2017/18 League TwoTable Predictions

[Lance Stoe]

League 2 isn't like the Premiership. It is rarely straightforward. I'm a good Predictor by the way

 

[valefan16]

The defence should be alright but I just don't see this team scoring enough goals or indeed creating enough chances. There's going to be a lot of clubs who will come to VP like last time we were down here and just shut up shop and I'm not convinced unless Eagles does re-sign there is anywhere near enough creativity to counter that. I'd say around 11th and 14th for Vale at a rough guess right now.

We must sign an attacking midfielder although I expect with Pope we will look to bombard the box with crosses from Monty and Harness?

Oddly last year our defence was scoring loads for us with Streete and Smith and Kay has a great scoring record for a centre half so if they can chip in too we should be ok but MUST sign an attacking midfielder.

 

[kieran_vale]

We must sign an attacking midfielder although I expect with Pope we will look to bombard the box with crosses from Monty and Harness?

Oddly last year our defence was scoring loads for us with Streete and Smith and Kay has a great scoring record for a centre half so if they can chip in too we should be ok but MUST sign an attacking midfielder.

I'd agree that definitely looks like Plan A (and I'd also throw in Yates when he plays as he can cross pretty well also) but I just think back to our promotion season that was how we did it then but then that big wobble came in the new year when teams found us out and we didn't have an answer for a long time. Long story short someone like Eagles will be crucial to sign as you say.

On the plus side though given the squad should be a lot fitter and more experienced the issues we encountered last year with all the last minute goals given away (ultimately what cost us our place in L1) won't repeat itself.

 

[pride_of_notts]

Mine
1. Mansfield
2. Luton
3. Coventry
4. Cambridge
5. Wycombe
6. Grimsby
7. Exeter
8. Accrington
9. Notts County
10. Swindon
11. Forest Green
12. Port Vale
13. Lincoln
14. Stevenage
15. Carlisle
16. Crewe
17. Morecambe
18. Colchester
19. Barnet
20. Cheaterfield
21. Crawley
22. Cheltenham
23. Yeovil
24. Newport

 

[Impish]

Mine
1. Mansfield
2. Luton
3. Coventry
4. Cambridge
5. Wycombe
6. Grimsby
7. Exeter
8. Accrington
9. Notts County
10. Swindon
11. Forest Green
12. Port Vale
13. Lincoln
14. Stevenage
15. Carlisle
16. Crewe
17. Morecambe
18. Colchester
19. Barnet
20. Cheaterfield
21. Crawley
22. Cheltenham
23. Yeovil
24. Newport

Grimsby will be nowhere near playoffs. Think they're about 5th favourites to go down with the bookies which is about right. Not enough value though 8/1 so I had a little flutter on them matching last season's tally of 3 different managers in one season. Quietly confident.

 

[Son of Cod]

Dunno why people are still submitting tables when the deadline was June 4th.

 

[Clarkey_GTFC]

1. Luton
2. Mansfield
3. Coventry
------------------------------
4. Notts County
5. Chesterfield
6. Swindon
7. Lincoln
------------------------------
8. Carlisle
9. Exeter
10. Cambridge
11. Wycombe
12. Accrington
13. Colchester
14. FGR
15. Port Vale
16. Barnet
17. Grimsby
18. Crewe
19. Stevenage
20. Morecambe
21. Cheltenham
22. Yeovil
------------------------------
23. Crawley
24. Newport


Complete guesswork. I don't think we'll finish any lower than 17th but I'm not very confident in our squad at the minute. If they turn up and do the business I can see us reaching the dizzy heights of 12th.

 

[Vanni]

League 2 isn't like the Premiership. It is rarely straightforward. I'm a good Predictor by the way

Yeah I can tell you are

 

[Gladders]

Complete guesswork. I don't think we'll finish any lower than 17th but I'm not very confident in our squad at the minute. If they turn up and do the business I can see us reaching the dizzy heights of 12th.

I'm not confident at all and think 17th is generous. Remember Bignot was sacked and Slade brought in to get us promotion this season, if he fails I would put money on us being back in non league within 3 seasons though if Fenty carries on the way he has since we got back in the league.

 

[Vanni]

It looks like there's no middle ground with Grimsby. People either seem to think they'll struggle, or make a push for the play offs. Or at least, that's the impression I'm getting reading up on people's thoughts all across the web.

Personally I reckon Grimsby are the proper definition of midtable (12-14th) with the squad they have, and barring any late signings of course.

