National League - Predict the League

[doveranddover]

That could be the most unlikely 1 i've seen

 

[fantstone]

That could be the most unlikely 1 i've seen

yeah, on second thoughts, i may have been a little out, it's now updated to the correct finishing places.

 

[Tranmerewhite]

yeah, on second thoughts, i may have been a little out, it's now updated to the correct finishing places.

Wrexham already won the league though. They signed some journeymen who would struggle to make our reserves, so they must be good.

 

[fantstone]

Wrexham already won the league though. They signed some journeymen who would struggle to make our reserves, so they must be good.

they always were dreamers up there in the mountains with their animals and things. i only put them at 9th cause it's one of the best away days of the season. they'll probably get relegated.

 

[Boz]

1. Dagenham & Redbridge
2. Aldershot
3. Tranmere Rovers
4. Barrow
5. Hartlepool
6. Fylde
7. Leyton Orient
8. Ebbsfleet
9. Eastleigh
10 Wrexham
11 Sutton
12 Maidstone
13 Halifax
14 Gateshead
15 Bromley
16 Boreham Wood
17 Woking
18 Maidenhead
19 Torquay
20 Macclesfield
21 Dover
22 Chester
23 Guiseley
24 Solihull Moors

 

[shoddycollins]

1. Dagenham & Redbridge
2. Aldershot
3. Tranmere Rovers
4. Barrow
5. Hartlepool
6. Fylde
7. Leyton Orient
8. Ebbsfleet
9. Eastleigh
10 Wrexham
11 Sutton
12 Maidstone
13 Halifax
14 Gateshead
15 Bromley
16 Boreham Wood
17 Woking
18 Maidenhead
19 Torquay
20 Macclesfield
21 Dover
22 Chester City
23 Guiseley
24 Solihull Moors

I shudder to think that had 2014/15 ended differently, it could have been us posting predicted tables in which we miss out on promotion and Guiseley are also there. It's a grim prospect.

 

[Bluandwite]

1. Tranmere
2. Dagenham
3. Hartlepool
4. Aldershot
5. Wrexham
6. Ebbsfleet
7. Fylde
8. Barrow
9. Leyton Orient
10. Eastleigh
11. Gateshead
12. Sutton
13. Maidstone
14. Macclesfield
15. Chester
16. Bromley
17. Boreham Wood
18. Torquay
19. Dover
20. Solihull
21. Woking
22. Maidenhead
23. Halifax
24. Guiseley

Could throw a blanket over this league, absolutely nobody stands out.

Not convinced we're in trouble, I think we scream average.

 

[Boz]

I shudder to think that had 2014/15 ended differently, it could have been us posting predicted tables in which we miss out on promotion and Guiseley are also there. It's a grim prospect.

It just takes one dismal season to drop out of the FL, then as you know this league is hell to escape from.

I was fairly confident at the end of last season that this would be our year, with a decent manager in Mellon getting a full season to work his magic. However, we've lost Ihiekwe and Vaughan who both offered pace at the back and Maynard who could fill in defensively, only bringing in one defender to date in Buxton and not giving the promising youngster Evan Gumbs pre-season game time alongside one of the experienced central defenders. The chairman's remarks suggest we're to bring another player, presumably a defender in, but it hasn't happened yet. We'll be contenders, but unsure can be more hopeful than that.

1. Tranmere
2. Dagenham
3. Hartlepool
4. Aldershot
5. Wrexham
6. Ebbsfleet
7. Fylde
8. Barrow
9. Leyton Orient
10. Eastleigh
11. Gateshead
12. Sutton
13. Maidstone
14. Macclesfield
15. Chester
16. Bromley
17. Boreham Wood
18. Torquay
19. Dover
20. Solihull
21. Woking
22. Maidenhead
23. Halifax
24. Guiseley

Could throw a blanket over this league, absolutely nobody stands out.

Not convinced we're in trouble, I think we scream average.

I put Chester in the drop zone because your manager didn't seem to have a plan to change things when you went into free-fall. I don't think any of the promoted sides will go straight back down, beyond that it's very hard to call at the bottom.

 

[shoddycollins]

Interesting, moneybags Woking running two teams next season?

#againstBteams

 

[Railway Blue]

1. Dagenham & Redbridge
2. Aldershot
3. Tranmere Rovers
4. Barrow
5. Hartlepool
6. Fylde
7. Leyton Orient
8. Ebbsfleet
9. Eastleigh
10 Wrexham
11 Sutton
12 Maidstone
13 Halifax
14 Gateshead
15 Bromley
16 Boreham Wood
17 Woking
18 Maidenhead
19 Torquay
20 Macclesfield
21 Dover
22 Chester City
23 Guiseley
24 Solihull Moors

Chester City don't exist anymore.

