Proof of progress?

[the_anticlough]

We're on P34 Pts60
2019/20 P38 Pts63 (final)
2020/21 P42 Pts70 (final)

And everyone agrees this is the strongest NL season, in terms of competition, of the 3 years.
So to be on track to a significantly higher points haul (in an even stronger league) shows that have progressed under IB??

Yeah, it's disappointing that Stockport win every damn week and the top of the league's so strong, but those saying we haven't progressed haven't really got a case, have they?

[OchPie]

I think it depends who you measure against.

We have progressed compared to the rest of the league as a whole, but we have perhaps regressed compared to the best in the league (or if you prefer, they have progressed faster).

[MAD_MAGPIE]

We're on P34 Pts60
2019/20 P38 Pts63 (final)
2020/21 P42 Pts70 (final)

And everyone agrees this is the strongest NL season, in terms of competition, of the 3 years.
So to be on track to a significantly higher points haul (in an even stronger league) shows that have progressed under IB??

Yeah, it's disappointing that Stockport win every damn week and the top of the league's so strong, but those saying we haven't progressed haven't really got a case, have they?

We've stablised and stopped the decline in the past three years so that is a start. The stability that the club has craved over the past twenty years has now been provided. The irony is that as the club has stabilised the outside world didn't with the club having to deal with the Covid pandemic and all that entailed.

Look at Chesterfield, Torquay and Stockport they fell further than us and the latter two both slipped through this league to the one below. Southend are only just turning the corner from their freefall.

If we are looking at points then based on a points per game ratio it's been remarkably close in each season at this level, and this season currently is just edging it.

2019/20 = 1.66 PPG
2020/21 = 1.67 PPG
2021/22 = 1.76 PPG

There are so many other factors to take into consideration such as off the field in terms of operational, infrastructure along with style and quality of football as well and matchday experience.

So to answer your question yes I do think the club has progressed and is in a far better state both on and off the field than it was three years ago.

[upthemaggies]

Clubs at the top are picking up more points because the clubs at the bottom are so bad this season.

In the 2019/20 season, 21st place Maidenhead were on course to finish on 50 points before the season was cut short, this season Weymouth are on course to finish 21st with a mere 28 points.

Saying we're better this season (as things stand) is like saying we're better now losing 2-5 to team X this season - because we scored 2 goals - than when we lost to team X 0-1 last season.

Having said that. play offs mean you can not be as good as other teams, or as good as you were in previous seasons. and still go up.
We could get back in the FL this season without ever seriously challenging for 1st place in three NL seasons.

[Elite_Pie]

And everyone agrees this is the strongest NL season, in terms of competition, of the 3 years.

I only partly agree, and I think UTM has already explained it:

Clubs at the top are picking up more points because the clubs at the bottom are so bad this season.

This division has gone a bit like the Premiership, in that the clubs at the top are light years ahead of the clubs at the bottom. It's definitely stronger at the top end, but there are some piss poor teams at the bottom, so I'm not sure comparing the last two seasons with this one is valid in terms of points totals. The big plus for us is that we still have a fair few games to play against the piss poor teams, and only one against the big boys.

[the_anticlough]

I don't think I agree with the response that "no, this season's NL isn't stronger because the bottom teams are poorer''

Why does that have to be the case just because the top 10 are better? Can't the middle and lower ranking clubs be at the same level as they were at least? They'd still get beaten a lot because there's a whole lot of great teams around.
Take the 3 years and line up the teams at every position and compare
Example -18th place
2022 Maidenhead 34/38pts 2021-Weymouth 42/39pts 2020- Aldershot 39/46

For all we know the NL could be stronger at every position/section of the league, so I'm sceptical about denials we've improved based on claiming the opposition has weakened.
I definitely think the quality is higher at the top. I really wouldn't fancy either Barrow or Sutton to get out the league if they were playing this season.

[laddo]

I wish you had asked this question after the Stockport defeat AC.

[Elite_Pie]

I don't think I agree with the response that "no, this season's NL isn't stronger because the bottom teams are poorer''

Seeing as you put it in quotation marks, did anyone actually say that?

[the_anticlough]

I think there'd be more than 6 replies

[the_anticlough]

Seeing as you put it in quotation marks, did anyone actually say that?

You can check that yourself.
I thought it was a pretty fair paraphrasing. I think we're doing better statistically in what is a stronger league. And I think some of the critics thru this month forget how bad we were doing in long stretches in the previous two seasons.

Picking up on the reaction after the Stockport game, mentioned by Laddo, those of us who singled out recruitment might have to eat our words. They've really raised their game in the last week with the acquisitions of Arter and Graham.