PSF Chat 24/25

[spireite]

To be fair, it's AdamStag, he could find beef in a vegans fart

 

[Son of Cod]

As someone who lived both eras of Conference, Adam is correct. Was tougher back then.

That York squad are my tip for the title, I think they would be playoff candidates in league 2.

I don't know enough about them tbh mate. What I do know though is that Alex Hunt, who they bought off us, is potentially a high ceiling player but as evidenced by his time work us he is one that is nowhere near L2 playoff levels yet. Apparently they were very well drilled in our friendly though and looked a hell of a lot sharper than we did.

Rotherham up next today for us, I can see there being an actual pre-seaaon meltdown if we get spanked.

 

[AdamStag]

As someone who lived both eras of Conference, Adam is correct. Was tougher back then.

I don't know enough about them tbh mate. What I do know though is that Alex Hunt, who they bought off us, is potentially a high ceiling player but as evidenced by his time work us he is one that is nowhere near L2 playoff levels yet. Apparently they were very well drilled in our friendly though and looked a hell of a lot sharper than we did.

Rotherham up next today for us, I can see there being an actual pre-seaaon meltdown if we get spanked.

As usual sir, you speak sense. Not just saying it for no reason! it’s still a bastard to get out of, 5 years! urgh.

Ironic that we’ve got you a week on saturday at BP

 

[AdamStag]

As someone who lived both eras of Conference, Adam is correct. Was tougher back then.

I don't know enough about them tbh mate. What I do know though is that Alex Hunt, who they bought off us, is potentially a high ceiling player but as evidenced by his time work us he is one that is nowhere near L2 playoff levels yet. Apparently they were very well drilled in our friendly though and looked a hell of a lot sharper than we did.

Rotherham up next today for us, I can see there being an actual pre-seaaon meltdown if we get spanked.

Are you struggling a bit then? one of the new lads at work turns out to be grimsby fan, reckons the recruitment not on the good side?

Was going to go up to grimsby for the game next week but the fixture computer spat out barnsley and lincoln first 2 away games so had to divert funds.

 

[GTFCfish]

Rotherham up next today for us.

 

[Stocky]

That York squad are my tip for the title, I think they would be playoff candidates in league 2.

Just looked at their squad.

Absolutely no chance.

Do well to be play off candidates in the National League.

 

[jacobncfc]

As someone who lived both eras of Conference, Adam is correct. Was tougher back then.

Still maintain this is proper Reform UK ‘things were better in my day’ stuff. Mansfield’s last season in the NL, eight teams averaged three figures and twelve were part time, against one and three last season.

As with every league, it’s objectively way stronger now than it was ten-fifteen years ago, for a variety of reasons. Conference is probably the most pronounced with that tbh.

Crowds are the easiest way of explaining it. Bromley averaged nearly 800 more last season than Mansfield did the year they went up. Part time, relegated Dorking got the same crowds last season as bloody Lincoln did that year. Woking, as an example of a team in both, have added more than 1,000 fans over that time. Imagine what that’s doing to budgets down there.

 

[Stocky]

It's a rule that the season your club went up, that was the strongest season.

We can claim 21/22 was very strong when we won the league. Wrexham, Notts, Chesterfield, Grimsby all behind us. Bromley, Boreham Wood and Solihull were at their annoying best.

But delve deeper I grant there were some mitigating factors where some may disagree. Wrexham weren't as strong as the following season when they went toe to toe with Notts, Notts themselves were still working on Robot Williams who was still in Quality Control testing so we didn't see him and Chesterfield were going great guns until their manager did what he did (where is he now by the way?)

 

[jacobncfc]

It's a rule that the season your club went up, that was the strongest season.

We can claim 21/22 was very strong when we won the league. Wrexham, Notts, Chesterfield, Grimsby all behind us. Bromley, Boreham Wood and Solihull were at their annoying best.

But delve deeper I grant there were some mitigating factors where some may disagree. Wrexham weren't as strong as the following season when they went toe to toe with Notts, Notts themselves were still working on Robot Williams who was still in Quality Control testing so we didn't see him and Chesterfield were going great guns until their manager did what he did (where is he now by the way?)

Ridiculously, I think it still hasn’t reached court yet.

 

[Si Robin]

It's a rule that the season your club went up, that was the strongest season.

We can claim 21/22 was very strong when we won the league. Wrexham, Notts, Chesterfield, Grimsby all behind us. Bromley, Boreham Wood and Solihull were at their annoying best.

But delve deeper I grant there were some mitigating factors where some may disagree. Wrexham weren't as strong as the following season when they went toe to toe with Notts, Notts themselves were still working on Robot Williams who was still in Quality Control testing so we didn't see him and Chesterfield were going great guns until their manager did what he did (where is he now by the way?)

It was shit in 15/16, it's why we ran away with it.

 

[spireite]

Ridiculously, I think it still hasn’t reached court yet.

