Montrose and East Fife finished near neighbours last season -- 8th and 9th of 10 -- so rank alone splits nothing here. Against the block the other keeps: Montrose takes 1.67 points a game, East Fife 1.00 -- the block form is Montrose's.
Montrose: 49 league matches in the bank, 13 from this season and the rest from last season. East Fife: 49 league matches in the bank, 13 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
Montrose -- at home
Where it stands
Stands 3rd of 10 after 13 games, with 20 points. Last season it finished 8th of 10 in this division.
Its block
By last season's final table it sits in the bottom block (8th to 10th). Blocks are drawn from last season because the current table is only 13 games old.
Against today's opponent's block
Today it faces a side from the bottom block (8th to 10th). Against that block it has won 4, drew 3, lost 2 of 9 -- 15 points of 27. At home against them: won 1 of 4. Away against them: won 3 of 5.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 5, drew 2, lost 6 of 13 (1.31 a game); against the middle block won 6, drew 6, lost 10 of 22 (1.09 a game); against the bottom block won 4, drew 3, lost 2 of 9 (1.67 a game); against sides new to the division won 1, drew 1, lost 3 of 5 (0.80 a game).
East Fife -- away
Where it stands
Stands 9th of 10 after 13 games, with 12 points. Last season it finished 9th of 10 in this division.
Its block
By last season's final table it sits in the bottom block (8th to 10th). Blocks are drawn from last season because the current table is only 13 games old.
Against today's opponent's block
Today it faces a side from the bottom block (8th to 10th). Against that block it has won 2, drew 3, lost 4 of 9 -- 9 points of 27. At home against them: won 1 of 5. Away against them: won 1 of 4.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 3, drew 4, lost 7 of 14 (0.93 a game); against the middle block won 6, drew 5, lost 12 of 23 (1.00 a game); against the bottom block won 2, drew 3, lost 4 of 9 (1.00 a game); against sides new to the division won 0, drew 2, lost 1 of 3 (0.67 a game).
Built 02:26 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.