Matches Championship 5 Game Blocks 25/26

[Steve Gilbert]

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[Foley]

2025/2026 Season
​

It's that time of the year again....

Block 1 Pompey (H) Hull (A) Birmingham (A) Coventry (H) Leicester (H) Total points out of 15:​	Block 2 Bristol (A) Sheff Utd (H) QPR (A)* Watford (A) Derby (H) Total points out of 15:​	Block 3 Wrexham (A)* Sheff Wed (A) Millwall (H) Stoke (H)* West Brom (A) Total points out of 15:​
Block 4 Middlesbrough (H) Norwich (A)* Ipswich (H) Swansea (A) Blackburn (A)* Total points out of 15:​	Block 5 Preston (H) Charlton (A) Southampton (H) Swansea (H) Ipswich (A) Total points out of 15:​	Block 6 Sheff Utd (A) Bristol (H) QPR (H)* Leicester (A) Birmingham (H) Total points out of 15:​
Block 7 Coventry (A) Norwich (H) Middlesbrough (A) Stoke (A)* WBA (H) Total points out of 15:​	Block 8 Preston (A) Blackburn (H)* Charlton (H) Southampton (A) Hull (H) Total points out of 15:​	Block 9 Portsmouth (A) Watford (H) Derby (A) Wrexham (H)* Sheffield Weds (H) Total points out of 15:​

Bonus Ball: Millwall (A)

Season Averages:​

Automatic Promotion 2024/2025 - 100 2023/2024 - 96 2022/2023 - 91 2021/2022 - 88 2020/2021 - 91 2019/2020 - 83 Average: 91.8 (92) PP 5 games: 10​

Play-Offs 2024/2025 - 68 2023/2024 - 73 2022/2023 - 69 2021/2022 - 75 2020/2021 - 77 2019/2020 - 70 Average: 72.0 (72) PP 5 games: 9​

Safety 2024/2025 - 50 2023/2024 - 53 2022/2023 - 50 2021/2022 - 47 2020/21 - 44 2019/2020 - 48 Average: 48.6 (49) PP 5 games: 6​

Games with * next to them are midweek games ​

Impressive that you had done this by 12.31!

 

[Foley]

So last year, had anybody won 23 games and lost 23, they would have made the play offs.
The last 3 seasons:

- ridiculously high number of points required for automatic promotion
- play off points required have dropped off.
- points required to stay up have increased.

So it seems as if the PL teans coming down are far stronger relatively (other than Luton), but the rest of the league is far closer.

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Impressive that you had done this by 12.31!

I’m glad that my ability to produce quickly impresses you…

 

[SteMerritt]

I’m glad that my ability to produce quickly impresses you…

Does it impress Mrs Gilbert?

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Does it impress Mrs Gilbert?

The fact I no longer have a Mrs Gilbert I would assume not

 

[Wallop]

Looking at that set of fixtures, I thought ‘meh’ with no real concerns about our ability to compete with these sides. What a difference 12 months makes.

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Looking at that set of fixtures, I thought ‘meh’ with no real concerns about our ability to compete with these sides. What a difference 12 months makes.

I thought the exact same.

 

[SSO]

Just realised looking at that (thanks for the asterisks) that we play midweek home and away v the same sides. QPR, Stoke, Wrexham and Blackburn.

All except Norwich.

I wonder if that will make a difference? Last season we had Burnley and Sheff Utd away under the lights. Two very tough games in particular.

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

Just realised looking at that (thanks for the asterisks) that we play midweek home and away v the same sides. QPR, Stoke, Wrexham and Blackburn.

Yeah they always do that.

Last season we had exclusively midweek (home and away) opponents as Hull, Luton, QPR and Derby.

 

[SSO]

Yeah they always do that.

Last season we had exclusively midweek (home and away) opponents as Hull, Luton, QPR and Derby.

Wow I never knew that. I must have developed a short attention span or something around fixtures.

 

[Under The Cuckoo Lane]

Given injury situation, how many points would anyone consider an ok return from 1st 5?
I'll start with a very boring 5, starting off with 3 against Pompey to get that.

 

[Isle of Wight Yellow]

The problem with using ‘mean’ averages and then saying ‘49 points for safety’ is that it wouldn’t actually have been enough for safety in any of the last three seasons!

 

[Foley]

The problem with using ‘mean’ averages and then saying ‘49 points for safety’ is that it wouldn’t actually have been enough for safety in any of the last three seasons!

Hull stayed up with 49 points last season.

 

[Isle of Wight Yellow]

Hull stayed up with 49 points last season.

Yes but Luton didn’t! So 49 points wasn’t a guarantee of staying up…

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Hull stayed up with 49 points last season.

Cardiff stayed up on 49 in 22/23 season too.

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Yes but Luton didn’t! So 49 points wasn’t a guarantee of staying up…

Even if you say 50 points is the magic number, it is still 6 points per block of 5.

 

[Isle of Wight Yellow]

Cardiff stayed up on 49 in 22/23 season too.

Ah yes I missed that. Your graphic (and therefore average) is wrong, then…

 

[The Voice Of Reason]

I think 7 or 9 from 1st block

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Ah yes I missed that. Your graphic (and therefore average) is wrong, then…

I applied the safety plus 1 rule.

 

[Isle of Wight Yellow]

I applied the safety plus 1 rule.

But Reading finished third from bottom in 22-23 with 44 points, so wouldn’t safety be 45 points?

 

[Steve Gilbert]

But Reading finished third from bottom in 22-23 with 44 points, so wouldn’t safety be 45 points?

I’ve adjusted for you and taken the points of the team who finished in 21st place plus 1 point.
Reading finished 3rd bottom and got relegated in 22/23, the team who were safe and finished on 49 points were Cardiff.

 

[The Voice Of Reason]

Let's have a more positive attitude and say 70 PTS is safety and poss some more games

 

[SSO]

I think 7 or 9 from 1st block

I would like 8 or 9 or more.
8 would ensure just one defeat from those first 5 games.
9 would be 3 wins which would either mean an away win somewhere or beating someone of note.

 

[TobyDavis34]

I'm so happy this thread is back! Found it really useful last year <3

Thank you!

 

[The Voice Of Reason]

I would like 8 or 9 or more.
8 would ensure just one defeat from those first 5 games.
9 would be 3 wins which would either mean an away win somewhere or beating someone of note.

I have it as winning 1st 2. Draw next 3

 

[TobyDavis34]

I'd take 7 points from the first block to be honest.

Beating Pompey and Hull, and a point away at Coventry.

Probably good to get the Leicester and Brum games done with early, I expect both to be fighting for promotion.

 

[SteMerritt]

I'd take 7 points from the first block to be honest.

Beating Pompey and Hull, and a point away at Coventry.

Probably good to get the Leicester and Brum games done with early, I expect both to be fighting for promotion.

A point against Coventry? Just imagine! It would be about time.

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Mods, please could you pin this thread.

I have added in which games are on Sky and which Sky channel they are on.

 

[Steve Gilbert]

First block down and on paper not great viewing with only 2 points from a possible 15. Despite this I am still not worried as signs on the pitch from Birmingham, Coventry and Leicester are promising.