The table makes Southend United the bigger side: 6th against 16th of 24 last season. Against the block the other keeps: Southend United takes 1.56 points a game, Yeovil Town 0.28 -- the block form is Southend United's.
Southend United: 50 league matches in the bank, 5 from this season and the rest from last season. Yeovil Town: 50 league matches in the bank, 5 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
Southend United -- at home
Where it stands
Stands 7th of 24 after 5 games, with 10 points -- too few games yet to mean much. Last season it finished 6th 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 5 games old.
Against today's opponent's block
Today it faces a side from the middle block (9th to 16th). Against that block it has won 7, drew 7, lost 4 of 18 -- 28 points of 54. At home against them: won 3 of 7. Away against them: won 4 of 11.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 5, drew 4, lost 7 of 16 (1.19 a game); against the middle block won 7, drew 7, lost 4 of 18 (1.56 a game); against the bottom block won 12, drew 2, lost 1 of 15 (2.53 a game); against sides new to the division won 0, drew 0, lost 1 of 1 (0.00 a game).
Yeovil Town -- away
Where it stands
Stands 4th of 24 after 5 games, with 11 points -- too few games yet to mean much. Last season it finished 16th of 24 in this division.
Its block
By last season's final table it sits in the middle block (9th to 16th). Blocks are drawn from last season because the current table is only 5 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 5, lost 13 of 18 -- 5 points of 54. At home against them: won 0 of 9. Away against them: won 0 of 9.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 0, drew 5, lost 13 of 18 (0.28 a game); against the middle block won 9, drew 0, lost 5 of 14 (1.93 a game); against the bottom block won 8, drew 2, lost 7 of 17 (1.53 a game); against sides new to the division won 1, drew 0, lost 0 of 1 (3.00 a game).
Built 06:08 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.