2023/24 League Two Promotion Thread

[Conker]

Despite it only being our third defeat of the season it’s been a massively damaging weekend for Mansfield, Bowery is now suspended for three games, Quinn suspended for the County game and Aden Flint went off injured, if that’s long term I dunno how we will manage.

To stay in the hunt we gotta go spending now.

 

[EnglishRed]

To be on the way out of our injury crisis seven points clear of fourth with a game in hand is not something I would have predicted after that horrendous loss to Aldershot in the Cup six weeks or so back.

Camps is finally looking like the player we expected to see when we signed him, Evans has come back from Wimbledon with renewed confidence and Powell’s starting to shine more and more and has managed to avoid injury for a whole month.

To go away from home and dismantle a team without any of Croasdale, Sarcevic or Collar starting is a very pleasant surprise.

If we do finally have strength in depth in midfield on the pitch rather than on paper then we should be a shoe in for the top 3.

Give over, you're winning the league. Everyone knows this apart from Stockport fans seemingly.

 

[Stocky]

Despite it only being our third defeat of the season it’s been a massively damaging weekend for Mansfield, Bowery is now suspended for three games, Quinn suspended for the County game and Aden Flint went off injured, if that’s long term I dunno how we will manage.

To stay in the hunt we gotta go spending now.

A denial of a goalscoring opportunity red card is only a one game ban.

 

[DippyDon]

Max Dean is supposedly out for three months with a hamstring injury... that could mean the top 3 is slightly more secure

 

[JJ1990]

92 - Predicted Champions
91 -
90 -
89
88 - Average Champions
87 -
86 -
85 - Predicted Automatics
84 -
83 -
82 - Average Automatics
81 -
80 -
79 -
78 -
77 -
76 -
75 -
74 -
73 -
72 - Average Play Offs
71 -
70 - Predicted Play Offs
69 -
68 -
67 -
66 -
65 -
64 -
63 -
62 -
61 -
60 -
59 -
58 - Stockport(29)
57 -
56 -
55 -
54 - Mansfield(29)
53 - Barrow(30)
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52 - Wrexham(28)
51 - Crewe(30)
50 -
49 -
48 - MK Dons(29)
47 -
46 -
48 -
44 -
44 - Notts County(29)
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44 - Harrogate Town(30)
43 - AFC Wimbledon(29), Gillingham(29)

Big wins for Mansfield and Barrow against fellow promotion chasers. They now sit 2nd and 3rd. Stockport remain clear at the top even after dropping points at home to Harrogate. Crewe keep ticking along and picking up points whilst it was a bad day for Wrexham, MK Dons and Notts County. Wrexham and Notts County's away form is a big issue for them.

Harrogate take 4 points from 2 away games and are outside the play-offs on goal difference only. Wimbledon and Gillingham take draws and the play-offs are only 1 point away, but both seem to lack the consistency to get in there at this point.

1st - Stockport, 57 points, GD 34: Grimsby(A), Crewe(H), Tranmere(A), Gillingham(A), Swindon(H)
2nd - Mansfield, 54 points, GD 23: Forest Green(A), Harrogate(H), Walsall(A), Salford(H), Newport(A)
3rd - Barrow, 53 points, GD 12: Wimbledon(A), Forest Green(H), Salford(A), Bradford(H), Crawley(A)
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4th - Wrexham, 52 points, GD 17: Bradford(H), Sutton(A), Notts County(H), MK Dons(A), Gillingham(A)
5th - Crewe, 51 points, GD 11: Crawley(H), Stockport(A), Harrogate(H), Notts County(A), Morecambe(H)
6th - MK Dons, 48 points, GD 10: Accrington(H), Bradford(A), Swindon(A), Wrexham(H), Newport(H)
7th - Notts County, 44 points, GD 7: Gillingham(H), Newport(A), Wrexham(A), Crewe(H), Sutton(H)