 

[Fandemonium]

Chesterfield have problems as they're spending money they don't have and it appears it's catching up on them but they're pretending it's not happening. Though arch rivals I'm not saying the above in amusement, just seems to be the case from afar.

You boys well, you are the one in the know, whereas port vale and Coventry are odd cases.

Where would you place the sides? Obv you've more knowledge on the sides coming down than myself.

If by 'spending money we don't have' you mean investment from a chairman, then we've done nothing that Mansfield haven't.

Radford bankrolled your promotion from the Conference then withdrew his company's support when the crowds failed to materialise. In fairness he ring-fenced that debt, around five or so million if I remember, and has now decided to spend again. Even though there's no evidence to suggest the locals will respond to service that spending.

Allen bankrolled two promotions and two Wembley finals then not only withdrew his support but decided to sell, sell, then sell again. And all because...well, answers on a postcard, 'cos the crowds and non match day income were there to more than finance the Club. Which makes losses that've subsequently accrued even more bewildering.

Unless we apply parallels to Haslam, of course, something anyone knowing our true situation can easily do.

Then 'pretending it's not happening'?

Dunno what social media you've been reading - apparently there're a number on some CFC 'Twitter' or 'Facebook' page who're in some sort of sycophantic denial - but members of our main forum, 'Bob's Board', have spent years exposing and narrating the scandals that've led to our demise.

So this season?

Last season all over again, I'd guess.

 

[GTFCfish]

It looks like there's no middle ground with Grimsby. People either seem to think they'll struggle, or make a push for the play offs. Or at least, that's the impression I'm getting reading up on people's thoughts all across the web.

Personally I reckon Grimsby are the proper definition of midtable (12-14th) with the squad they have, and barring any late signings of course.

I was actually in a really confident mood for this season but the news about Jamey Osborne has quenched my optimism a bit to be honest but we will be fine, no way will this team be in a relegation battle.
Mid table finish with a few cracking away days thrown in will do me just fine this season.

 

[Chris FGR]

I was actually in a really confident mood for this season but the news about Jamey Osborne has quenched my optimism a bit to be honest but we will be fine, no way will this team be in a relegation battle.
Mid table finish with a few cracking away days thrown in will do me just fine this season.

Definitely think you'll be finishing below us again.

 

[Vanni]

1. Luton
2. Mansfield
3. Coventry
-----------------------
4. Lincoln
5. Exeter
6. Colchester
7. Swindon
-----------------------
8. Wycombe
9. Forest Green
10. Cambridge
11. Notts Co
12. Stevenage
13. Carlisle
14. Accrington
15. Barnet
16. Grimsby
17. Port Vale
18. Chesterfield
19. Crewe
20. Morecambe
21. Newport
22. Cheltenham
------------------------
23. Yeovil
24. Crawley

 

[Vanni]

I was actually in a really confident mood for this season but the news about Jamey Osborne has quenched my optimism a bit to be honest but we will be fine, no way will this team be in a relegation battle.
Mid table finish with a few cracking away days thrown in will do me just fine this season.

Agreed, your squad looks far too good to go down even without Osborne, who'll be sidelined for such a long time. What worries me though is that we all look to football squads and say 'on paper', which doesn't really mean a lot when things start conspiring against you. Perhaps I'll always remember how poor we were back during the 2004/05 season, even though on paper we looked like a solid mid-table side. In fact, a couple of footy mags and some web sites even had us down for a promotion push

 

[Impish]

Agreed, your squad looks far too good to go down even without Osborne, who'll be sidelined for such a long time. What worries me though is that we all look to football squads and say 'on paper', which doesn't really mean a lot when things start conspiring against you. Perhaps I'll always remember how poor we were back during the 2004/05 season, even though on paper we looked like a solid mid-table side. In fact, a couple of footy mags and some web sites even had us down for a promotion push

Really?? Which players in Grimsby's squad warrant them being labelled too good to go down? Genuine question. I thought they'd struggle but after losing Osborne they're in big trouble. Bostwick and Woodyard will boss both matches for certain now.

 

[GTFCfish]

Definitely think you'll be finishing below us again.

Well that wouldn't be too bad really as the 1 time in your history you managed to finish above us we ended up getting promoted at Wembley.......

 

[Son of Cod]

Really?? Which players in Grimsby's squad warrant them being labelled too good to go down? Genuine question. I thought they'd struggle but after losing Osborne they're in big trouble. Bostwick and Woodyard will boss both matches for certain now.

