Great starts and some perspective

[yellowasanything 0]

Interesting to delve a little deeper into the statistics surrounding the excellent starts to the season being enjoyed by both of the region''s top clubs.

A cursory glance at the league tables will tell us that Ipswich enjoy 2nd spot with City a close 4th, but what the table fails to reveal is that the average league position of teams played by Town is 14th and for City it is 11th.

Clearly Ipswich had the harder start on paper but recent history means nothing at Championship level. An entire squad can dissappear overnight as high-earning players wince at the idea of playing at Championship level. Portsmouth, Boro etc should  of course provide a stern test in the eyes of their Premiership-fed fans but the reality is something quite different.

It is last chance saloon for big-spending RK and he has achieved more in the first six games this season than he has since his arrival amidst the hullaballoo and promises of immediate promotion, but the early plaudits must go to City for some excellent work after a shaky start against Watford and some difficult trips away from home.

Lets not take anything from Ipswich as they can of course only beat what is in front of them, but there genuinely is a falseness about the notion that beating a half-strength Cardiff makes them contenders for an automatic promotion spot.

Significant funding has provided good new players for Town but the quiet way that Paul Lambert has shepherded his limited squad to convincing performances which have resulted in points on the board speaks volumes for the differing style which this excellent motivator has applied to the task in hand.

Bring on November and the first meeting of the two clubs when footballers will do the talking in the blood and thunder of a much anticipated local derby in front of a PACKED HOUSE at Carrow Road.

[Bovril 215]

one of the most eagerly anticipated derbies in a decade.....all live on the BBC

[Canary_on_the Trent 0]

[quote user="yellowasanything"]

A cursory glance at the league tables will tell us that Ipswich enjoy 2nd spot with City a close 4th, but what the table fails to reveal is that the average league position of teams played by Town is 14th and for City it is 11th.[/quote]

Not sure that means a lot especially this early in the campaign, the league is ridiculously tight and games have been going either way. It''s quite conceivable a side could beat 2/3 of the sides in the top 6 but lose to 2/3 sides struggling.

Leicester & Hull are coming up at home and both sit in the bottom half but if asked in July most would say they would be promotion challengers. Hull on paper are very dangerous and could click anytime soon, Leicester are pretty much the same side that finished in the top 6 last season, they''ve not become a poorer side overnight. If offered 4pts i''ll snap your hand off now, perhaps even 3pts.

[Ivana_rubyatitz 6]

[quote user="yellowasanything"]

A cursory glance at the league tables will tell us that Ipswich enjoy 2nd spot with City a close 4th, but what the table fails to reveal is that the average league position of teams played by Town is 14th and for City it is 11th.

[/quote]

Six points currently separate 3rd and 19th places. As others have said this is a really tight league and we are too early in to draw any real conclusions.

The derby will be a cracking contest though!

[Graham Humphrey 13]

If we''re being even more picky, Coventry (the team in 11th) have 11 points, and Sheffield United (in 14th) have 10 points.  So that doesn''t really mean very much, especially at such an early stage of the season.  To put that into context even more, Ipswich have 14 points and we have 13.