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8th - Harrogate Town, 44 points, GD 0: Colchester(H), Mansfield(A), Crewe(A), Walsall(H), Newport(H)
9th - AFC Wimbledon, 43 points, GD 12: Barrow(H), Accrington(A), Morecambe(H), Crawley(H), Doncaster(A)
10th - Gillingham, 43 points, GD -9: Notts County(A), Swindon(H), Newport(A), Stockport(H), Wrexham(H)

Next week's Fixtures:

Friday 9th February
Notts County v Gillingham

Saturday 10th February
AFC Wimbledon v Barrow
Crewe Alexandra v Crawley Town
Forest Green Rovers v Mansfield Town
Grimsby Town v Stockport County
Harrogate Town v Colchester United
Milton Keynes Dons v Accrington Stanley
Wrexham v Bradford City

Some big games coming up. Every team has a tough game I'd say, although Mansfield and Stockport must fancy their chances of picking up wins on the road. Wimbledon v Barrow seems to be the standout game of the group.

 

[クレイグ]

Expecting to get battered at Wrexham.

 

[joethegill]

How are we only a point off the play-offs? Absolute mess of a division. Chance of leapfrogging into the play-offs on Friday as we play before everyone else but I can't say we'd deserve to be there.

 

[AdamStag]

Wrexham stockport and MK dons clear favourites to go up.

 

[Ainsty]

How are we only a point off the play-offs? Absolute mess of a division. Chance of leapfrogging into the play-offs on Friday as we play before everyone else but I can't say we'd deserve to be there.

You are surprised? At the start of the season, we were everyone's favourite to go down, now we are only outside the playoffs on goal difference. Crazy.

 

[WhiteRussian]

Max Dean is supposedly out for three months with a hamstring injury... that could mean the top 3 is slightly more secure

FFS, that's us screwed then. We've dumped Eisa and lost Leko. Our strike force is a big fat 0

 

[JJ1990]

I came into the season thinking it would be a crazy strong top end, but so many clubs have flopped compared to what was expected of them. Salford, Donny, Grimsby, Bradford. Left the door open for teams like us, Harrogate and Accrington to be in and around the play-offs. Last time I overestimate the quality this division has. Outside of 4-5, the rest of the division is always much of a muchness and it's about which team can find a bit of consistency.

 

[AdamStag]

I think the division is as above, sides currently aren’t in any mass form. Crewe with 10 (from the last 5 games) and MK (9) have caught up due to this, stockport (8) wrexham (6) and mansfield (5) are hardly in great form.

There isn’t any standout teams for me, though i maintain with the money they’ve got anything other than the title would be a failure for wrexham.

 

[Stocky]

Everyone says this every year about the division. I bet if you looked at the last few years the points totals in all the positions are about the same.

Teams near the play-offs often drop a lot of points and will say "how are we near the play offs!!?" It's because if you're mid table you are close to them in this league with three up and Play-offs down to seventh.

That's why most mid table teams' seasons are still going until the last 6 or 7 games at least.

 

[DippyDon]

FFS, that's us screwed then. We've dumped Eisa and lost Leko. Our strike force is a big fat 0

Might just be 3 weeks, but still doesn't help at all

 

[EnglishRed]

There isn’t any standout teams for me, though i maintain with the money they’ve got anything other than the title would be a failure for wrexham.

I don't get that myself. Yes we should be challenging (which we are currently) but it's hard to get promoted and then immediately finish as champions in the league above. Yes we have a big wage bill but we've had to overspend to get players to drop down to Non league in the first instance. Our squad isn't noticeably better than any of the other contenders, and in some areas it's weaker- having a season or so to build a cohesive team is invaluable.

 

[Master D]

Unlike Stockport and Mansfield who have spent fortunes themselves, we don't NEED to go up this season. Then you've got Barrow who simply cannot afford to go up.

 

[Tinpot and proud]

Unlike Stockport and Mansfield who have spent fortunes themselves, we don't NEED to go up this season. Then you've got Barrow who simply cannot afford to go up.

Can’t afford to go up ? Didn’t realise there was a fee to go up.

