we have played really well this season.

 

As long as we get promoted I wont care they we havent been brilliant this season promotion is so important to us I guess the team are feeling the pressure we could really do with taking the confidence from the last 3 games as we won but havent played well & start to play well & win well as it will heap pressure on the rest.

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It's a weaker league than last season - but we have a weaker team than last season as well.

 

Norwich, Leeds and Millwall were very strong teams for League 1 last season - as shown by their league positions in the NPC this season.

 

Swindon and Charlton are considerably weaker than last season. Peterborough are a lot worse than the three teams that went up. Huddersfield are about the same as last season - as our MK Dons. Only Brighton are stronger than last seaon really.

 

At the end of last season we had the best team in League 1 - but we let the team get weaker over the summer - not stronger. That's the biggest difference for us!

 

How so? we have basically the same team plus new stars like chamberlain

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How so? we have basically the same team plus new stars like chamberlain

 

but were missing a midfield general ............like Lloyd James and a quaility centre back like Wayne Thomas...

 

TBF I think the main bone of contention was Antonio and Papa can't help but think the squad would have been better for keeping at least one of them (Antonio mainly) but it wasn't to be.

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  • 1 month later...

I still think this year is harder..

 

looks like all over the league..you will need more to go up, more to get in the play offs, more to get mid table and more to stay up..

more wins needed all over the place it seems.

 

are we better than leeds team of last season..? probably

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I still think this year is harder..

 

looks like all over the league..you will need more to go up, more to get in the play offs, more to get mid table and more to stay up..

more wins needed all over the place it seems.

Surely mathematically thats impossible.

Last year was much stronger. This year there are 4 outstanding teams, last year there were 7 or 8. More points at the top because it is easier to win against the weaker sides. You cannot compare Norwich and Leeds (and arguably Millwall) with Plymouth, Wednesday and Peterboro.

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I've kept a record of this season's results compared to last (with Leeds replaced by Plymouth, etc) and we are slightly behind where we were last year. From the same fixtures last year we had 66 points (-10 = 56), this year it's 61. A win against Wednesday (Norwich) on Saturday would give us 64 compared to 67.

 

A pointless exercise but it keeps me busy...

 

That doesn't make sense. Surely we'd have been in the playoffs in that case??

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