The table makes Salford City the bigger side: 4th against 22nd of 24 last season. Against the block the other keeps: Salford City takes 1.93 points a game, Crawley Town 0.38 -- the block form is Salford City's.
Salford City: 50 league matches in the bank, 10 from this season and the rest from last season. Crawley Town: 50 league matches in the bank, 8 from this season and the rest from last season.
The question this step asks
Step one is THE TABLE: rank against rank, and the blocks -- the table cut into a top, middle and bottom block, drawn from last season's final standings. The question is not just where each side stands but how it behaves against the company the other keeps: does it play to rank against the blocks above and below, or come apart?
The two sides
Salford City -- at home
Where it stands
Stands 1st of 24 after 10 games, with 19 points. Last season it finished 4th of 24 in this division.
Its block
By last season's final table it sits in the top block (1st to 8th). Blocks are drawn from last season because the current table is only 10 games old.
Against today's opponent's block
Today it faces a side from the bottom block (17th to 24th). Against that block it has won 9, drew 2, lost 4 of 15 -- 29 points of 45. At home against them: won 4 of 7. Away against them: won 5 of 8.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 6, drew 2, lost 10 of 18 (1.11 a game); against the middle block won 10, drew 2, lost 3 of 15 (2.13 a game); against the bottom block won 9, drew 2, lost 4 of 15 (1.93 a game); against sides new to the division won 1, drew 1, lost 0 of 2 (2.00 a game).
Crawley Town -- away
Where it stands
Stands 24th of 24 after 8 games, with 5 points. Last season it finished 22nd of 24 in this division.
Its block
By last season's final table it sits in the bottom block (17th to 24th). Blocks are drawn from last season because the current table is only 8 games old.
Against today's opponent's block
Today it faces a side from the top block (1st to 8th). Against that block it has won 0, drew 6, lost 10 of 16 -- 6 points of 48. At home against them: won 0 of 8. Away against them: won 0 of 8.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 0, drew 6, lost 10 of 16 (0.38 a game); against the middle block won 2, drew 8, lost 8 of 18 (0.78 a game); against the bottom block won 6, drew 2, lost 6 of 14 (1.43 a game); against sides new to the division won 1, drew 1, lost 0 of 2 (2.00 a game).
Built 03:23 from matches completed before
kick-off. Every figure is an observed count with its denominator —
not a forecast, and nothing here is a tip or a selection.