The hardest Championship ever?

[daib0]

The hardest Championship ever??

I got thinking that this season is turning out to be a very high level indeed. So I went quickly back on each of the last SIX seasons, at exactly this point in the schedule, virtually all teams on either 30 or 31 games played.

Looking at the relative strengths of each season, but not particularly any one club, I added up the total points gained by the front runners to see if this was an usually strong season ...

Here goes -


2016-17
Newcastle 30 - 65
Brighton 30 - 64
Huddersfield 30 - 58
Reading 31 - 57
Leeds 31 - 54
Sheff Wed 30 - 52
--------------------
Norwich 31 - 50

TOTAL POINTS BY EVERYONE: 400



2015-16
Hull 30 - 59
Middlesbrough 29 - 57
Burnley 31 - 56
Brighton 30 - 56
Sheff Wed 31 - 53
Derby 31 - 51
--------------------
Birmingham 31 - 48

TOTAL POINTS BY EVERYONE: 380



2014-15
Bournemouth 31 - 59
Middlesbrough 30 - 59
Derby 30 - 58
Ipswich 31 - 57
Watford 31 - 56
Norwich 31 - 53
--------------------
Brentford 31 - 52

TOTAL POINTS BY EVERYONE: 394



2013-14
Leicester 30 - 67
Burnley 31 - 60
QPR 29 - 56
Derby 30 - 55
Nottm Forest 30 54
Reading 30 47
--------------------
Brighton 30 - 46

TOTAL POINTS BY EVERYONE: 385



2012-13
Cardiff 30 - 64
Hull 31 - 56
Leicester 30 - 53
Watford 31 53
Crystal Pal 31 - 52
Middlesbrough 31 - 50
--------------------
Brighton 31 - 46

TOTAL POINTS BY EVERYONE: 374



2011-12
West Ham 30 - 57
Southampton 31 - 56
Cardiff 31 - 53
Blackpool 31 - 52
Birmingham 30 - 51
Reading 30 - 51

--------------------
Hull 30 - 50

TOTAL POINTS BY EVERYONE: 370


My intuition has been confirmed. In no other recent season has the sum of points for the top SEVEN at this stage reached 400 points.

Curious how some teams pop up regularly, whilst others are one season wonders.

In part, weighing up these stats and on your own instinct, would you say it is the most difficult season ever for these clubs to get promoted?

And will the three promoted teams in fact come from these seven? Or any surprise likely with a super charge from lower down the table, perhaps unforeseen at present?

Interested as a (well-behaved) Royals fan (as you know!) to hear your thoughts!!

 

[Hampster Gull]

I think so. Highlighted by the pace of the top 3 relative to other seasons

 

[Sussex Nomad]

No-one has been 7/6 pts clear of third in those previous seasons.

 

[Baldseagull]

The high tally of points by the top teams could indicate a relative weakness in the rest of the division, in the toughest, most evenly matched division you would surely get more draws, and therefore less points in total?

 

[brightn'ove]

The high tally of points by the top teams could indicate a relative weakness in the rest of the division, in the toughest, most evenly matched division you would surely get more draws, and therefore less points in total?

I agree with this. But it goes both ways, the top teams could be better, or the competition in the championship could be worse.

When was the season Peterborough were relegated with (I think) 54 points? Arguably that was its strongest season.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

It doesn't strike me as either stronger or weaker, just normal.

 

[Icy Gull]

No-one has been 7/6 pts clear of third in those previous seasons.

In 2012/13 Palace were the same number of points ahead of us as we are currently ahead of Huddersfield... *shudder*

 

[larus]

What strikes me is that in those previous seasons, only 1 team has more points that us on 30 games, Leicester.

Puts in perspective how good we are going this year.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

The hardest Championship ever??

I got thinking that this season is turning out to be a very high level indeed. So I went quickly back on each of the last SIX seasons, at exactly this point in the schedule, virtually all teams on either 30 or 31 games played.