 

[Monkey Tennis]

I can absolutely guarantee that if we went up, we’d have a better go at staying up than them from up the road.

 

[ForzaCounty]

Unlike Stockport and Mansfield who have spent fortunes themselves, we don't NEED to go up this season. Then you've got Barrow who simply cannot afford to go up.

No, WE'RE more humble than you

 

[EnglishRed]

Can’t afford to go up ? Didn’t realise there was a fee to go up.

I believe thats a reference to an old Non League forum joke.

You'll have to excuse us, we were there a long Time (although I shouldn't need to explain that to a Barrow fan who trump even us)

 

[Stocky]

Salford are improving under Robinson, it's a top 7 squad they've got, no shame at all for Wrexham yesterday. In fact, the Parky reshuffle at half time to keep the score to a minimum was very good and he deserves credit for it.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Ok this downplaying of the three obvious title contenders this season is getting ridiculous.

I thought Stags fans were worse for this desperately finding every opportunity to predict a draw or defeat whoever they are playing but Stocky along puts league leaders Stockport top of the pile in this regard. Wrexham have wild swings in their attitude from extremely cocky to an unconfident whimpering mess depending on whether they home or away.

All three will finish above Crewe and Barrow, right? The latest identified threat or certainty to mess up the part is MK. Is that legitimate maybe under Williamson but they aren't favourites over any of the Big 3.

One nearly got promoted last season, have the experience and have spent plenty

Another have been trying to get promoted the longest from this league and has a tried and trusted talented manager and again spent a fair amount. No more chokes.

And the other is indeed newly promoted but have a huge advantage over most due to finances. Their squad is clearly top 2, and also season was top 1.

 

[Indian Dan]

Fat Scouse fucker

 

[Master D]

Salford are improving under Robinson, it's a top 7 squad they've got, no shame at all for Wrexham yesterday. In fact, the Parky reshuffle at half time to keep the score to a minimum was very good and he deserves credit for it.

If only. If he ever makes a change at HT when a game is going tits then we will be shouting it from the rooftops.

 

[Son of Cod]

Great battle for those second and third spots. Wrexham have got some tricky away matches, think all but one of their games on the road are against teams currently involved in either the promotion or relegation battle.

I reckon Mansfield have had their wobble now and will eventually grind out 2nd place leaving one spot between four. My gut is saying Barrow.

 

[Stocky]

Mansfield will delighted if they get a point next week at this Steve Cotterill super team.

 

[Spanishstag]

Can’t afford to go up ? Didn’t realise there was a fee to go up.

Hes welsh had a bad weekend

 

[Spanishstag]

Great battle for those second and third spots. Wrexham have got some tricky away matches, think all but one of their games on the road are against teams currently involved in either the promotion or relegation battle.

I reckon Mansfield have had their wobble now and will eventually grind out 2nd place leaving one spot between four. My gut is saying Barrow.

Fookin love you your the only reason ill be sad to leave this place

 

[Spanishstag]

Ok this downplaying of the three obvious title contenders this season is getting ridiculous.

I thought Stags fans were worse for this desperately finding every opportunity to predict a draw or defeat whoever they are playing but Stocky along puts league leaders Stockport top of the pile in this regard. Wrexham have wild swings in their attitude from extremely cocky to an unconfident whimpering mess depending on whether they home or away.

All three will finish above Crewe and Barrow, right? The latest identified threat or certainty to mess up the part is MK. Is that legitimate maybe under Williamson but they aren't favourites over any of the Big 3.

One nearly got promoted last season, have the experience and have spent plenty

Another have been trying to get promoted the longest from this league and has a tried and trusted talented manager and again spent a fair amount. No more chokes.

And the other is indeed newly promoted but have a huge advantage over most due to finances. Their squad is clearly top 2, and also season was top 1.

Where have i ever downplayed our chances were gonna piss it

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Where have i ever downplayed our chances were gonna piss it

You haven't. You are one Stags fan, you are most definitely the outlier on here in more than one way