2024/25 League Two Promotion Thread

[leedsvaliant]

Think it entirely depends on our business in January. I think a couple of extra goal threats could see us top 7 but at the moment each game is too much a balance either way. We have enough quality to wipe the floor with some of the poorer teams but I just feel we play it too safe. There's always the risk of losing by the odd goal, whereas we need to bully some of the poorer sides more. Our goal difference is pretty poor too.

I'm hoping that we're one of those teams that no other team thinks is great, but somehow just regularly accumulates points and ends up sneaking in.

Not many relegated sides go straight back up, so I wouldn't be massively disappointed but it's a pretty poor league for me this year, so a really good opportunity for someone.

 

[gary]

I expect Wimbledon to at least make the play offs. We've still got 4 or 5 key player's out injured . Hopefully by the end of January a few of them will be back. Like others have said we are probably a typical league 2 side. Pragmatic and strong. I can honestly say no team has outplayed us this season. All the games we have lost this season have been by a one goal difference. Well one was by 2. If we can keep injuries down to a minimum we will be there or thereabouts. Being pragmatic mixed in with a bit of quality is enough to get you promoted out of this league. You don't have to play pretty easy on the eye 70% possession football to get promoted.

 

[valefan16]

Think it entirely depends on our business in January. I think a couple of extra goal threats could see us top 7 but at the moment each game is too much a balance either way. We have enough quality to wipe the floor with some of the poorer teams but I just feel we play it too safe. There's always the risk of losing by the odd goal, whereas we need to bully some of the poorer sides more. Our goal difference is pretty poor too.

I'm hoping that we're one of those teams that no other team thinks is great, but somehow just regularly accumulates points and ends up sneaking in.

Not many relegated sides go straight back up, so I wouldn't be massively disappointed but it's a pretty poor league for me this year, so a really good opportunity for someone.

I think Moore has to get promotion this year, the money he has had is massive, didn't someone say on OVF a scout of a fellow L2 club was stunned by how much we were going in with?

That said the league doesn't look like it would be much stronger next year, Burton, Shrewsbury and Cambridge are all smaller clubs, Crawley too look likely, although York might be strong coming up but aside from that isn't the mega spenders or fallen giants down there really as Oldham still seem to be evolving.

Top 7 would be just about acceptable if we won promotion but I think without a promotion it will be seen as a massive failure with the outlay we have put out there. It wouldn't be a disaster of course, and winning more games is fun but I think with the club and players being fairly clear on their ambitions they can't really go and say finishing 8th is a decent season.

 

[クレイグ]

If we have a decent January window, we'll finish top 7. I think.

 

[OneDecentLester]

If we have a decent January window, we'll finish top 7. I think.

What’s interesting is I think virtually all fans of every team that’s been mentioned in this thread will be thinking the exact same thing to this. We’ve all got slight issues that if we feel are addressed in this window (for example ours is a CB of equal quality & experience to Dunkley who has been a massive miss for us since getting injured in early October and looks like he could be done for the season & a striker to replace Grigg who’s out for months), then we can have a good crack at it.

I think it’s gonna be a very, very competitive 2nd half of the season, especially if most/everyone mentioned in this thread get what they want this window. Looking forward to it.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Walsall - A very well organised side with the best midfield in the division (that doesn't get the credit it deserves) as well as a match winner up top in Lowe. Thought our defence handled them very well when we played them but it's clear how they're winning games with ease when you have a back line as solid as theirs.

Us - More front foot football from us like yesterday and we'll go up. Got a lovely run of fixtures coming up in the next 6 weeks, the best defence in the division and very strong options up top. I genuinely back us to beat anyone on our day and 4 defeats all season (2 since mid-August) is impressive. With the squad stronger and with more depth than last season, I'm more optimistic of automatic promotion this season.

Salford - Robinson is a prick but he's managed to do an excellent job transforming a Salford side who have a more modest budget than they did a few years back. Are they flat track bullies or the real deal though? An average side when we played them but did look solid at the back.

Port Vale - The thing with Vale is they always start well and go to shit in the winter. The thing with Darren Moore is he always starts well then goes to shit in the winter. They stopped the rot on Saturday in fairness but can they find form again? Not sure they have the minerals under Moore for the playoffs if they ended up in them but they definitely have the quality for the Top 3 and defended heroically against us with 10 men after brain dead Harper was sent off. With that squad and strong backing from the owner, it'd be an abject failure if they weren't promoted this season.

AFC Wimbledon - Yet to play them this season. Stevens was a great striker for FGR at this level but they often seem to lose their best player in January (Palmer and Al Hamadi come to mind) so keeping him is crucial to their success. Glad they stuck with Jackson when many others would've sacked him. He's turned it around.