 

[EnglishRed]

Wrexham already won the league though. They signed some journeymen who would struggle to make our reserves, so they must be good.

Yeah we could never dream of having players of the calibre of Harris, Jennings....hang on.

As for Journeymen. Pearson was at Grimsby for 6 years. Kelly was at FGR for 4, Wedgebury for 3. Boden has been around clubs a bit but you've got Andy Mangan and Andy Cook in your team, a bit rich to be throwing around the J word.

Not many Wrexham fans expect us to be challenging for the title. Plenty of Tramps fans seemed to assume it's a done deal LAST year, let alone this one. You've got the best team in the league apparently.

 

[Boz]

Chester City don't exist anymore.

Sorry, you'll always be Chester City to me.

Yeah we could never dream of having players of the calibre of Harris, Jennings....hang on.

As for Journeymen. Pearson was at Grimsby for 6 years. Kelly was at FGR for 4, Wedgebury for 3. Boden has been around clubs a bit but you've got Andy Mangan and Andy Cook in your team, a bit rich to be throwing around the J word.

Not many Wrexham fans expect us to be challenging for the title. Plenty of Tramps fans seemed to assume it's a done deal LAST year, let alone this one. You've got the best team in the league apparently.

Not all Rovers' fans think that the title's a given. There is more optimism now we're being managed by someone who has previously got a side promoted from this league.

I think Wrecsam have recruited well, but not sure about the depth in the squad or the resources to cope with an injury crisis. Steer clear of that and there's a fair chance of a play-off spot.

 

[B2TF]

1. Tranmere
2. Dagenham
3. Hartlepool
4. Aldershot
5. Wrexham
6. Ebbsfleet
7. Fylde
8. Barrow
9. Leyton Orient
10. Eastleigh
11. Gateshead
12. Sutton
13. Maidstone
14. Macclesfield
15. Chester
16. Bromley
17. Boreham Wood
18. Torquay
19. Dover
20. Solihull
21. Woking
22. Maidenhead
23. Halifax
24. Guiseley

Could throw a blanket over this league, absolutely nobody stands out.

Not convinced we're in trouble, I think we scream average.

Sir, I think I can assure you we will finish well above bloody Chester!

 

[Monkey Tennis]

Interesting that the majority seem to have us placed in the top 8, when a similar poll on our forum would have us down in the bottom half. The pessimistic pricks.

My own prediction is 8th - probably a stronger XI now, but the squad is looking small, and others have spent big (and are more likely to in the new year to get that last play-off place).

Apart from Tranmere and Dagenham in the top 3, I can't place anyone else. Solihull probably the weakest on paper - garbage at the end of last season and seem to have lost a few players.

 

[EnglishRed]

Sorry, you'll always be Chester City to me.


Not all Rovers' fans think that the title's a given. There is more optimism now we're being managed by someone who has previously got a side promoted from this league.

I think Wrecsam have recruited well, but not sure about the depth in the squad or the resources to cope with an injury crisis. Steer clear of that and there's a fair chance of a play-off spot.

We haven't got a massive amount of depth (although Keates seems to have purposefully recruited players capable of playing in various positions) but if we are lucky with injuries we've got a great chance of top 7. After that who knows. We do have a decent amount of play off experience in the squad too, if we get there.

 

[Master D]

Not many Wrexham fans expect us to be challenging for the title.

I don't know any that do, but if there are then they need a word with themselves if they are expecting the title from a rookie manager in his first full season in charge. A playoff place should be the aim and with the squad he's assembled I see that as realistic. It means nothing right now but as it stands on paper I don't see 7 better squads than ours.

 

[RLC]

Wrexham's defence and midfield looks as strong as most at this level and I expect them to be challenging for the play-offs at least. How many goals they have got in them remains to be seen, but with the play-off positions extending down to seventh I would expect them to be in contention even if they are not prolific.

The biggest question mark is over the manager: nobody knows how good Keates is at this level and, as we discovered with Brabin, you can have a strong squad on paper and massively underachieve because of poor management.

As for our own chances, I think Daggers and ourselves have an edge purely because of the number of attacking options we have. A lot of our supporters are actually apprehensive about this season. If we don't go up we won't go into meltdown, but we will probably be just one of 6-8 clubs with a strong chance of promotion the following season, as you would expect Orient, Ebbsfleet and others to be a lot stronger.

Us up as champions and Wrexham up through the play offs would be the perfect scenario for me.

 

[Railway Blue]

Sir, I think I can assure you we will finish well above bloody Chester!

Can't argue with that. During pre-season the youth, fringe and triallists have looked good, but the main men have looked distinctly meh.

 

[Railway Blue]

Just read in the local press that the bubble will be scrapped for our home game in November and how it will continue will depend on how it goes. The game has been moved to Friday night. Cue Wrexham fans destroying Chester City centre.

