League 2 General Chat Thread

[Stocky]

Coleman has done wonders for Accrington and still is doing. He did very, very well to get them in League One and for as long as he did. To blame him for relegation is being a victim of his own success.

Coleman goes, Holt goes and Accrington will just be back in Non league. They've been punching for years. I'd have them on par with an Altrincham type. Improvements on and off the pitch last ten years has probably laid good ground work.

 

[Essex2Wessex]

Holt's not a bellend though

 

[Pilot_Phonic]

Well hes acting like one on Twitter/X

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Well hes acting like one on Twitter/X

I'm probably looking at this scenario as a fan of a club that had a very long serving manager who took us to new heights we'd never have envisaged when we were slumming it out at the bottom of the Fourth Division in the late 70s and early 80s.

As I've previously stated, I'm no fan of John Coleman. The bloke's a total wanker. But he's also one of two reasons Accrington Stanley are a league club again after going bust in the 60s. They were relegated to what was the seventh tier (now the eighth tier) in 1999, the year Coleman took charge of the club for the first time. The other reason was selling Brett Ormerod to Blackpool for a pittance but including a 25% sell on. When Ormerod was sold for a decent seven figure sum to Southampton in 2001, Accrington ended up receiving almost £500K in total which helped propel them up to League Two at a time when the non-league was less awash with cash.

Coleman then worked wonders keeping Stanley in League Two but then the club had to invest in stadium infrastructure and they ran out of money, almost going bust. Coleman stayed and almost got them promoted on what was the smallest budget in the EFL in 2011, losing to Westley's Stevenage in the playoffs.

Obviously Coleman then left for Rochdale and had a disaster of a spell at a club still reeling from losing Keith Hill. I also believe he had an uneventful stint at Southport too. But when he came back, James Beattie had Accrington at the foot of the entire 92 and they looked dead and buried. Coleman revived the club's fortunes, even getting them up to League One eventually, and they haven't even come close to relegation out of the EFL since.

He's a generational manager. He's never going to take them out of the league as long as they're there. It's highly likely that when he leaves, a manager without the contacts Coleman has in the North West will struggle at such a small club with a limited budget. Accrington are more or less a lower fifth/upper sixth tier sized club that have held their own in the third tier for a number of years. Yes, they got relegated last season, but that was Coleman's first relegation with Stanley in his long association with the club.

If Holt knew a thing about football, he'd be giving Coleman a rolling contract with the caveat that the contract expires if the club are relegated out of the Football League. I think Bell was entitled to say it'd kill him if he wasn't at a club he's served so well for many years. Indeed, he'd served it for many years before Andy Holt even turned up.

Instead, Holt has behaved like a child. He could've come out and simply said "When the club is mathematically safe from relegation, we'll talk." and then Coleman and Bell would've had to accept that. But no, he had to behave like the insecure weirdo that he is, get the mass audience and attention on social media that he's constantly sought for years and gone nuclear by saying he wants to sell the club, all because the assistant manager said he'd love a contract at a club he's served so well with distinction over the years.

The majority of people siding with Holt are either ignorant of where Coleman has taken Accrington from or just simply love sucking up to transparent owners on social media like Holt and MacAnthony. Just because they're transparent doesn't necessarily make them good owners though...

 

[PuB]

I'm probably looking at this scenario as a fan of a club that had a very long serving manager who took us to new heights we'd never have envisaged when we were slumming it out at the bottom of the Fourth Division in the late 70s and early 80s.

As I've previously stated, I'm no fan of John Coleman. The bloke's a total wanker. But he's also one of two reasons Accrington Stanley are a league club again after going bust in the 60s. They were relegated to what was the seventh tier (now the eighth tier) in 1999, the year Coleman took charge of the club for the first time. The other reason was selling Brett Ormerod to Blackpool for a pittance but including a 25% sell on. When Ormerod was sold for a decent seven figure sum to Southampton in 2001, Accrington ended up receiving almost £500K in total which helped propel them up to League Two at a time when the non-league was less awash with cash.

Coleman then worked wonders keeping Stanley in League Two but then the club had to invest in stadium infrastructure and they ran out of money, almost going bust. Coleman stayed and almost got them promoted on what was the smallest budget in the EFL in 2011, losing to Westley's Stevenage in the playoffs.