I've just read he may not have his case heard until Dec 25! Crazy when you consider how long ago that was.
Honestly he wasn't a great manager imo, he held us back even after leaving with some of the contracts he handed out. He could organise a side to be hard to beat and could talk modern football blurb like the worse Twitter statman you know always bleating about 'denying penalty box entries'. To be fair did us a solid his first year, I think we were bottom or 2nd bottom when he took over and managed to finish in the playoffs. God knows where we'd be now if we slipped into regional, maybe the Kirks wouldn't have even bought in, doesn't bear thinking about. Stylistically and, well, just about everything Rowe to Cook is just levels, night and day.

 

[AdamStag]

Still maintain this is proper Reform UK ‘things were better in my day’ stuff. Mansfield’s last season in the NL, eight teams averaged three figures and twelve were part time, against one and three last season.

As with every league, it’s objectively way stronger now than it was ten-fifteen years ago, for a variety of reasons. Conference is probably the most pronounced with that tbh.

Crowds are the easiest way of explaining it. Bromley averaged nearly 800 more last season than Mansfield did the year they went up. Part time, relegated Dorking got the same crowds last season as bloody Lincoln did that year. Woking, as an example of a team in both, have added more than 1,000 fans over that time. Imagine what that’s doing to budgets down there.

Nothings better in my day in the conference pal, we all know that.

It’s one where you could go swings and roundabouts with everything, attendances mean little (though county fans do have an odd fascination with them), as all clubs in the lower leagues have all seen big increases across the board, so not really comparable. One that contained luton that didn’t even make the playoffs.

Apart from oldham, who’ve sadly been on a steady decline for the best part of the 3 decades the rationale for the conference being poor next season to me is valid, there are no other sides which really stand out which is why it’s a good chance for your hartlepools/rochdales potentially or even one of the conference sides that’s been knocking around for some while.

Either or, league 1, 2 and the conference should mirror the championship where you’ve got 3 up 3 down (though the conference presumably would have to stay at 4 down for the 2 feeder leagues)

 

[jacobncfc]

Nothings better in my day in the conference pal, we all know that.

It’s one where you could go swings and roundabouts with everything, attendances mean little (though county fans do have an odd fascination with them), as all clubs in the lower leagues have all seen big increases across the board, so not really comparable. One that contained luton that didn’t even make the playoffs.

Apart from oldham, who’ve sadly been on a steady decline for the best part of the 3 decades the rationale for the conference being poor next season to me is valid, there are no other sides which really stand out which is why it’s a good chance for your hartlepools/rochdales potentially or even one of the conference sides that’s been knocking around for some while.

Either or, league 1, 2 and the conference should mirror the championship where you’ve got 3 up 3 down (though the conference presumably would have to stay at 4 down for the 2 feeder leagues)

Hartlepool and Rochdale are just the Mansfield and Lincoln of today, though. The difference (and why it’s stronger) isn’t in the ex-league clubs, where there’ll always be a few in various stages of disarray, it’s that the teams down the bottom no longer average 500 at home and train once a week, so have the budget and players and professionalism/fitness that goes along with that.

 

[Stocky]

It's much better now. As Jacob says, 95% of the teams are full time and are very professional.

It'll be weaker at the top this coming season than it has been the last 3 years due to a bottle neck becoming freed up but the bottom teams are stronger than ever.

 

[northstandexile]

Just slapped Derby 4-0. That’s more like it, absolute quality tonight.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1816367784986828910

Oh dear me
Long Eaton (step4) 1-0 Chesterfield

 

[OneDecentLester]

Oh dear me
Long Eaton (step4) 1-0 Chesterfield

… our youth team yeah

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

The 5th tier has got more professional, more money, bigger crowds, less part time teams/players over the years of course it's got stronger.

As Jacob says the same shitshow EFL sides fall through the trapdoor they now just fall into a clearly better standard. You can't judge a 24 team league on who the top 3 will be.


Only an Adam would think otherwise.

 

[GTFCfish]

Chesterfields first team losing to Long Eaton tonight just proves for certain that the National League was way stronger back in the day when Mansfield won it.

 

[AdamStag]

Chesterfields first team losing to Long Eaton tonight just proves for certain that the National League was way stronger back in the day when Mansfield won it.

Not sure what’ll be proved when you beat us next saturday.

 

[EnglishRed]

It's much better now. As Jacob says, 95% of the teams are full time and are very professional.

It'll be weaker at the top this coming season than it has been the last 3 years due to a bottle neck becoming freed up but the bottom teams are stronger than ever.

Over the period we were down there the overall quality improved. Ten years ago you'd get one or two really good teams, a handful of decent teams and then a load of dross. Towards the end of the season mid table teams would also drop a load of players (to save wages presumably) and you'd get some really big wins by the better teams. That sort of stuff doesn't really happen anymore with the professionalisation of the league.

I don't think the standard of the top of the league has improved that much though. There was always a league within the league and some seasons are always stronger than others. That's as true now as it was a decade ago.

 

[DearneValleyRover]

1-1 at halftime v a strong Middlesbrough side, they’ve were the better side for 30 mins but we’ve come back into it, expecting a lot of changes on 60 mins again

 

[Son of Cod]

Are you struggling a bit then? one of the new lads at work turns out to be grimsby fan, reckons the recruitment not on the good side?

