Peterborough and/or Huddersfield will be strong. Would like to see one of them win the play offs. Bournemouth have done brilliantly but I'd be surprised if they challenge next year. MK Dons will probably have another go.
I sincerely hope i'm wrong , but i think we should have low expectations for next season , how are we going to be able to go from this seasons performance , to 28 wins next season?
Its would be one heck of an achievement , how many new players do we need to bring in? i can't see them all gelling at once , maybe 2 seasons for promotion , outside chance of the playoffs next season, our signings need to be signings of intent.
Hard to assess how we'll do until we know what our squad will look like. But right now I'd say the league overall will look weaker than this season - would like Huddersfield to go up this year.
I'm not even convinced we will need to be looking at the teams at the top of the division. I still fear we might end up looking at the teams coming up and wondering if we can find four to finish above by May 2012.
I think all three teams coming down look like strong contenders to go back up. We have to realise that we are currently a mid-L1 team - we are where we deserve to be. I hope to be proved spectacularly wrong.
Yes, and our form in the second half of the season with all those Premier League loan players and the best striker in the division was relegation form. Take away the first four games and it must have been bottom of the table form.
I know we are going to sign players but anyone that thinks it's going to be at all easy is in for a tough season in my view.
Most of the teams in L1 are pretty much clones of each other with the exception of Brighton. How many (non Brighton) individual players or teams can you single out from this season?
Hartlepool, Oldham, Notts County,Tranmere. They might as well be the same players and just change the shirts. Even Huddersfield and Southampton are big physical sides, well drilled in set pieces, playing % football with lots of long balls. Who cares who is in this compost heap of a league as long as we get out of it?
I like to see good football but fear that Saint Christopher is maybe a little naive thinking that total football from the beaches of Rio, played by midgets, is going to work in England's L1.
For those hopeless fantasists who still keep the faith, we finished in exactly the same spot as Brighton did last season.
The difference was Brighton were on their way up from the bottom when they finished 13th and they by that time looked a decent team. We on the other hand found our way to 13th spot from declining from above and don't look like a decent team.
CP will fly or sink from his signings.
Saints and others were able to compete physically as well as play a % of football. I hope CP has realised it is not just going to be about playing pretty football.
Sheffield teams 1 & 2 next season, you read it here first.
Dont rate Phil Brown/Preston or Scunthorpe but they will probably be in the play off mix with us, Peterbro, MK Dons and maybe Rochdale if they keep their manager. The rest will be the usual pub standard.
Hope Huddersfield go up in the Play Offs. If they stay down, would expect them to lose a couple of players but have a strong squad, good manager and one of the bigger budgets in the league.
Peterborough lose Mackail Smith and Boyd will severly weaken them, not to the extent of Swindon but very hard to replace those two imho.
Sheffield teams should be strong but United have financial issues and a very young squad, Wednesday have had a similar season to us so could go either way.
Preston and Scunthorpe both have decent managers for the level they are now at, expect them to be around the Play offs.
There is always a surprise team, Bournemouth this year in the PO's whilst not many (if any) predicted Brighton to be so strong and dominant. Hard to call at this stage but maybe Rochdale or Orient could get into the PO's next year.
Anway, point is it is going to be very tough come what may. Feeling pessimistic right now, but it's going to be big summer yet again and not just for us.
I don't think we will do what Brighton did this season. I think we will prob be mid table side like we are this season. I predict we finish 11th next season.
Chesterfield or Bury mihgt be up there next year, no-one thought Rochdale and Bournemouth would do so well so you can't write anyone off.
No point saying this division looks easier as it never works that way, in this league you just need a team to fight and play for each other along with a bit of organisation and you get results.
Sheff Utd might find it tough as they are financially in trouble. Sheff Weds will be thereabouts as will Peterborough/Hudds. Preston will be quite strong IMO but not so sure about Scunny. Can't see the teams coming up doing much. Top six at least should be achievable.
Whether it's easy or not is up to us as a club, not the opposition. It will depend on our players, our manager, our board and our supporters. This league is mediocre enough that with the right signings, the right tactics a lot of hard work and everyone pulling together there's no reason why we can't win it. At the same time, it is a competitive enough league that if we don't get things right or if we imagine we are too good, we'll get punished as we have over the last two seasons, not just by the top three or four but by half of the league. We need to get our own house in order rather than focus on the relative merits of the other teams - much of which will be idle speculation anyway as none of us really has a clue what will happen in the close season.
Expect Sheff Weds to be strong. Mandric will provide the finances (or at least cover the loans) & Megson will probably provide a winning team (albeit not great in style).
Sheff United will be interesting. Debts of up to £100 million. They have very good youth team, in the youth cup final against Man U.The manager has a track record of lower division promotions but they have to significantly reduce wages. Reading between the lines, Adams is concerned that he will be left with just Youth players next season. I don't expect a challenge for promotion unless they have some very clever signings & a good start.