Obviously Coleman then left for Rochdale and had a disaster of a spell at a club still reeling from losing Keith Hill. I also believe he had an uneventful stint at Southport too. But when he came back, James Beattie had Accrington at the foot of the entire 92 and they looked dead and buried. Coleman revived the club's fortunes, even getting them up to League One eventually, and they haven't even come close to relegation out of the EFL since.

He's a generational manager. He's never going to take them out of the league as long as they're there. It's highly likely that when he leaves, a manager without the contacts Coleman has in the North West will struggle at such a small club with a limited budget. Accrington are more or less a lower fifth/upper sixth tier sized club that have held their own in the third tier for a number of years. Yes, they got relegated last season, but that was Coleman's first relegation with Stanley in his long association with the club.

If Holt knew a thing about football, he'd be giving Coleman a rolling contract with the caveat that the contract expires if the club are relegated out of the Football League. I think Bell was entitled to say it'd kill him if he wasn't at a club he's served so well for many years. Indeed, he'd served it for many years before Andy Holt even turned up.

Instead, Holt has behaved like a child. He could've come out and simply said "When the club is mathematically safe from relegation, we'll talk." and then Coleman and Bell would've had to accept that. But no, he had to behave like the insecure weirdo that he is, get the mass audience and attention on social media that he's constantly sought for years and gone nuclear by saying he wants to sell the club, all because the assistant manager said he'd love a contract at a club he's served so well with distinction over the years.

The majority of people siding with Holt are either ignorant of where Coleman has taken Accrington from or just simply love sucking up to transparent owners on social media like Holt and MacAnthony. Just because they're transparent doesn't necessarily make them good owners though...

Coleman is currently linked to our job, whether there’s anything in that or not I’ve no idea

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Coleman is currently linked to our job, whether there’s anything in that or not I’ve no idea

Can't see it. Lived in the North West all his life. Don't think he'd have any desire to uproot things at this stage of his career but who knows?

 

[PuB]

Can't see it. Lived in the North West all his life. Don't think he'd have any desire to uproot things at this stage of his career but who knows?

I can’t see it either but there you go

 

[cookiemonster]

I can’t see it either but there you go

He might need a translator that far south

 

[T.A]

I don’t think Holt is a bellend. He is a highly emotional person which isn’t always a bad thing but at the age he is, he should know when and when not to be on twitter.

 

[AdamStag]

One for the stattos out there (apologies for the crap format), at least for FG and Tranmere, when you actually do shoot you're alright at it

+------------------------+--------+--+-------------------------+--------+--+----------------+--------+
| Average shots per game | | | Percent shots on target | | | goals per shot | |
+------------------------+--------+--+-------------------------+--------+--+----------------+--------+
| Mansfield | 18.667 | | Harrogate ... | 36.90% | | Tranmere | 11.48% |
| Wrexham | 16.211 | | Notts County | 36.18% | | Forest Green | 10.91% |
| Milton Keynes | 15.222 | | Morecambe | 35.56% | | Bradford | 10.57% |
| Crawley Town | 14.5 | | Newport | 34.83% | | Barrow | 10.49% |
| Swindon | 14.294 | | Wrexham | 34.74% | | Grimsby | 10.43% |
| Accrington... | 14.167 | | Crewe | 34.61% | | Gillingham | 10.34% |
| AFC Wimbledon | 13.778 | | Swindon | 34.57% | | Milton Keynes | 9.95% |
| Forest Green | 13.529 | | Stockport | 34.26% | | Mansfield | 9.88% |
| Colchester | 13.118 | | Bradford | 32.73% | | AFC Wimbledon | 9.57% |
| Doncaster | 13.105 | | Doncaster | 32.53% | | Doncaster | 9.57% |
| Walsall | 12.778 | | Walsall | 32.17% | | Colchester | 8.92% |
| Tranmere | 12.053 | | Tranmere | 31.88% | | Wrexham | 8.81% |
| Gillingham | 12 | | Sutton UTD | 31.87% | | Crawley Town | 8.79% |
| Stockport | 12 | | Milton Keynes | 31.75% | | Sutton UTD | 8.42% |
| Bradford | 11.737 | | Colchester | 31.39% | | Accrington... | 8.24% |
| Morecambe | 11.6 | | Gillingham | 31.14% | | Morecambe | 8.06% |
| Grimsby | 11.474 | | Salford City | 30.99% | | Harrogate ... | 7.97% |
| Notts County | 11.278 | | Crawley Town | 30.83% | | Walsall | 7.94% |
| Newport | 11.167 | | Barrow | 30.69% | | Swindon | 7.15% |
| Barrow | 11.118 | | AFC Wimbledon | 30.64% | | Salford City | 7.10% |
| Crewe | 10.947 | | Grimsby | 29.82% | | Newport | 6.69% |
| Sutton UTD | 10.944 | | Mansfield | 29.46% | | Stockport | 6.00% |
| Salford City | 10.65 | | Forest Green | 28.69% | | Crewe | 5.95% |
| Harrogate ... | 8.842 | | Accrington... | 27.84% | | Notts County | 5.81% |
+------------------------+--------+--+-------------------------+--------+--+----------------+--------+

