thewwfc
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- Wycombe
Plenty of mileage in this one with pretty much anyone in the top half of the table who can cobble a run together still able to have a shot at the playoffs.
From the top down:
1. Birmingham City - having broken L1 spending records left, right and centre, it's pretty much accepted that if this lot don't go up this season then it'll be a travesty.
Yet spunking the cash doesn't necessarily mean anything if you can't get the results, and big spending also brings big expectations which means the fans can turn sour pretty quickly if those results don't come - look at how long it took Sunderland to get out of the third tier for example.
Chris Davies perhaps was not widely known before getting this job, but has shown himself to be a solid appointment thankfully not too over-inspired by the kamikaze defence-free style of Angeball (having formerly been asst. mgr at Spurs).
Anyway, overall well on track for autos - no doubt they'll bring in reinforcements in January to an already luxurious squad too.
2. Wrexham - TV's very own rags-to-riches story have perhaps outdone expectations on their return to this level, but are very much there on merit, being (currently) top of the home form table, though the away form is less impressive.
Infamous for the 1-0, but who cares, wins are wins. And despite the big money backers, they have got where they are without a bunch of glamour summer signings.
3. Wycombe - Table-toppers for much of the season, recent weeks have seen our form go off the boil somewhat, with a few more draws and today's defeat to Charlton bringing to an end a long unbeaten run.
So it's fair to say teams are doing a better job of figuring out how to stop us playing, and blunt the attack of (for now) the division's top scorers (he said smugly).
Getting the January transfer window right will be absolutely crucial in determining whether we continue to exceed expectations (my pre-season prediction for us was 8th-10th - for which we would likely need to hit relegation form for that to be the case) - or whether we go off the boil.
Bids have already come in (allegedly) for Richard Kone up front, plus Joe Low at CB - and there is also the question of whether we will be able to make the loan signing of Aaron Morley in midfield permanent or not. If not, Bolton will recall him (as they are entitled to do). So we're arguably vulnerable in a way that those above us aren't, although having a billionaire owner means we are unlikely to be forced to sell anyone for peanuts.
4. Huddersfield - A strong side as you would expect from a club whose natural level is arguably the Championship, they are hitting form at the right time. With a good squad for this level and a highly rated manager, they have to be up there in consideration of teams who are likely to go up.
5. Stockport County - like Wrexham, a promoted side coming up from the basement and doing very well for themselves. Probably too inconsistent for serious consideration for the auto slots, since they've picked up a few too many draws against sides that you'd want a promotion contender to beat. But who knows, if they can strengthen any weak spots in Jan.
6. Reading - I've lost track of the shitshow that is the ownership of this club, but regardless, on the pitch they seem to have kept it together remarkably well considering the off-the-pitch shenanigans and the departure of high-performing Ruben Selles to Hull.
Still a bit of an unknown quantity, given the recent appointment of managerial noob and ex-player Noel Hunt, and the ownership situation is still not resolved, leading to grim predictions of a January fire sale of players. So with those handicaps in mind, I don't rate their chances of promotion personally.
7. Barnsley - another club where you might think their natural level is the Championship, this lot boast the bizarre combo of 3rd-in-the-table away form vs 23rd-in-the-table home form.
So with that discrepancy, hard to see them gaining promotion bearing in mind the play-off format. Whilst Darrell Clarke has a decent record from a promotion perspective, I think BFC are too far off the pace here to go up this season, but we'll see.
8. Bolton - a well-resourced side underperforming, leading to pressure on Ian Evatt in the hot seat, although he's recently had the official "vote of confidence" from the powers that be. They're not consistent enough from a promotion side and have taken on board a few eye-wateringly bad results, including a 5-0 smacking from Stockport, and a 2-0 defeat from the otherwise indifferent Wigan.
Definitely a side for which January will be key to the direction of the rest of their season, the playoffs are still doable for them but only if they get the window right.
9. Charlton - serial underperformers finally coming into a little bit of form, perhaps the best string of results they've had since the appointment of Nathan Jones in early 2024. Personally I don't see them being consistent enough to bag a play-off spot, but with those above them not being super-consistent either, it's possible.
10. Leyton Orient - an indifferent start to the season has given way to a strong run of current form, and when they are actually on top of their game they can do teams some damage and boost their GD. I think the squad's too thin here to be a real playoff contender though.
11. Mansfield Town - started off well and arguably better than expected for a side coming up from L2, but a lot of those wins have been against the sides lower in the table. Lately results have tailed off amid a lack of firepower upfront, but if they can fix that in January then a tilt at the bottom end of the playoffs isn't impossible.
12. Lincoln City - bit of an odd one here, they've had spells of being absolutely on fire under Skubala, but this season they are only mid-table for home form and dire away.
13. Exeter City - in the reverse of Lincoln, this side have crap home form but are better on the road. Again probably lacking the consistency to have a serious playoff tilt.
If I had to guess who will get promotion this season, I would say it's 3 out of the current top 4, but I couldn't tell you who that would be. Brum a cert for autos, maybe Hudds for second, and then a playoff final between us and Wrexham maybe?
But like I say, we could get really screwed in January and choke badly.