Preston - don't see them as especially strong, playoffs at best
Scunthorpe - interesting team, may not need to sell as probably already on 3rd division wages, good manager in Knill (largely responsible for Bury's promotion), could do ok
Agree with others about Peterborough / Huddersfield
thought preston were in dire straights financially, sheff utd not too good either, and scunny were only good because of Atkins...nothing to fear from that lot...peterbrough (if hudds win play offs) and Sheff Wed will be the best two next year.,
Preston fan at work reckons they are now financially secure and the word is up there that they will be looking to splash a bit of cash and go straight back up.
Mind you, he is a norvan munkee so it could all be pony.
Last season's teams were massive for this league Leeds, Norwich and Southampton . These have all got promoted . Brighton are bigger now they have moved to Falmer 16,000 season tickets shows this . Huddersfield are also a club with more potential and will come again if they do not go up through the play offs this season . MK Dons or Peterborough could go either way next season .Personally I can't see Bournemouth , Orient or Rochdale repeating their success next season but could see Bury or Chesterfield taking the Division by storm .
Both Sheffield's and Preston are big in L1 but nowhere near the size of the Leeds , Norwich or Southampton . Scunthorpe could be similar to MK and Peterborough my other hunches before we know next season's squads are Martin Allen's Notts County and Tranmere who may have some big American investment .
I think we will be in the mix and hope SCP can secure the signings we need in the summer.
Comments
champ meaning they'll all be looking for 1st season promotion
weren't some people saying the same thing last season when Norwich and Leeds went up?
will be a tough season as usual
I know we are going to sign players but anyone that thinks it's going to be at all easy is in for a tough season in my view.
Most of the teams in L1 are pretty much clones of each other with the exception of Brighton. How many (non Brighton) individual players or teams can you single out from this season?
Hartlepool, Oldham, Notts County,Tranmere. They might as well be the same players and just change the shirts. Even Huddersfield and Southampton are big physical sides, well drilled in set pieces, playing % football with lots of long balls. Who cares who is in this compost heap of a league as long as we get out of it?
I like to see good football but fear that Saint Christopher is maybe a little naive thinking that total football from the beaches of Rio, played by midgets, is going to work in England's L1.
For those hopeless fantasists who still keep the faith, we finished in exactly the same spot as Brighton did last season.
The difference was Brighton were on their way up from the bottom when they finished 13th and they by that time looked a decent team. We on the other hand found our way to 13th spot from declining from above and don't look like a decent team.
CP will fly or sink from his signings.
Saints and others were able to compete physically as well as play a % of football. I hope CP has realised it is not just going to be about playing pretty football.
Sheffield teams 1 & 2 next season, you read it here first.
Dont rate Phil Brown/Preston or Scunthorpe but they will probably be in the play off mix with us, Peterbro, MK Dons and maybe Rochdale if they keep their manager. The rest will be the usual pub standard.
Hope Huddersfield go up in the Play Offs. If they stay down, would expect them to lose a couple of players but have a strong squad, good manager and one of the bigger budgets in the league.
Peterborough lose Mackail Smith and Boyd will severly weaken them, not to the extent of Swindon but very hard to replace those two imho.
Sheffield teams should be strong but United have financial issues and a very young squad, Wednesday have had a similar season to us so could go either way.
Preston and Scunthorpe both have decent managers for the level they are now at, expect them to be around the Play offs.
There is always a surprise team, Bournemouth this year in the PO's whilst not many (if any) predicted Brighton to be so strong and dominant. Hard to call at this stage but maybe Rochdale or Orient could get into the PO's next year.
Anway, point is it is going to be very tough come what may. Feeling pessimistic right now, but it's going to be big summer yet again and not just for us.
No point saying this division looks easier as it never works that way, in this league you just need a team to fight and play for each other along with a bit of organisation and you get results.
You must be kidding !
The teams that regularly take points from us are all still around:
Just to recap, they are:
Exeter, Hartlepool, Yeovil, Tranmere, Oldham, Notts County etc etc etc.
Another unsatisfactory season, to add to the previous 3.
To be fair we made the play offs and lost on a penalty shoot out. The football wasn't great but we had a decent season.
Do you know how bad finances are at Sheff Utd? I've heard varying rumours so not sure.
I thin it will be just as hard next season .
Last season's teams were massive for this league Leeds, Norwich and Southampton . These have all got promoted . Brighton are bigger now they have moved to Falmer 16,000 season tickets shows this . Huddersfield are also a club with more potential and will come again if they do not go up through the play offs this season . MK Dons or Peterborough could go either way next season .Personally I can't see Bournemouth , Orient or Rochdale repeating their success next season but could see Bury or Chesterfield taking the Division by storm .
Both Sheffield's and Preston are big in L1 but nowhere near the size of the Leeds , Norwich or Southampton . Scunthorpe could be similar to MK and Peterborough my other hunches before we know next season's squads are Martin Allen's Notts County and Tranmere who may have some big American investment .
I think we will be in the mix and hope SCP can secure the signings we need in the summer.