Questions re League 2 in 19/20

[Indian Dan]

Untested manager is our biggest risk but I do think once our transfer business is finished we will have the strongest squad in the division.

So why did Ronnie Radford not go for an experienced manager - I know Flitcroft may have brought on palpitations, but Handing a big budget and high expectations on a rookie could really blow up in his face.

We tried similar with Luke Williams - minus the budget, of course. It’s how we ended up here.

 

[shoddycollins]

Tbf, it’s mainly the Carlisle wrist slashers predicting gloom.

Nah, quite a lot of other people see us struggling, and myself and HG seem to be the only united fans left here. Maybe the others are just taking summer off.

 

[Blue Lion]

Without wanting to send this thread off-topic...we appear to the vast majorities favourite for promotion, and it just doesn’t sit right.

Thanks.

Why not try being majority favourite for relegation then....

 

[Son of Cod]

Key player - Hmmm, difficult to say as we were very much a team of grafters and players not really taking risks last season. McKeown's the obvious headline grabber for us, but I don't like calling a keeper as our star player, so I'll go with Jake Hessenthaler. Not a stand out match winning type of midfielder, but a player whose absence is noticed when he's not there.

Signing you’re most excited about - Moses Ogbu. Absolutely love this signing. As Les says, could be a disaster...could be a legend. I'd take somewhere in the middle and injecting a bit of pace into what was a very slow and labourious attacking style last season.

The player you expect to step up this season - Ludvig Ohman. Has had a few months and will have had a full pre-season to settle in. He looks like he'd head bricks out of our area if asked.

Fixture you’re most looking forward to - Morecambe away. Fresh hope, seaside, decent chance of 3 pts and there'll about 750+ of us I reckon.

Who will go up - Bradford, Plymouth, Salford and Colchester.

Who will go down - Going off current squads and incoming/outgoing trabsfer activity - Cambridge, Carlisle

League 2 top scorer - Andy Cook

Prediction where your team will finish - 9th

 

[Conker]

So why did Ronnie Radford not go for an experienced manager - I know Flitcroft may have brought on palpitations, but Handing a big budget and high expectations on a rookie could really blow up in his face.

We tried similar with Luke Williams - minus the budget, of course. It’s how we ended up here.

Because he went for two experienced managers beforehand and it went to shit, plus felt like Dempster deserves a chance because of the fantastic job he did with the academy- he might have gone elsewhere otherwise.

One bonus is it’s mostly the same squad, we are looking at 6 total signings I reckon - that’s gotta help.

He could be a absolute disaster or equally a gem.

 

[Conker]

How often do teams have a top scorer and not go up? Quite a few saying Maynard (and one for Cook) top scorer but Mansfield not getting promoted which is interesting.

 

[Son of Cod]

How often do teams have a top scorer and not go up? Quite a few saying Maynard (and one for Cook) top scorer but Mansfield not getting promoted which is interesting.

Norwood was top scorer last year and they were in the playoffs. Mansfield won't win the playoffs if they get to them. Was Akinde at Barnet a few seasons ago too, I think? Matt Tubbs in 14/15 too, so it does happen semi-frequently.

 

[Conker]

Norwood was top scorer last year and they were in the playoffs. Mansfield won't win the playoffs if they get to them. Was Akinde at Barnet a few seasons ago too, I think? Matt Tubbs in 14/15 too, so it does happen semi-frequently.

Mansfield are well overdue a play-off win - never happened I don’t think while I’ve been a supporter.

 

[Son of Cod]

Mansfield are well overdue a play-off win - never happened I don’t think while I’ve been a supporter.

Exactly. To me that says you only do auto promotions.

 

[shoddycollins]

How often do teams have a top scorer and not go up? Quite a few saying Maynard (and one for Cook) top scorer but Mansfield not getting promoted which is interesting.

Last 11 seasons for you. Top two scorers for each plus anyone who has scored over 25, as that is usually enough to be top scorer.

In 11 years, only five top-scorers have been promoted. Norwood, Kee, Taylor. Winnal and Pope, and only four of them automatically. If you instead look at players who have scored 25 or more 7 have been promoted out of a total of 13, so slightly better but still not a huge proportion. I'd say it's quite common for a player to score lots of goals and not go up. Billy Kee the only player in that time to win both the golden boot AND the league title.


Last season, though Tranmere went up and Mansfield didn't, Mansfield did still finish ahead of them in the league.

11/12 was interesting, a lean year as there were four joint top on 18, most seasons that isn't even enough to finish 3rd, and lo and behold, none actually got promoted.

18/19
Norwood (Tranmere) 29 - promoted via playoffs
Walker (Mansfield) 22 - playoffs

17/18
Kee (Accrington) 25 - champions
Eisa (Cheltenham) 23
McNulty (Coventry) 23 - promoted via playoffs

16/17
Akinde (pen) (Barnet) 26
Marquis (Donny) 25 - automatic

15/16
Taylor (Brovers) 27 - automatic
Simpon (Orient) 25

14/15
Tubbs (Wimbledon/Pompey) 21
Cureton (Daggers) 19

13/14
Winnal (Scunny) 23 - automatic
Reid (Plymouth) 17
Hogan (Rochdale) 17 - automatic

12/13
Pope (Vale) 31 - automatic
Cureton (Exeter) 21

11/12
Midson (Wimbledon) 18
Bayo (Northampton) 18
McLeod (Barnet) 18
Grabban (Rotherham) 18

10/11
Donaldson (Crewe) 28
Lowe (Bury) 27 - automatic
McDonald (Gills) 25

09/10
Hughes (Grimsby) 30
Pitman (Bournemouth) 26
LeFondre (Rochdale / Rotherham) 25 - playoffs (though Rochdale went up automatically)

08/09
Holt (Shrews) 20 - playoffs
Lester (Chesterfield) 20

 

[Conker]

Exactly. To me that says you only do auto promotions.

