League One 23/24

[1]

Promoting / relegating the current highest / lowest teams, this is what the league would look like next year.

Obviously there’s a massive amount of assumption here and it is 1% likely to be the actually unchanged table, like assuming Stoke beat the drop this year before swapping with us next year.

Is the league stronger?

Will we slip into relegation battle territory or build on this year?

And should pâté be eaten with bread or toast?

What are people’s thoughts?

 

Blackpool

Reading

Wigan

Barnsley

Derby

Bolton

Wycombe

Shrewsbury

Peterborough

Portsmouth

Exeter

Lincoln

Bristol Rovers

Port Vale

Fleetwood

Charlton

Cheltenham 

Burton

Oxford

Accrington Stanley

Leyton Orient

Carlisle

Stevenage

Northampton

 

[Guppys left peg]

Honestly I think next year could be potentially a good one to attack. Of the teams likely coming down Huddersfield are rumoured to be going into admin and Wigan struggling to pay players. Let’s assume at least two of Wednesday, Derby and Ipswich go up then it becomes somewhat more of a level playing field financially. Still be clubs with bigger budgets no doubt but not insurmountable I feel. The downside is I think the bottom end will be better so no FGR types as a nice knockover job.

[NorthwoodValiant]

I think we are more likely to get promoted next year but also more likely to get relegated. With 3 of the biggest clubs going up it makes it a fairer playing field, but with at least 3 of the 4 smallest clubs going down we will likely find ourselves as a 'smaller' club than we were in the previous year

[philmpv]

I think we are more likely to get promoted next year but also more likely to get relegated. With 3 of the biggest clubs going up it makes it a fairer playing field, but with at least 3 of the 4 smallest clubs going down we will likely find ourselves as a 'smaller' club than we were in the previous year

So we could go up but could go down? Can you give me this week's lottery numbers?

[NorthwoodValiant]

2 minutes ago, philmpv said:

So we could go up but could go down? Can you give me this week's lottery numbers?

01782 238471

These aren't the lottery numbers though, it's the phone number to Tunstall library.

I implore you to ring them up and ask them if they can teach you how to read, because you clearly can not.

Implore means to beg, by the way.

[Guitar Ray]

Bottom 3 of the Championship look nailed on.  League 2 promoted teams more difficult to call apart from Orient.  Anyone down to about 12th still in reach of the playoffs.  I think in our league the top 6 are the top 6 unless Bolton continue to wobble. On current form Barnsley could go up automatically, possibly hinging on their next 3 games

[Warren]

The only thing Port Vale can do is assemble the best squad the club / owners can afford. Then it's down to management and some luck with injuries. 

In the medium / longer term growing the fan base can increase what the club can afford to pay to players and in theory strengthen the squad (many clubs got it wrong spending their funds in the past and plumit back downwards). 

However to me there is an inherent ceiling on the size of support Port Vale can attract. It is impacted by what Stoke City do. If their owners fund another surge towards the Premier League it will garnish young supporters. If they stay in the Championship, maybe not, and Port Vale can skillfully prosper. There is another city to study here - Nottingham. Same situation. 

But whatever way, it is a big gap between a sustainable L1 club and a sustainable Championship club. In support terms I suggest Port Vale needs average home attendance of 14000 to be a credible Championship level proposition. 

[Warren]

15 hours ago, 1 said:

Promoting / relegating the current highest / lowest teams, this is what the league would look like next year.

Obviously there’s a massive amount of assumption here and it is 1% likely to be the actually unchanged table, like assuming Stoke beat the drop this year before swapping with us next year.

Is the league stronger?

Will we slip into relegation battle territory or build on this year?

And should pâté be eaten with bread or toast?

What are people’s thoughts?

 

Blackpool

Huddersfield

Wigan

Barnsley

Derby

Bolton

Wycombe

Shrewsbury

Peterborough

Portsmouth

Exeter

Lincoln

Bristol Rovers

Port Vale

Fleetwood

Charlton

Cheltenham 

Burton

Oxford

Accrington Stanley

Leyton Orient

Carlisle

Stevenage

Northampton

 

Are there enough clubs above we can be better than to stay up. Yes. Are there enough clubs above we can beat to promotion. Well, not impossible, but a big ask. 

[Fosse69]

The attraction of football is the uncertainty, but there can only be 3 winners in L1 in a season. Maybe in 3 years we can be one, will we have a windfall with a cup run or 2, sell a player for a significant sum, or an additional investor come along. More likely, steady progression, enjoy the journey and some good performances.

[Brian Johnson]

15 hours ago, 1 said:

Promoting / relegating the current highest / lowest teams, this is what the league would look like next year.

Obviously there’s a massive amount of assumption here and it is 1% likely to be the actually unchanged table, like assuming Stoke beat the drop this year before swapping with us next year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not going to lie but I'm getting a little worried about what's going on Stoke.

Since the January transfer window they have seemed to have turned the corner under Neil who gets teams promoted and next season they are getting a decent transfer budget for the first time in 2 to 3 years.

 

[CAVALIER]

Toast

[The man in the pub]

1 hour ago, Brian Johnson said:

Not going to lie but I'm getting a little worried about what's going on Stoke.

Since the January transfer window they have seemed to have turned the corner under Neil who gets teams promoted and next season they are getting a decent transfer budget for the first time in 2 to 3 years.

 

Yes was thinking the same, looked like another decent manager was seeing his career vanish into the Bermuda Triangle that is the Stade de Incinerator. However recent performances have shown a worrying upturn in form.  Can someone remind Agent Neil of the masterplan. Perhaps I am underestimating him and he is just giving the Lardies a false dawn before he flushes them down the U bend. Lets hope so as I am missing the sound of  Bryn emptying another box of Kleenex live  on P & G.

[blinkme]

15 hours ago, NorthwoodValiant said:

I think we are more likely to get promoted next year but also more likely to get relegated. With 3 of the biggest clubs going up it makes it a fairer playing field, but with at least 3 of the 4 smallest clubs going down we will likely find ourselves as a 'smaller' club than we were in the previous year

As nonsensical as it sounds, this does make sense (to me at least).  Less 'big' teams at the top so if we have a good season there's more chance of making the playoffs.  If Sheff Wed / Ipswich / Derby were all still in L1 next year - that would be a harder task imo

But also less 'bad' teams down the bottom, so if we have a bad season we could well be in the thick of it.

You've got to be positive though, and overall feel that L1 won't be as strong next season (at those very top echelons) which can only be a good thing.

[valiant_593]

I can’t see the teams coming up being too much of a threat to us, as long as we have a good transfer window this time it should be a good season to have a real go

[darren1810]

2 hours ago, Brian Johnson said:

Not going to lie but I'm getting a little worried about what's going on Stoke.

Since the January transfer window they have seemed to have turned the corner under Neil who gets teams promoted and next season they are getting a decent transfer budget for the first time in 2 to 3 years.

 

They've won 2 in a row for the first time in months.

The epitome of mid table. They only lost to Blackpool a fortnight ago. Stoke are as mediocre as you can get as is their mundane manager.