How are promotion sides built at this level?

[JoeJoeJoeJoe]

The year we came down our squad was full of them.

Players that did well in the championship? Who, David Bell?

 

[PUSBCCFC]

Players that did well in the championship? Who, David Bell?

Players who had a very successful season or so in League One, or the likes of John Fleck who seemed like a monumental signing at the time.

 

[valefan16]

Money is massive hence the top of the Prem is the top money men it's no different in league One and anything less than promotion for the three that went up with their budget would be relatively embarrassing. You get exceptions with having lots of money such as Orient as it has to managed right, if you put a 17 year old in a Ferrari who's used to driving a Fiesta it's probably not going to go to well for instance.

We came up from League Two in somewhat crazy circumstances starting in administration and keeping the main core of the squad that finished mid table the season before bar arguably our best couple of players who walked out for money like Marc Richards. That said we got in three or four quality additions for that level like JMW, Neal and Duffy and then spent a decent wedge on players wages in the winter so again money helped in the end.

 

[TimeyWimey]

With a lot of money and a half decent manager. The rest sorts itself out.

A lot of good posts in this thread.....

This is one of those questions that is best answered by "start three years ago". You need the youth set up and academy because at L1 and L2 you typically can't afford to buy (and may struggle to even attract) the brightest talent by the time they are 17, 18, 19. But if they have been playing for the club since they were 7, it's easier.
But with the young talent, you need the experienced hard men....one or two at the back, one in midfield...for when the going gets tough and head start to drop. But make sure the experienced head is passionate rather than a journeyman.
Add a good coach. I noticed in L1 that our Wolves players seemed more fit and had more stamina than most opposing players. Maybe I was biased.
And the vocal 12th man in the stands, getting behind the team. Massive advantage. Even Rotherham fans will admit that that late April 2014 game...6-4 to Wolves in front of 31,000 people was a special day. Both sets of fans made it that way.

I think I can see where Steve Davis went wrong in his job interview for the Wolves job.

"So, Steve, we'll give you the budget to add a couple of experienced hard men who will carry your team in the bad times..."
"Nah don't be daft. I can bring Wolves real value for money. Picture this... just two words... Chris Atkinson."

 

[Dion'sHead]

Players who had a very successful season or so in League One, or the likes of John Fleck who seemed like a monumental signing at the time.

Remember the loan signing of Reece Brown the first season we came down absolutely horrific footballer

 

[Ciderup]

Great question / thread.
I can only echo what my fellow reds have said.
After, finally, getting rid of the last of the Championship high earners, we bought in young, hungry players. Players that had stood out for their previous sides. Players like Luke Freeman and Korey Smith who were excellent for Stevenage and Oldham respectively.
Yes, we sold Baldock which released nigh on £2M which we were fortunate enough to be able to reinvest but the team ethic and togetherness has come across really strongly at Ashton Gate this season, really strongly.
To the poster that stated we wouldn't use 40 players as the side were winning, that was never an option as we had a squad of just 22 first team players last season and many players played alot of games. Fatigue was a worry but their youth saw us through.
We were very lucky with injuries although we lost Wilbs and Agard for a couple of months at the same time but JET and Smith (on loan) were sensational.
Build a hungry, talented young squad (apart from 2, all our players are around the same age), get them fighting for each other and utilise the loan system as and when needed seems to have worked for us and should see any club go relatively close IMHO.

 

[SkyBlueElephant]

I'd say recruitment is most important, 2 or 3 quality loan signings couple with some good business in the transfer window should see you in for a good season.

 

[Scumarmy.]

It's not about the money, money, money, we don't need your money, money, money.

 

[PUSBCCFC]

Remember the loan signing of Reece Brown the first season we came down absolutely horrific footballer

Probably the worst player I have seen play for Cov and there have been some bad ones. Think he was playing for Barnsley last season...

