How to read a league table properly (and when to ignore it)

A league table is the most honest and the most dishonest number in football. Honest, because only results feed it. Dishonest, because ten games is a rumour, not a verdict.

Read form before position. A team sitting fifth with three straight wins is a different animal from a fifth-placed side on three defeats. The form column exists for exactly this reason.

Then check the schedule behind the points. A club that has played everyone difficult sits on fewer points with a kinder runway ahead; a flattering total earned against the bottom four usually gets corrected by spring. Tables settle in April — everything before that is a conversation.