Who really had the easiest start?

[Kpie]

I've done some super simple analysis, i've looked at the position every team the big boys have played this season finished last season. I realise this doesnt take into account signings or new money/owners but it can give a feel.

Team	opposition	opposition	opposition	opposition	opposition	opposition	opposition
Chesterfield	Kings Lynn	Wealdstone	Aldershot	Yeovil	Barnet	Dover	Bromley	Difficulty
	21​	19​	15​	16​	22​	23​	7​	17.6​
Notts	Wrexham	Barnet	Torquay	Maidenhead	Wealdstone	Weymouth	Aldershot
	8​	22​	2​	13​	19​	18​	15​	13.9​
Wrexham	Notts	Eastleigh	Solihull	Dagenham	Grimsby	Woking	Southend
	5​	9​	11​	12​	1​	20​	4​	8.9​
Grimsby	Stockport	Weymouth	Eastleigh	Wrexham	Torquay	Barnet
	3​	18​	9​	8​	2​	22​		10.3​
Stockport	Grimsby	Southend	Dagenham	Halifax	Maidenhead	Yeovil	Boreham Wood
	1​	4​	12​	10​	13​	16​	14​	10.0​
Dagenham	Stockport	Bromley	Barnet	Wealdstone	Kings Lynn	Weymouth	Wrexham
	3​	7​	22​	19​	21​	18​	8​	14.0​

So as you can see using this very basic method Chesterfield had substantially the easiest start, followed by Dagenham and Notts, then Grimsby and Stockport, with Wrexham having by far the hardest start of the top teams.

 

[Gladders]

Now re do it for current positions, be interesting to see the change in how teams have started rather than how they finished

 

[Son of Cod]

Inconclusive evidence that Wrexham have been fixture'd out of the title.

 

[Son of Cod]

What do the numbers mean?

Edit: Oh finishing position last season, got it.

 

[jacobncfc]

This algorithm doesn’t factor in that one player Weymouth have signed who is really good, making them an official banana skin. Useless.

 

[GTFCfish]

Grimsby 1 and Southend 4 based on the teams positions that we replaced I guess but that should be reversed as Southend finished above us so based on last season they should be ranked as the 1 and us as the 4.

 

[Aberstone]

We're on there 3 times and all 3 matches have been away from home. Confirmation that we've been fixtured out of mid table mediocrity.

 

[RiftHouseLad]

Grimsby have had the easiest start, They just don,t know it yet. lol

 

[Kpie]

Team	Position	opposition	opposition	opposition	opposition	opposition	opposition	opposition
Chesterfield		Kings Lynn	Wealdstone	Aldershot	Yeovil	Barnet	Dover	Bromley	Difficulty
	Last Season	21	19	15	16	22	23	7	17.6
	Current	20​	17​	21​	9​	22​	23​	12​	17.7
Notts		Wrexham	Barnet	Torquay	Maidenhead	Wealdstone	Weymouth	Aldershot
	Last Season	8	22	2	13	19	18	15	13.9
	Current	7​	22​	13​	16​	16​	19​	21​	16.3
Wrexham		Notts	Eastleigh	Solihull	Dagenham	Grimsby	Woking	Southend
	Last Season	5	9	11	12	1	20	4	8.9
	Current	4​	18​	8​	2​	3​	14​	19​	9.7
Grimsby		Stockport	Weymouth	Eastleigh	Wrexham	Torquay	Barnet
	Last Season	3	18	9	8	2	22		10.3
	Current	11​	10​	18​	7​	13​	22​		13.5
Stockport		Grimsby	Southend	Dagenham	Halifax	Maidenhead	Yeovil	Boreham Wood
	Last Season	1	4	12	10	13	16	14	10.0
	Current	3​	19​	2​	6​	16​	9​	5​	8.6
Dagenham		Stockport	Bromley	Barnet	Wealdstone	Kings Lynn	Weymouth	Wrexham
	Last Season	3	7	22	19	21	18	8	14.0
	Current	11​	12​	22​	17​	20​	10​	7​	14.1

Ok so i have updated to show current position, but this is a bit of a self fulfilling prophecy as obviously if you have an easier start you will be higher in the table and it will make your current ranking a potentially false position.

But the quick summary is:

Chesterfield had the easiest start no matter how you look at it.
Everyone else had a pretty easy start apart from Wrexham and Stockport who got shafted....

 

[Master D]

Chesterfield's next fixture....beleaguered Torquay.

 

[John Still]

There’s about 7-8 teams you would consider tough if you’re aiming for the title, the rest should all be easy wins. Everyone has to play everyone so it all evens itself out. Still think Chesterfield will win it by 10+ points even more so now with their points on the board.

 

[Y Ddraig Goch]

It is interesting to see it laid out like that. In isolation, only the Grimsby game was really a bad result for us, but 12 points from 7 games doesn't read that well for a title contender.

Our next three games are Stockport away (still calling that tough), Aldershot away and then Chesterfield at home, if we can get through them with 6/7 points then we will have set ourselves up for a run of 11 games between now and the end of the year with the toughest one (on paper) by far being Halifax away.

 

[spireite]

There’s about 7-8 teams you would consider tough if you’re aiming for the title, the rest should all be easy wins. Everyone has to play everyone so it all evens itself out. Still think Chesterfield will win it by 10+ points even more so now with their points on the board.