 

[Stocky]

One for the stattos out there (apologies for the crap format), at least for FG and Tranmere, when you actually do shoot you're alright at it

+------------------------+--------+--+-------------------------+--------+--+----------------+--------+
| Average shots per game | | | Percent shots on target | | | goals per shot | |
+------------------------+--------+--+-------------------------+--------+--+----------------+--------+
| Mansfield | 18.667 | | Harrogate ... | 36.90% | | Tranmere | 11.48% |
| Wrexham | 16.211 | | Notts County | 36.18% | | Forest Green | 10.91% |
| Milton Keynes | 15.222 | | Morecambe | 35.56% | | Bradford | 10.57% |
| Crawley Town | 14.5 | | Newport | 34.83% | | Barrow | 10.49% |
| Swindon | 14.294 | | Wrexham | 34.74% | | Grimsby | 10.43% |
| Accrington... | 14.167 | | Crewe | 34.61% | | Gillingham | 10.34% |
| AFC Wimbledon | 13.778 | | Swindon | 34.57% | | Milton Keynes | 9.95% |
| Forest Green | 13.529 | | Stockport | 34.26% | | Mansfield | 9.88% |
| Colchester | 13.118 | | Bradford | 32.73% | | AFC Wimbledon | 9.57% |
| Doncaster | 13.105 | | Doncaster | 32.53% | | Doncaster | 9.57% |
| Walsall | 12.778 | | Walsall | 32.17% | | Colchester | 8.92% |
| Tranmere | 12.053 | | Tranmere | 31.88% | | Wrexham | 8.81% |
| Gillingham | 12 | | Sutton UTD | 31.87% | | Crawley Town | 8.79% |
| Stockport | 12 | | Milton Keynes | 31.75% | | Sutton UTD | 8.42% |
| Bradford | 11.737 | | Colchester | 31.39% | | Accrington... | 8.24% |
| Morecambe | 11.6 | | Gillingham | 31.14% | | Morecambe | 8.06% |
| Grimsby | 11.474 | | Salford City | 30.99% | | Harrogate ... | 7.97% |
| Notts County | 11.278 | | Crawley Town | 30.83% | | Walsall | 7.94% |
| Newport | 11.167 | | Barrow | 30.69% | | Swindon | 7.15% |
| Barrow | 11.118 | | AFC Wimbledon | 30.64% | | Salford City | 7.10% |
| Crewe | 10.947 | | Grimsby | 29.82% | | Newport | 6.69% |
| Sutton UTD | 10.944 | | Mansfield | 29.46% | | Stockport | 6.00% |
| Salford City | 10.65 | | Forest Green | 28.69% | | Crewe | 5.95% |
| Harrogate ... | 8.842 | | Accrington... | 27.84% | | Notts County | 5.81% |
+------------------------+--------+--+-------------------------+--------+--+----------------+--------+

I was looking at league tables totally confused on how teams were doing.

This has cleared it all right up for me.

 

[BarraMatt]

Pointless stats, everyone knows it's penalty box entries that count.