 

[Hedonist Puncture]

For me, in League 1, it is much of a muchness for most of teams. Maybe more than any other division, the majority of teams can beat each other on a said day. The Championship has a much bigger gap between the teams and as an example of Scunny, it was considered a success just for us to stay up in there after a couple of promotions out of this League. League 2 is truly dire and any team who can prove themselves to be less crap than the vast majority of the others has a real chance of promotion. We can attest to that, coming up as a crap side the season before last.

Consistency is the key for me in any promotion side. That can come from many different angles, not just performances. Consistency in team selection is very important. There are problems with that though, particularly with injuries and suspensions. Too many of those and it's a struggle to get the fluidity needed in the team. Having a strong spine in GK,CB, CM and Striker is critical. Goals win matches and a 20 goal a season man is a minimum requirement. We have had a good crop of high scoring strikers over the last few seasons, eg Sharp, Keogh, Paterson, Hooper, Hayes etc and success came with those. It was not all about money, as we bought low and sold high, bringing them on within our setup. We have had a complete turn around in management and board since those days and although we have a prolific striker in Madden, he has been played out wide this season past. One last thing, a "game changer" is important. Someone who can alter a match's progress just by being brought onto the field. The bench is important and being able to bring on someone to close a game down or open a game up is usual in a promotion side. Both of these types on a bench are priceless.

Never say die spirit and the strength and fitness to play to 100 mins every game if needed. Promotion often comes on the back of last minute goals or coming from behind late on in a game. Winning "ugly" or the mentality to do so is a feature of many promotion sides. This mental side of the game is very important and all promotion sides have it in strength.

Oh yeah and lots and lots of luck and of course favourable refereeing decisions!

 

[Jockney]

You need to ensure your players are up for it all season. Often in this division teams go through patches of really good form where they can beat anyone, but then towards the important stage of the season they either bottle it or run out of steam.

Loan players can work in both ways. I am not a big fan of half a team of loans as it takes time to settle.

Big name players don't always prove to be good signings. Orient and Coventry both had squads full of 'names' and look where we both finished.

Sorry to rub it in but... this is amazingly prescient.

 

[PUSBCCFC]

Sorry to rub it in but... this is amazingly prescient.

Incredible, absolutely incredible!

 

[JoeJoeJoeJoe]

Incredible, absolutely incredible!

r u a wizard

 

[PUSBCCFC]

r u a wizard

Could be.

 

[Fedora Dale]

Probably the worst player I have seen play for Cov and there have been some bad ones. Think he was playing for Barnsley last season...

Reece Brown played for Bury at Spotland the other week.

He wasn't very good, but on the day was.less inept than Danny Pugh...

 

[PUSBCCFC]

Reece Brown played for Bury at Spotland the other week.

He wasn't very good, but on the day was.less inept than Danny Pugh...

When he played against us the other week, his side let in 6.

 

[Football Purist]

Pretty obvious really:
Try and recruit better players than the other teams have which will be a lot easier if you have a decent wedge to spend.
And,er,that's pretty much it.

 

[Jockney]

Pretty obvious really:
Try and recruit better players than the other teams have which will be a lot easier if you have a decent wedge to spend.
And,er,that's pretty much it.

If that was pretty much it then Sheffield United and Coventry would make up the top three with Wigan, instead of languishing in midtable.

 

[Football Purist]

If that was pretty much it then Sheffield United and Coventry would make up the top three with Wigan, instead of languishing in midtable.

Perhaps they haven't recruited good enough players then,despite their presumed financial advantage.

 

[The Fack]

We were fortunate to have lowly-paid players ready to chomp at the bit like Griffiths, Price, Batth, Doherty, Ikeme. We had the financial clout but we signed some terrific players like Henry, Jacobs, Dicko, K-Mac.

All in all, the secret to success is ultimately a good scouting network.

 

[WFC]

Team spirit and togetherness can go far. Burton showed that, everyone knows their role and performs to the best of their ability. Money is an obvious one but it doesn't always go to plan. You need the right players at this level, grafters and a certain amount of skill mixed in.

League one is random as fuck anyway, so many teams are of a similar standard and size you never quite know what's going to happen.