I have yet to see Woodyard boss a game against Grimsby, so I'll reserve the right to agree with that until I see it before my own eyes.

I'd also like to see an answer from Fish here, though. After Osborne, Sam Jones and Zak Mills I'm not confident in our squad at all. We look threadbare up front with Asante injured and it looking like Jones is gonna play there slightly out of position. Dembele is a bit of a wild card, so I'm hoping he is gonna surprise me. One saving grace is that I think we have solid CBs.

Edit: Just realised it was Vanni you were responding to. Also, we play you for the second time in March so Osborne might well be fit by then.

 

[Gladders]

Aye we only look good in defence, but they are all old!

Other than Jones and Osbourne we don't have much going forward unless Dembele is the real deal.

So much for money being available for Slade after sacking Bignot because I'm not sure what it's been spent on.

 

[Carver]

Did Swindon just sign a load of good players recently?

 

[PaulHaddock]

Dembele looks awesome tbf. Sam Jones is good if played in his correct position i.e through the middle. In terms of CMs, we've got Berrett and Summerfield who aren't really up to much, Clements who's a baller but not that tenacious, Sean McAllister who is brilliant except that he's always injured and Mitch Rose who I haven't seen enough of. My preferred two would have been Osborne and McAllister but both are unlikely to play!

 

[Kenneth E End]

Time for my prediction as pre season has now finished. Last year I predicted us 5th and we finished 4th so not far wrong...

1. Luton Town
2. Mansfield Town
3. Coventry City
---------------------
4. Swindon Town
5. Lincoln City
6. Colchester United
7. Chesterfield
-------------------
8. Exeter City
9. Cambridge United
10. Notts County
11. Port Vale
12. Forest Green Rovers
--------------------
13. Carlisle United
14. Grimsby Town
15. Barnet
16. Crewe Alexandra
17. Wycombe Wanderers
18. Cheltenham Town
19. Accrington Stanley
20. Crawley Town
21. Stevenage
22. Yeovil Town
------------------
23. Morecambe
24. Newport County

 

[Vanni]

Well my Impish friend, thing is that when I rate footy clubs I don't only see whether they have any standout players or not, because if I did this then I would come to a swift conclusion that all L2 sides are shit. Yeah a handful of clubs may have some talented chaps in their ranks but afaic there's always a good reason why they're playing L2 footy and not higher.This doesn't mean that I think Newport are as strong as Mansfield, but I think you get the point I'm trying to make.

So, with that in mind, I look at Grimsby's squad and can tell rather easily that theirs is stronger than at least a good 8 sides (and in some cases much stronger) and on a par more or less with around 6 others. IOW, they're too good to go down, at least 'on paper'. And if they really do end up going down, then I fully expect that chap who wrote that open letter following their relegation to the Connie to regale us all with another one.

 

[AdamStag]

Our defence and midfield is promotion quality, our goalkeeper and forward options are probably top half

 

[Vanni]

Our defence and midfield is promotion quality, our goalkeeper and forward options are probably top half

Who do you reckon will start in goal, Logan or Olejnik?

 

[northstandexile]

I prefer Olejnik, looks better all round.

 

[GodsGift]

Logan looks pretty round as well to be fair.

 

[AdamStag]

Who do you reckon will start in goal, Logan or Olejnik?

Like north stand exist suggests it'll be olejnik.

I'm more concerned by our forward options. Rose and Angol score, but their chances to goal ratio aren't what you'd be looking for - there's no Hylton like Luton have. Realistically we may have a better midfield which may create more chances, just I'm uneasy

 

[Big Bird]

Like north stand exist suggests it'll be olejnik.

I'm more concerned by our forward options. Rose and Angol score, but their chances to goal ratio aren't what you'd be looking for - there's no Hylton like Luton have. Realistically we may have a better midfield which may create more chances, just I'm uneasy

Still over a month to bring in a striker. If you're after one now chances are someone will be in the building by August 31st.

 

[SVH]

Here is mine updated

1. Luton
2. Mansfield
3. Coventry

4. Notts County
5. Colchester
6. Chesterfield
7. Crewe

8. Cambridge
9. Lincoln
10. Wycombe
11. Exeter
12. Accrington
13. Barnet
14. Stevenage
15. Swindon
16. Grimsby
17. Port Vale
18. Carlisle
19. Yeovil
20. Forest Green
21. Cheltenham
22. Morecambe

23. Crawley
24. Newport