The lack of detailed information about Mercian and Wessex administration makes other theories hard to evaluate: for example it has been suggested that the West Saxons had a stable tributary system that contributed to its success, or that Wessex's mixed Saxon and British population, natural frontiers, and capable administrators were key factors.
A falta de información detallada sobre a administración de Mercia e de Wessex fai que sexa difícil valorar outras teorías: por exemplo, suxeriuse que os saxóns occidentais tiñan un sistema tributario estábel que contribuíu ao seu éxito, ou que a mestura da poboación nativa e saxoa en Wessex, as fronteiras naturais e uns administradores capaces foron factores clave.