 

[Essex2Wessex]

Our manager has taken to boasting about how good our xG figure is.....if you were wondering what one of the reasons we're in the shit was....

 

[AdamStag]

Our manager has taken to boasting about how good our xG figure is.....if you were wondering what one of the reasons we're in the shit was....

We have several of those on that mansfield website that like obsess over Xg when it doesn't reflect reality sometimes. Don't see sides getting promoted on xg

 

[Indian Dan]

Is that excess gas? I’d win that!

 

[AdamStag]

Is that excess gas? I’d win that!

It's a lot of hot air, so similar

 

[1862]

We have several of those on that mansfield website that like obsess over Xg when it doesn't reflect reality sometimes. Don't see sides getting promoted on xg

As with everything stats related, it's worthwhile enough over a long enough time period and with proper context. Anyone claiming it proves anything about long term success based on a game or two is using it wrong.

Last season in L2 the 4 promoted sides were in the top 7 in expected points, and the two relegated teams were in the bottom 3. Even this season, the "real" top 4 are all in the xG top 5, behind Wimbledon and all their penalties. According to this website, anyway. https://footballxg.com/xg-league-tables/

 

[ForzaCounty]

Good sides have good xG, but having a good xG doesn't necessarily make you a good side. It's a semantic trap you can fall in to, thinking "but the spreadsheet says we should be winning!"

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

I still like the good old fashioned league table. Well I do this season so far and last.

 

[Casey]

We've all done our own version of xg over the years.

That point blank shot over the bar is worth more than the idiot trying to chip the keeper from the half way line.

My favourite is possesion in the attacking third. If that is close to or beats the oppositions possesion in their defensive third youreon top in the game.

Casey

 

[Optipez]

As with everything stats related, it's worthwhile enough over a long enough time period and with proper context. Anyone claiming it proves anything about long term success based on a game or two is using it wrong.

Last season in L2 the 4 promoted sides were in the top 7 in expected points, and the two relegated teams were in the bottom 3. Even this season, the "real" top 4 are all in the xG top 5, behind Wimbledon and all their penalties. According to this website, anyway. https://footballxg.com/xg-league-tables/

Yes, statistics read properly provide a pretty accurate reflection over a period of time.

 

[BarraMatt]

Good sides have good xG, but having a good xG doesn't necessarily make you a good side. It's a semantic trap you can fall in to, thinking "but the spreadsheet says we should be winning!"

The only spreadsheet that matters at this level is Stocky's.

 

[Indian Dan]

.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Let's be honest it was inevitable

 

[Pilot_Phonic]

And we have the massive whopper Pam Pearce who claims Jake Bugg is a big star like Ryan Reynolds...

'Return and play on your own turf' - journalist's clueless attack on Wrexham

A journalist at the Nottingham Post newspaper has been roundly criticised by Wrexham fans after writing a column which questioned why the club was playing in an English league, and imploring the Dragons to go and ‘play on your own turf’. Notts County fan Pam Pearce, who writes a regular column...

nation.cymru

Then wonder what she'd make of the Taylor Swift news for Notts?

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

I would bet my bottom dollar that more Wrexham fans know the name Pam Pearce and have read her article about Notts than Notts fans.

First I've heard about which is hardly a surprise since it's in the Nottingham Evening Post RIP

 

[1862]

I would bet my bottom dollar that more Wrexham fans know the name Pam Pearce and have read her article about Notts than Notts fans.

First I've heard about which is hardly a surprise since it's in the Nottingham Evening Post RIP

There's a BBC journalist who still can't leave his home safely after he accidentally referred to Wrexham as "big-spending" last season

 

[EnglishRed]

We hang Pam Pearce in effigy before every game.

 

[Indian Dan]

Most Fouls Committed In League Two

210 - Accrington Stanley
199 - Wimbledon
189 - Grimsby Town
176 - Doncaster Rovers
175 - Salford City
174 - Walsall
173 - Bradford City

 

[GTFCfish]

Most Fouls Committed In League Two

210 - Accrington Stanley
199 - Wimbledon
189 - Grimsby Town
176 - Doncaster Rovers
175 - Salford City
174 - Walsall
173 - Bradford City

Top 3 do we get a promotion?