Finally got this done. All technical difficulties resolved, time issues resolved, and normal service resumed
Gameweek 13 -21 Update
AmericasLeague position before: 10th
League Position now: 11th
Form: W W D L L L W L W
Little change for the Americas in the lower half of the table, as they seem to be unable to put together a decent run and get moving upwards. They suprised everyone by beating Anglia in gw21, but, it probably wasn't enough to remove the sour taste left by a beating from the Middle East a few weeks earlier. They are comfortable where they are, but I don't see much change come the end of the season.
AngliaLeague position before: 2nd
League Position now: 2nd
Form: W L D W D W W L L
Anglia are stuttering, but they've been strong enough to keep themselves up at the top. The match against Asia in gw16 should have been the platform to mount an assault and take 1st place, bit losses to Midlands and the Americas, and a draw with Ireland put serious question marks over Anglia's ability to win this league. They've shown ropey form before and recovered, so it's not impossible.
AsiaLeague position before: 1st
League Position now: 1st
Form: W W W L W D W W W
Asia are frightening at the moment. Totally dominant in this league, and they didn't even flinch when their closest rival took points off them. Normal service was resumed, and they continue to extend their lead at the top. I'm not sure they can be stopped by anyone.
IrelandLeague position before: 13th
League Position now: 14th
Form: D D D W D L L W L
Ireland were treading water in the lower half for a while, but their game has fallen apart and they're sinking like a stone. The only win of note was against Nordic in gw16, but on recent form that wasn't particularly impressive. Ireland are going to struggle from here to the end, but their modesty will be spared by those around them, who are probably that little bit poorer.
LancashireLeague position before: 3rd
League Position now: 4th
Form: W L D D L W L D L
Lancashire looked to be cruising at one point, but the've really taken the foot off the gas, and that's reflected in their current position. Draws against the bottom teams are a sad indictment of where they are right now, and is the main reason they aren't challenging for top spot. No reason why they can't get it together and battle for second place, and we've seen they are capable.
London & HCLeague position before: 6th
League Position now: 10th
Form: L L L L L L W W W
What's going on here? Six losses on the bounce? London & HC have been atrocious since gw12. There's no particular matches that stand out as bad losses, but they been roundly beaten by anyone they've encountered. Strangely though, that run of defeats has been followed by three wins in a row. It looks like they've got together in the dressing room and decided to get it sorted. If they can manage another three wins I'll be truly shocked, but they could do with it, and maybe they've got the required momentum.
MeridianLeague position before: 7th
League Position now: 6th
Form: L W D L W D W L W
A bit of 'same old same old' for Meridian. They've been plugging away with the same inconsistent form , but they're looking like a safe mid-table team now, rather than the big four team they think they are. A strong finish with some good wins could see me eating my words though, but if they keep losing to teams like Midlands it looks like I'll be staying hungry.
Middle EastLeague position before: 14th
League Position now: 13th
Form: D W W L W L W L W
I feared for Middle East, especially as their threadbare squad lost a member, but if anything it's improved them and we're finally seeing some wins. Five wins from nine is a pretty good return from this team, and it's given them some insulation from the rest of the bottom pack. With the dead weight gone they might be looking to display some of that early form that had them impressing at the other end of the table, and Middle East are certainly proving that they aren't the one hit wonders that some thought.
MidlandsLeague position before: 15th
League Position now: 15th
Form: W W D W D L L L L
I never thought Midlands were really as bad as their table position suggested, and they managed two scalps in a row in the form of Nordic and Anglia. Their problem is they just can't do enough to finish games off. Their goal difference shows that their matches have always been tight, but they'll not get away from the bottom of that table unless they find some killer instinct.
NordicLeague position before: 5th
League Position now: 9th
Form: L L L L W L W W L
Another team that seem to have run out of steam. Nordic were battering teams at one point, but in the last nine games they've lost to all four of the bottom teams... that's a real crisis of confidence! Four losses on the spin seemed impossible for Nordic, but they've managed it and haven't fully recovered yet. We're seeing some wins again, but they aren't prolific. Nordic are at their best as underdogs though, and they'll continue to surprise people before the season's out.
NorthwestLeague position before: 3th
League Position now: 7th
Form: L W W W L W L L L
Northwest have fallen away a little, and their last three games have all been defeats. They won't have liked being beaten by Middle East in gw19, but that's football, and you'll get beaten when you aren't at the top of your game. This team is still dangerous, and could be back challenging at the top with no problems. They need stop the rot of this current run though.
OceaniaLeague position before: 16th
League Position now: 16th
Form: L L L L W W L D L
It's a difficult life at the bottom of the table, bereft of confidence and the vision to see yourself anywhere else. Oceanic have made 16th place their own and I don't see them moving. The problem is they cannot beat the teams around them, and surprise wins against higher placed teams isn't going to be enough to improve their situation. Midlands look like they have the ability to increase the gap, so it's going to get even lonelier down there.
ScotlandLeague position before: 11th
League Position now: 5th
Form: L W W W D W W W L
19 points from a possible 27 sees Scotland climb into a much better position that they were before. Some solid wins against the clubs around them and a bit of consistency has been key, and finally they are showing what they are really capable of. Can they go on to bigger and better things? There's no reason why not, but the I don't see them being unhappy with 5th spot.
SouthwestLeague position before: 8th
League Position now: 3rd
Form: W L D W W L L W W
Out of nowhere, Southwest have seriously got their act together and motored their way up the table. A recent beating of Anglia shows how seriously these boys should be taken, and their slowly but surely approach is working wonders. They still haven't got quite the right level of consistency they'd want to have, but they're stringing wins together, and that's what matters. It's tough at the top of the table, and the name up their have been mixed up a lot already, so it remains to be seen if they can stay there.
WalesLeague position before: 9th
League Position now: 8th
Form: W W D D L W L L W
Wales have been fairly consistent mid-table this season, and haven't seem troubled at any point. They're just cruising along comfortably beating those below them, and being beaten by the more quality teams above them. I'm not sure that I see this pattern changing too much, but they've grabbed a few scalps in the early part of the season, and could capitalise if others lose concentration.
YorkshireLeague position before: 12th
League Position now: 12th
Form: L L D W L W L W W
Yorkshire entertained us earlier in the season with some good play, but the early promise has disappeared and they're now fairly static in the lower half of the table. No out of the ordinary results to report, and their performances have been fairly ordinary. Two wins on the trot recently though, which could boost them and be the catalyst for a relocation up the table.
See what I mean....