What is this insanity. You mean we can't play Barnet and Kings Lynn forever? Why has this not been mentioned before, ffs!

 

[EnglishRed]

It is interesting to see it laid out like that. In isolation, only the Grimsby game was really a bad result for us, but 12 points from 7 games doesn't read that well for a title contender.

Our next three games are Stockport away (still calling that tough), Aldershot away and then Chesterfield at home, if we can get through them with 6/7 points then we will have set ourselves up for a run of 11 games between now and the end of the year with the toughest one (on paper) by far being Halifax away.

You want to be around the 2PPG mark. So by that indicator 12 from 7 (1.7PPG) is not a disaster given that we have had a pretty tough opening set of fixtures. Not only have we played teams who you'd expect to be challenging for play off positions (Southend and Woking apart possibly) but of our first dozen games 8 are away. If we can maintain a similar points return (or improve upon it) by the time we get to our 'easier' run of fixtures in Nov/Dec then we will be well set up for the run in after the January strengthening .

 

[SpireiteDan]

Did you know when you're top......you always play a team below you in the table?!

Who honestly cares? the table after 7 games means shit, the best/most consistent team will win the league come May as is always the case.

 

[Gladders]

Did you know when you're top......you always play a team below you in the table?!

Who honestly cares? the table after 7 games means shit, the best/most consistent team will win the league come May as is always the case.

Oh didn't know that, let's close the forum down, nothing left to talk about, cya in May to find out who won the league.

 

[SpireiteDan]

Oh didn't know that, let's close the forum down, nothing left to talk about, cya in May to find out who won the league.

If you want to discuss in depth about what order you play teams then go for it, mate.

 

[Gladders]

If you want to discuss in depth about what order you play teams then go for it, mate.

That's what the thread was started for I guess.

 

[CFC91]

I thought pre Yeovil our next for would be a better barometer of where we are at - 1 down, Torquay H Wrexham A and a decent starting Woking A to come.

I think we will get beat by Wrexham but if we can win the other 2 that's still a top start.

 

[spireite]

Yea away at Wrexham gonna be a tough one definitely. Be ecstatic with a point and hopefully collect in the others. Still not 100% sure where we are tbh

 

[EnglishRed]

It should be a good match. My worry is that Chesterfield look like they've got the strengths to capitalise on our weaknesses, a little like Grimsby.

I can't usually make weeknight games so I'm trying to sort out childcare so I can go to that one!

 

[ForzaCounty]

I know we've almost exclusively played sides that are doing well, but (Dagenham aside) they were all games where a competent County side capable of switching things up could well have taken all the points.

 

[Y Ddraig Goch]

Yea away at Wrexham gonna be a tough one definitely. Be ecstatic with a point and hopefully collect in the others. Still not 100% sure where we are tbh

I am really looking forward to this, I know your start has looked softer but will be very interested to see how far your game can raise.

That's not a "Raise your game against Wrexham comment", more of a raise your game against a tougher test. You might still be in third gear for all we know.

 

[GTFCfish]

I know we've almost exclusively played sides that are doing well, but (Dagenham aside) they were all games where a competent County side capable of switching things up could well have taken all the points.

Yeah our game against you was the only one so far where Hurst had set up obviously for a point, all the others we’ve gone for it and ended up winning all 5 so given your indifferent start I feel like we missed an opportunity there playing you when you were out of form.
I know I joke about our disallowed goal that night but with the chances you had in the first half we could and should have already been dead and buried by that point.

 

[Son of Cod]

Chesterfield's next fixture....beleaguered Torquay.

Yep, we beat last season's beaten playoff finalists Torquay but they have now officially been downgraded to beleaguered.

 

[Shrimper92]

Grimsby 1 and Southend 4 based on the teams positions that we replaced I guess but that should be reversed as Southend finished above us so based on last season they should be ranked as the 1 and us as the 4.

Sorry but us being ranked 1st in something is wrong

 

[doveranddover]

Dover have had the most difficult start because every team has had at least 12 more points

 

[BeeSting]

We've had by far the hardest start, plus we're dog turd so makes it even harder.

Notts Co - Loadsa Money
Solihull - Loadsa Money
Dag & Red - Loadsa Money
Grimsby - Probably spending Loadsa Money
Eastleigh - Bankrolled Loadsa Money
Chesterfield - LOADSA MONEY
Bromley - Bankrolled Loadsa Money

 

[OneDecentLester]

Well this threads a bit pointless ain’t it..

Who cares who’s in what position in the table SEVEN games into the season? And that’s coming from a supporter of the team sat at the top right now.. Some teams have barely even played 5 games yet Anyway… huge congratulations to Dagenham for winning the ‘Hardest start this season’ trophy, very prestigious award

Finding it strange how there’s this constant need to repeat how ‘easy’ our start has been… you’ll not find a Chesterfield fan anywhere that suggests because we’ve beat Barnet, Kings Lynn and co that we’re now going to go and storm the league… all we’ve done is beat whats in front of us (apart from the mighty dover), can’t do much more than that at this stage

 

[Optipez]

I think luck plays a part too. Playing Barnet opening game is likely to be easier than playing them in a couple of weeks time with a new manager and probably a couple of signings. Wrexham are probably harder to get a point from now than five games ago as they play themselves in. Stockport with an injured Quigley will be easier than with a fully firing Quigley.