The table makes Altrincham the bigger side: 13th against 18th of 24 last season. Against the block the other keeps: Gateshead takes 0.78 points a game, Altrincham 2.33 -- the block form is Altrincham's.
Gateshead: 50 league matches in the bank, 10 from this season and the rest from last season. Altrincham: 50 league matches in the bank, 10 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
Gateshead -- at home
Where it stands
Stands 24th of 24 after 10 games, with 4 points. Last season it finished 18th 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 10 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 4, drew 2, lost 12 of 18 -- 14 points of 54. At home against them: won 3 of 9. Away against them: won 1 of 9.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 3, drew 2, lost 11 of 16 (0.69 a game); against the middle block won 4, drew 2, lost 12 of 18 (0.78 a game); against the bottom block won 5, drew 4, lost 5 of 14 (1.36 a game); against sides new to the division won 0, drew 0, lost 2 of 2 (0.00 a game).
Altrincham -- away
Where it stands
Stands 8th of 24 after 10 games, with 18 points. Last season it finished 13th 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 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 11, drew 2, lost 2 of 15 -- 35 points of 45. At home against them: won 7 of 8. Away against them: won 4 of 7.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 5, drew 1, lost 12 of 18 (0.89 a game); against the middle block won 3, drew 3, lost 9 of 15 (0.80 a game); against the bottom block won 11, drew 2, lost 2 of 15 (2.33 a game); against sides new to the division won 2, drew 0, lost 0 of 2 (3.00 a game).
Built 19:01 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.