Looking at the relative strengths of each season, but not particularly any one club, I added up the total points gained by the front runners to see if this was an usually strong season ...

...

My intuition has been confirmed. In no other recent season has the sum of points for the top SEVEN at this stage reached 400 points.

Curious how some teams pop up regularly, whilst others are one season wonders.

In part, weighing up these stats and on your own instinct, would you say it is the most difficult season ever for these clubs to get promoted?

And will the three promoted teams in fact come from these seven? Or any surprise likely with a super charge from lower down the table, perhaps unforeseen at present?

Interested as a (well-behaved) Royals fan (as you know!) to hear your thoughts!!

I look at it as 10-15 of those extra points have been gained by the Top 2, so this division may be harder this year because the top 2 are much better than normal, rather than 3,4,5 being much better than normal. But it is also feels that the bottom 10 are rubbish, and in contrast to most years when 'anyone could beat anyone' the bottom half all feel eminently beatable*

*although that might just be from our perspective, I guess Reading losing at home to QPR and Leeds losing at home to Cardiff, and Huddersfield losing away at Rotherham (premonition) go against that

 

[London Irish]

I dunno - I think both Boro and Burnley were better than what we've faced this year

 

[OvingdeanSeagull]

I dunno - I think both Boro and Burnley were better than what we've faced this year

Disagree. Boro were a bit inconsistent but fantastic at times, however Burnley never really impressed me - just a mix of lucky and efficient.

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

It could be argued that it's a weak championship in the sense that the gap at the top 2 is relatively large and the current points acquired,with that in mind it's the hardest perhaps for those out of the top 2 to break into those positions....

 

[sir albion]

It's ridiculously hard and gets harder.....The spending in this division has gone through the roof like no other season.Defo a lot less draws this season and many sides have been on great runs.

It's relentless in the championship and will get even tougher next season

 

[Rogero]

The hardest Championship ever??

I got thinking that this season is turning out to be a very high level indeed. So I went quickly back on each of the last SIX seasons, at exactly this point in the schedule, virtually all teams on either 30 or 31 games played.

Looking at the relative strengths of each season, but not particularly any one club, I added up the total points gained by the front runners to see if this was an usually strong season ...

Here goes -


2016-17
Newcastle 30 - 65
Brighton 30 - 64
Huddersfield 30 - 58
Reading 31 - 57
Leeds 31 - 54
Sheff Wed 30 - 52
--------------------
Norwich 31 - 50

TOTAL POINTS BY EVERYONE: 400



2015-16
Hull 30 - 59
Middlesbrough 29 - 57
Burnley 31 - 56
Brighton 30 - 56
Sheff Wed 31 - 53
Derby 31 - 51
--------------------
Birmingham 31 - 48

TOTAL POINTS BY EVERYONE: 380



2014-15
Bournemouth 31 - 59
Middlesbrough 30 - 59
Derby 30 - 58
Ipswich 31 - 57
Watford 31 - 56
Norwich 31 - 53
--------------------
Brentford 31 - 52

TOTAL POINTS BY EVERYONE: 394



2013-14
Leicester 30 - 67
Burnley 31 - 60
QPR 29 - 56
Derby 30 - 55
Nottm Forest 30 54
Reading 30 47
--------------------
Brighton 30 - 46

TOTAL POINTS BY EVERYONE: 385



2012-13
Cardiff 30 - 64
Hull 31 - 56
Leicester 30 - 53
Watford 31 53
Crystal Pal 31 - 52
Middlesbrough 31 - 50
--------------------
Brighton 31 - 46

TOTAL POINTS BY EVERYONE: 374



2011-12
West Ham 30 - 57
Southampton 31 - 56
Cardiff 31 - 53
Blackpool 31 - 52
Birmingham 30 - 51
Reading 30 - 51

--------------------
Hull 30 - 50

TOTAL POINTS BY EVERYONE: 370


My intuition has been confirmed. In no other recent season has the sum of points for the top SEVEN at this stage reached 400 points.

Curious how some teams pop up regularly, whilst others are one season wonders.