 

[Tranmerewhite]

Yeah we could never dream of having players of the calibre of Harris, Jennings....hang on.

As for Journeymen. Pearson was at Grimsby for 6 years. Kelly was at FGR for 4, Wedgebury for 3. Boden has been around clubs a bit but you've got Andy Mangan and Andy Cook in your team, a bit rich to be throwing around the J word.

Not many Wrexham fans expect us to be challenging for the title. Plenty of Tramps fans seemed to assume it's a done deal LAST year, let alone this one. You've got the best team in the league apparently.

We have the best team and by far the most strength in depth, whether it works out is another thing when you need 100 points, but we are rightly favourites.

 

[EnglishRed]

Just read in the local press that the bubble will be scrapped for our home game in November and how it will continue will depend on how it goes. The game has been moved to Friday night. Cue Wrexham fans destroying Chester City centre.

They aren't Wrexham fans. Just morons who turn out for those games.They don't go the rest of the time.

 

[Gatekeeper]

.

 

[Soup Ladle]

Can't really contribute a table to this and not sure any Pools fan could. This is a real unknown to us and I go into this season with a weird mix of excitement, intrigue and depression. On the one hand, I expect us to win more games but that's purely down to us being one of the bigger teams and the fact that we're due a good season some time soon. On the other hand, we have a competitive squad but our manager is a real unknown quantity and the jury is still out. He seems to talk a lot of sense and I can't recall a manager as meticulous as he is, though it still registers with me that he hasn't managed at this level. That could be our undoing. And his hair is still a travesty.

We have to aim to be in the top 7 and that's all we can ask for really, anything else is a bonus. It's going to be a tough season and I'm fully anticipating some reality checks in August and September.

We could win the league or end up battling relegation, either is possible. Two words sum up a prediction for our final league placing : fuck knows

 

[Master D]

1) Leyton Orient
2) Tranmere
3) Dag & Red
4) Aldershot
5) Wrexham
6) Eastleigh
7) Ebbsfleet
8) Fylde
9) Barrow
10) Macclesfield
11) Hartlepool
12) Gateshead
13) Halifax
14) Sutton
15) Maidstone
16) Torquay
17) Chester
18) Maidenhead
19) Boreham Wood
20) Bromley
21) Dover
22) Solihull Motors
23) Woking
24) Guiseley

 

[Seventyseven]

1. Aldershot
2. Tranmere Rovers
3. Dagenham & Redbridge
4. Hartlepool
5. Wrexham
6. Leyton Orient
7. Torquay
8. Barrow
9. Gateshead
10. Sutton
11. Boreham Wood
12. Chester
13. Bromley
14. Halifax
15. Ebbsfleet
16. Fylde
17. Solihull Moors
18. Woking
19. Macclesfield
20. Eastleigh
21. Maidenhead
22. Maidstone
23. Dover
24. Guiseley

Time for a change in fortune for us. Surely we can't have another shit season!

 

[Silver Stone]

I was going to reply with a rebuttal of your 22nd place prediction... but then I saw who posted it ​

 

[Impish]

Looks a very strong league this year. We had the good fortune of the league being relatively poor last season it seemed.

The relegated sides as a rule don't do well first season but looking at the side Orient are putting together compared to the one we did when we dropped out the league there's no comparison. They've made some impressive signings. We finished about 15th incidentally.

I've kept a keen eye on all the ins and outs as well so here goes.

1. Tranmere
......................
2. Dagenham
3. Leyton Orient
4. Wrexham (p)
5. Aldershot
6. Hartlepool
7. Sutton
........................
8. Ebbsfleet
9. Fylde
10. Eastleigh
11. Torquay
12. Macclesfield
13. Gateshead
14. Barrow
15. Maidenhead
16. Chester
17. Woking
18. Halifax
19. Dover
20. Maidstone
...........................
21. Boreham Wood
22. Bromley
23. Guiseley
24. Solihull

 

[Luke Imp]

Not sure it looks a strong league as such, but there looks like they'll be more competition at the top.

 

[Master D]

Looks a very strong league this year. We had the good fortune of the league being relatively poor last season it seemed

Most of us said this. It was only Lincoln and Tranmere fans who insisted otherwise. One wrote his university thesis on the subject.

 

[1884 Belmont]

Most of us said this. It was only Lincoln and Tranmere fans who insisted otherwise. One wrote his university thesis on the subject.

Proved to be a very popular piece actually and we're all allowed an opinion. I just happen to believe that the league was strong last season.

However, I also agree that this year looks to be a step up from last season and it will probably be much harder this season than last. The fact the league appears stronger in 2017/18 than 2016/17 does not disprove the idea that 2016/17 was stronger than 2015/16 though.