To me it says it’s going to happen eventually

Glass half full youth!

 

[les.gtfc]

09/10
Hughes (Grimsby) 30
Pitman (Bournemouth) 26
LeFondre (Rochdale / Rotherham) 25 - playoffs (though Rochdale went up automatically)

Who?

 

[Cobbler Baggy]

Key player - Chris Lines

Signing you’re most excited about - Nicky Adams - great to have him back and to actually have a winger worthy of the name!

The player you expect to step up this season - Junior Morias. He didn't get much game time last year due to injury mainly but when he did feature he looked more than good enough for League 1. I think he could really flourish in L2 - if Curle plays him enough!

Fixture you’re most looking forward to - Bradford

Who will go up - Plymouth, Mansfield, Bradford (Automatic); Northampton (via play-offs)

Who will go down - Macclesfield, Morecambe

League 2 top scorer - Nicky Maynard

Prediction where your team will finish - 5th

 

[AnotherStagsFan]

Key player - Hayden White

Signing you’re most excited about - Cook

The player you expect to step up this season - CJ to improve again

Fixture you’re most looking forward to - Bradford

Who will go up - Autos: Salford, Plymouth and Scunny PO: Swindon

Who will go down - Port Vale + Macclesfield

League 2 top scorer - Maynard

Prediction where your team will finish - 4th - 7th after spending all season in the top 3

 

[Son of Cod]

Who?

I'm guessing Lee Hughes for Nott County?

 

[shoddycollins]

I'm guessing Lee Hughes for Nott County?

Yeah, was him, to be fair Transfermarkt uses a little image of the badge rather than the name of the club and Notts badge back then looks quite a lot like Grimsby's current badge

 

[Big Bird]

Who will go up - Autos: Salford, Plymouth and Scunny PO: Swindon

That's bold cotton.

New Wembley record: Played 3, lost 3, scored 0 conceeded 7.

 

[GTFCfish]

How often do teams have a top scorer and not go up? Quite a few saying Maynard (and one for Cook) top scorer but Mansfield not getting promoted which is interesting.

Podge top scored for us in 15/16 with 37 goals and even though we did actually go up we were Jammy as fuck, but for a Braintree defender stupidly deciding to tug at Gowling’s shirt right in front of the ref we would’ve blown it again.

 

[Son of Cod]

Podge top scored for us in 15/16 with 37 goals and even though we did actually go up we were Jammy as fuck, but for a Braintree defender stupidly deciding to tug at Gowling’s shirt right in front of the ref we would’ve blown it again.

That was the season Ricky Miller got 40 mate...
Edit: Sorry no it wasn't haha.

 

[Cas]

Key player - James Vaughn

Signing you’re most excited about - James Vaughn

The player you expect to step up this season - Expecting Hope Akpan to actually show signs of being a footballer.

Fixture you’re most looking forward to - Opener against Cambridge.

Who will go up - Plymouth, Mansfield, Scunthorpe and Salford.

Who will go down - Macclesfield and Cambridge

League 2 top scorer - No idea.

Prediction where your team will finish - Most pessimistic Bradford fan on here so this may be a bit surprising but...11th. Ahem.

 

[Big Bird]

*Vaughan.

I tried but I couldn't let it go.

 

[Cas]

I won't sleep tonight.

 

[les.gtfc]

Yeah, was him, to be fair Transfermarkt uses a little image of the badge rather than the name of the club and Notts badge back then looks quite a lot like Grimsby's current badge
View attachment 11285

Aaah, that's okay then. Wouldn't have that scumbag anywhere near my club, even if he banged in 50 goals a season!

 

[PlymouthCasual]

Key player - Got to be Danny Mayor - Genuinly beleive that if he settles in the westcountry, he can single handidly get us over the line this season.

Signing you’re most excited about - Please see above

The player you expect to step up this season - Conor Grant - Obiously a talented player but struggled with injuries last season. Can see him cementing a position down this term.

Fixture you’re most looking forward to - Crewe away. Lets get this season started already

Who will go up - Bradford, Plymouth, Scunthorpe - PO Mansfield

Who will go down - Macclesfield Carlisle

League 2 top scorer - Andy Cook

Prediction where your team will finish - 3rd

 

[Conker]

Aaah, that's okay then. Wouldn't have that scumbag anywhere near my club, even if he banged in 50 goals a season!

You wouldn’t have a choice either way.

 

[Bottega Don]

Aaah, that's okay then. Wouldn't have that scumbag anywhere near my club, even if he banged in 50 goals a season!

You do realise your managers history right? Do you want him out as well?

 

[les.gtfc]

You do realise your managers history right? Do you want him out as well?

Absolutely no comparison!

 

[shoddycollins]

You do realise your managers history right? Do you want him out as well?

Jolley's history is quite different from Lee Hughes'. Hughes fled the scene of an accident where he had caused a death, then later went on to assault someone. The judge convicting Jolley of sex with a minor accepted that he probably genuinely believed her to be 19. Whatever you think of Jolley, you can't exactly argue that someone who dislikes Hughes must also dislike Jolley.

 

[Conker]

Wait, Jolley got done in a court of law for being a nonce?

 

[shoddycollins]

Wait, Jolley got done in a court of law for being a nonce?

1 year on the register. He's since been cleared by the FA to work with young people. The story was that he was set up by a group of teenage girls in an attempt to extort money from him, one of them tried to blackmail him and attacked him with a bottle when he refused to pay her. The law doesn't allow for someone who is proven to have had sex with a minor to be totally cleared hence his conviction. Think the judge gave him the most lenient sentence allowed.