In part, weighing up these stats and on your own instinct, would you say it is the most difficult season ever for these clubs to get promoted?

And will the three promoted teams in fact come from these seven? Or any surprise likely with a super charge from lower down the table, perhaps unforeseen at present?

Interested as a (well-behaved) Royals fan (as you know!) to hear your thoughts!!

This is strange ,I have just been on the Leeds Forum and you ,Daib0 , started the exact same thread,only one minute later.

http://www.lufctalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=4209

Whats going on?

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

This is strange ,I have just been on the Leeds Forum and you ,Daib0 , started the exact same thread,only one minute later.

http://www.lufctalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=4209

Whats going on?

What's going on is you have too muh time on your hands in the very notion of checking,further grassing up or even suggesting they are the same or he/she copied as you were

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

It doesn't strike me as either stronger or weaker, just normal.

Same. It's a nightmare when teams like Huddersfield (or to a lesser extent Brentford) don't give you a second on the ball for the full 90 minutes. Exposes your weaknesses bigtime. On the other hand, plenty of teams seemingly happy to stand off and let you play your game, as per Burton yesterday. Strongly suspect that we'd overall have an easier time of it in the Premier League. Large number of rank bad teams in that division. Many of them been doing just enough to survive for a good few years now, simply because they can't ALL finish bottom three. for example, why on earth are Sunderland still there? Soon as Defoe moves on, they're gone. Smartest simple tap-in signing Poyet ever made. And as for these perennial rubbish sides like Palace, Bournemouth, Watford etc. Hard to even take them seriously. Far better footballing sides in the Championship. IMHO, like.

 

[daib0]

What's going on is you have too muh time on your hands in the very notion of checking,further grassing up or even suggesting they are the same or he/she copied as you were

Nah, it's me OK, I do the sort of "outreach work" for my Royals Rendezvous forum, and inter-forum games, so just thought I'd sound out the big guns this time as to how tough they see the league this year (to be precise, the Toon Forum, yourselves, Huddesfield Down at the Mac I passed on 'cos they're a touchy crowd, LUFC Talk, and the Norwich board of Not 606).
On my forum - if you ever need our point of view - they aren't arrogant (like a few other Reading sets), virtually all would be delighted just to make play-offs, I don't think anyone is seriously suggesting we could catch up the top two. Anyway after a number of 'nears' I think you fully deserve it this year

 

[Rogero]

Nah, it's me OK, I do the sort of "outreach work" for my Royals Rendezvous forum, and inter-forum games, so just thought I'd sound out the big guns this time as to how tough they see the league this year (to be precise, the Toon Forum, yourselves, Huddesfield Down at the Mac I passed on 'cos they're a touchy crowd, LUFC Talk, and the Norwich board of Not 606).
On my forum - if you ever need our point of view - they aren't arrogant (like a few other Reading sets), virtually all would be delighted just to make play-offs, I don't think anyone is seriously suggesting we could catch up the top two. Anyway after a number of 'nears' I think you fully deserve it this year

Fair do's. Is Royals Rendezvous popular is Reading Hob Nob normally is used most??

 

[big nuts]

I'd say Rotherham being so poor and giving the top sides maximum points is a major factor in these stats.

I can't think of many times where a team has been doomed by Feb.

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

Nah, it's me OK, I do the sort of "outreach work" for my Royals Rendezvous forum, and inter-forum games, so just thought I'd sound out the big guns this time as to how tough they see the league this year (to be precise, the Toon Forum, yourselves, Huddesfield Down at the Mac I passed on 'cos they're a touchy crowd, LUFC Talk, and the Norwich board of Not 606).
On my forum - if you ever need our point of view - they aren't arrogant (like a few other Reading sets), virtually all would be delighted just to make play-offs, I don't think anyone is seriously suggesting we could catch up the top two. Anyway after a number of 'nears' I think you fully deserve it this year

thanks for the honesty and good fortune....once again thanks,lets (well us anyway) hope so.