Notts - Beat their depleted side with ease in November but not a fair representation of them at their best. I'm unsure on Maynard but he's doing a better job than he did last season. Excellent attacking options mean they'll be in with a shout of automatics.

Doncaster - Like Vale, another side who I think aren't suited for the playoffs and need to go up automatically. God help them if they make it and win the first leg again! Seriously though I expected more from them this season but they seem very inconsistent. Didn't look brilliant against us but scored a fantastic goal on the counter attack to secure a point. Think they'll come up short because of their inconsistency.

Bradford - Cook injury will either get the best out of players who know they now can't rely on him or it'll sink them. Alexander's record in April is exceptionally good and can see them going on a run late in the season as a result. But not convinced that squad is good enough over 46 games for automatic promotion this season. Hard to judge them in those horrible conditions but certainly not a bad side by any means.

Grimsby - This season is a year too soon for Artell's cartel. He always has had a knack of finding a way to lose games heavily stacked in his favour at times. Losing to us who didn't play a recognised striker and losing to Bradford who were missing Cook are two examples of this this season. I always remember him managing us and one game vs Newport still irks me to this day. We were so dominant and had them camped in their own half for almost an entire second half with the score 0-0 and we still lost the game 1-0 in injury time with Newports only attack of the half! This season is a learning curve for them but glad to see him and them both doing well this season. I said at the time give him 4 transfer windows and he's capable of building an excellent team. Well he's already showing promising signs of that after just 2!

Chesterfield - 10 minutes of madness vs them in August saw us get a well deserved pasting and they remain the best side I've seen this season (particularly in an attacking sense). But injuries and a leaky defence has understandably led to inconsistency. I feel next season will be their season, when they get rid of deadwood from the NL days and bring in some more proven quality for this level.

 

[kieran_vale]

Port Vale - The thing with Vale is they always start well and go to shit in the winter. The thing with Darren Moore is he always starts well then goes to shit in the winter. They stopped the rot on Saturday in fairness but can they find form again? Not sure they have the minerals under Moore for the playoffs if they ended up in them but they definitely have the quality for the Top 3 and defended heroically against us with 10 men after brain dead Harper was sent off. With that squad and strong backing from the owner, it'd be an abject failure if they weren't promoted this season.

We’ll see if it came to the playoffs though point of order I would say that Moore did manage Sheff Wed to turn around a 4-0 deficit in the playoffs last time he was managing in them and went on to win at Wembley. Our biggest issue is too often shitting the bed in the games we are more heavily favoured to win especially as I say at home. Hopefully getting Garrity back now and Byers who will be almost like a new signing in himself second half of the season.

Not making any predictions outside Walsall going up other than to say I would be stunned if come the last day of the season all wasn’t still to play for with maybe down to 12th still having a playoff interest. Just seems that even.

 

[Wootball]

I think Moore has to get promotion this year, the money he has had is massive, didn't someone say on OVF a scout of a fellow L2 club was stunned by how much we were going in with?

That said the league doesn't look like it would be much stronger next year, Burton, Shrewsbury and Cambridge are all smaller clubs, Crawley too look likely, although York might be strong coming up but aside from that isn't the mega spenders or fallen giants down there really as Oldham still seem to be evolving.

Top 7 would be just about acceptable if we won promotion but I think without a promotion it will be seen as a massive failure with the outlay we have put out there. It wouldn't be a disaster of course, and winning more games is fun but I think with the club and players being fairly clear on their ambitions they can't really go and say finishing 8th is a decent season.

My neighbour is a large Vale shareholder and apparently quite in the know. According to him, the figures Vale are working with in League Two is 'fucking diabolical'.

Obviously take it anecdotally, but it's certain to be significantly over what anyone else has in League Two without a doubt.

 

[Mighty_Bantam]

If we have a decent January window, we'll finish top 7. I think.

Weirdly and I've said since the summer that I don't think we're good enough. And I still believe that.

But there's a nagging feeling that now Cook (presumably given the radio silence) is out long term we'll actually improve. Especially with the return of Patto and Sarce. I think we're a pressing (goal scoring) forward and a commanding centre half away now.

 

[Alfie]

Promotion odds: -

 

[gary]

Don't think I'll be backing Wimbledon at that price. In truth there are probably 10 clubs maybe a few more that have a realistic chance of promotion .

 

[SaddlerJonny]

Just from what I've seen. I'm going with Walsall, Notts County and Wimbledon going up automatically with Crewe winning the play offs.