Was going to go up to grimsby for the game next week but the fixture computer spat out barnsley and lincoln first 2 away games so had to divert funds.

Been plenty of reinforcements at the back but very little in midfield and attacking areas. Concern seems to be growing among the fanbase that we're only looking at loans from here on out too. To add to that, Curtis Thompson has just got injured for 10 weeks to join Rose and Tharme on the sidelines who are probably our three best players.

Still maintain this is proper Reform UK ‘things were better in my day’ stuff. Mansfield’s last season in the NL, eight teams averaged three figures and twelve were part time, against one and three last season.

As with every league, it’s objectively way stronger now than it was ten-fifteen years ago, for a variety of reasons. Conference is probably the most pronounced with that tbh.

Crowds are the easiest way of explaining it. Bromley averaged nearly 800 more last season than Mansfield did the year they went up. Part time, relegated Dorking got the same crowds last season as bloody Lincoln did that year. Woking, as an example of a team in both, have added more than 1,000 fans over that time. Imagine what that’s doing to budgets down there.

The 5th tier has got more professional, more money, bigger crowds, less part time teams/players over the years of course it's got stronger.

As Jacob says the same shitshow EFL sides fall through the trapdoor they now just fall into a clearly better standard. You can't judge a 24 team league on who the top 3 will be.


Only an Adam would think otherwise.

Less part time teams, bigger crowds, etc. doesn't always translate to on the pitch quality though.

When I say it was tougher back during our first stint I'm not talking about the professionalism of the division as that has undeniably improved. The midtable teams are still relatively garbage and the football is still crap. It took us six seasons and slowly building a squad of decent players up to get out the first time. If you look at the starting lineup of our side that promoted in 2016, it's a really strong lineup that consists of a number of players that went onto play higher than L2 or be mainstays in L2. In 2021 we went up because we had John McAtee and a hard working but limited side around him.

People talk about Crawley, Fleetwood and Luton buying titles back then but little is really said about the Newport, York, Cheltenham and Barnet sides that went up. Over the 6 years we were down there the first time there were way more genuine title contenders. I just don't feel like that is the way things are down there now. For all the development of the division as a whole we saw Chesterfield pretty much win the title by the end of February last season by just turning up.

If we were given the choice of having to do it again now or do again in the landscape that was the fifth tier fifteen years ago then I know which one I'd be picking.

 

[Son of Cod]

View attachment 20495

Haha, not sure how I got that one so wildly wrong.

 

[Kauto Star]

It’s a bad one but at least in a friendly. Fans getting stressed about the result but then out comes Wayne Jacobs for an interview laughing his head off through it, seems a character.

We’d been “beasted” before the game so anyone taking them seriously needs to chill. Recall us battering Man United and Sheff Wednesday in pre season before relegation!

Our keeper situation will be interesting as Ripper has some real competition with Amos.

I forgot Wayne Jacobs was Darren Moores assistant. A bit of a legend for us and one of the nicest men you will come across in football. Always thought he was actually too nice to go into management. He assisted Stuart McCall in one of his managerial spells with us.

 

[Son of Cod]

We’d been “beasted” before the game so anyone taking them seriously needs to chill. Recall us battering Man United and Sheff Wednesday in pre season before relegation!

Yep pre-season results mean absolutely fuck all and I'm definitely not just saying that because we're currently 2-1 down at South Shields.

 

[DearneValleyRover]

Lost 5-3 in the end, it’s going to be exiting if nothing else this season

 

[spireite]

For all the development of the division as a whole we saw Chesterfield pretty much win the title by the end of February last season by just turning up.

I'm not going to get involved in the 'which era is best' talk as it's a bit pointless, but this is worth addressing. I think it was getting on for 20 times last season we won by just 1 goal, a lot of which were also late late winners. Especially early, mid season time. When it became clear we weren't going stop Barnet had a mini wobble also which put a 'walkover' shine on it, but wasn't as easy as we made it look. We certainly couldn't just turn up. There's some good teams in that league, but what's most apparent to me since we were there is how the football has evolved. You can't just be a team of cloggers any more, it doesn't work. You need quality and be able to play possession football. Even Bromley have quality in the front areas now to go with the shithousery, they utilised the loan market really well for that. Boreham refused to change and paid for it.

 

[JJ1990]

Crewe beat tier 7 side Warrington Rylands 3-2. Named an almost full strength XI to start, had enough chances to score but then fell behind to a sloppy goal just before half time. Got level through Kane Hemmings, fell quickly behind again, before our non-league youngster Fin Roberts grabbed 2 well taken goals to give us the win.

Got one more game at home to Blackpool next Saturday and then we're into the proper stuff.

 

[GTFCfish]

Haha, not sure how I got that one so wildly wrong.

To be fair we’re making South Shield look like a League 1 side at the minute.

 

[GTFCfish]

In our attempt to go fully under the radar this season we’ve just lost 4-3 at South Shields.