The standard of this league

[hold'um Oldham]

First let me put it out there.


Latics are shite. This is the worst team we have had in most people's living memory. We are on course to set new records in fewest goals scored and deserve to go down.

But my point is we are still in the mix. How we can be this bad and still have more than a slim hope of staying up is beyond me. The last 3 games at home the opposition have been beyond bad. Port Vale Gillingham and Peterborough all deserved to lose without us ever actually playing that we'll.

But it's been like this all season. Teams have come, looked absolute dross and took 3 points. I would go as far to say that 3 quarters of this league are that bad they would all be relegated 10 years ago. The standard really has dropped that much.

The only team I've seen this year that looked half decent was bolton and even they didn't set the world alight

 

[womble76]

Someone says this every year about league 1 and 2. I prefer to think it's just competitive.

 

[Mighty_Bantam]

When you compare it to previous recent years it is rubbish. More and more it feels like watching L2.

 

[ThisTinpotLeague]

Someone sound the "this league must be shite if my team is still in xth position" klaxon!

Most tedious trope in lower league football. Look forward to hearing it many times this year and many more next year.

 

[hold'um Oldham]

It really is though. Peterborough are gunning for a play off spot and we're absolutely wank last night. It's not a comment on latics, more a general observation.

I reckon you would be hard pressed to find a fan in this league that trully believes their side are decent. We haven't played anyone this year that completely outclassed us from the games I've seen. In most you would be hard pressed to tell which team was in the relegation zone.

 

[valefan16]

It's been generally getting weaker each season since we got promoted back to this level and would agree this year is dire.

Put it this way when Bruno left Brown did some fitness testing and found we had awful fitness levels (probably shows on the amount of games away from home where we caved in late on) despite this we were at the top end for a period of time before sliding to mid table. At 50% fitness levels we should be bottom yet the league is so weak we've been able to survive and now overhaul the squad to hopefully survive.

Bolton and Blades were the only sides that looked any good this season but in fairness we were shocking in both and probably had a lot to do with our short comings more than them being world beaters.

Scunthorpe at our place were laughably bad yet have been up there all season... Fleetwood, Rochdale and Southend were all poor yet all are challenging....

When you put these sides against Wolves, Bristol City, Brentford, the decent MK and PNE sides of recent years the difference is substantial.

The main reason I guess being money... a lot of these sides were at our level with big money whereas other than Bolton and Blades it's all pretty much a muchness hence you had someone like Burton go up last year and could get someone like Scunthorpe, Fleetwood or Rochdale go up (not a bad thing though in terms of competitiveness though)

 

[Bobbin']

The league must be weak if Sheffield United are finally going to get promoted!

 

[joethegill]

The more top level football that is seen on TV will skew people's expectations of what this league can offer.

It's always been quite shite. Not as shite as League Two, which is a whole other world of crap.

 

[Agombar stool]

I've been watching Swindon in league 1 for ages (don't go as regularly as I used to) and I can't remember the last team that came to the CG that I thought, wow, they were a bit good. (Maybe Southampton yonks ago)

I agree with the Oldham fan, we are utter shite but the teams that have come to the CG this season haven't been a lot better (but they take the points so won't care).

 

[Agombar stool]

Someone sound the "this league must be shite if my team is still in xth position" klaxon!

Most tedious trope in lower league football. Look forward to hearing it many times this year and many more next year.

No smoke without fire fella.

 

[Indian Dan]

The general standard between L1, L2 and Conference isn't great, IMO. Would imagine any clubs going up to the Championship this time round will be back here rapido - based on how Bristol City and Wigan are struggling after looking streets ahead of the others in L1.

I suppose to balance that, Barnsley and PNE are making a good fist of it but like the thread starter said, how on earth are we not even in the bottom 4 with the shit that's been served up so far.

 

[SF_]

I don't think it's down to standard, I think it's just modern day English football with 99% of managers focusing on not conceding rather than pushing forward and looking to entertain.

Can't say i've been particularly impressed by anyone in the Championship either, for all the money Newcastle have spent, it was pretty much daylight robbery when they left Deepdale with 3pts.

Difference in every league is having forwards who score more than they miss. Perhaps it's just a lack of good strikers down here?

 

[darren gregory]

It's been generally getting weaker each season since we got promoted back to this level and would agree this year is dire.

Put it this way when Bruno left Brown did some fitness testing and found we had awful fitness levels (probably shows on the amount of games away from home where we caved in late on) despite this we were at the top end for a period of time before sliding to mid table. At 50% fitness levels we should be bottom yet the league is so weak we've been able to survive and now overhaul the squad to hopefully survive.

Bolton and Blades were the only sides that looked any good this season but in fairness we were shocking in both and probably had a lot to do with our short comings more than them being world beaters.

Scunthorpe at our place were laughably bad yet have been up there all season... Fleetwood, Rochdale and Southend were all poor yet all are challenging....

When you put these sides against Wolves, Bristol City, Brentford, the decent MK and PNE sides of recent years the difference is substantial.

The main reason I guess being money... a lot of these sides were at our level with big money whereas other than Bolton and Blades it's all pretty much a muchness hence you had someone like Burton go up last year and could get someone like Scunthorpe, Fleetwood or Rochdale go up (not a bad thing though in terms of competitiveness though)

Fleetwood were far from poor, ought to of been 3-0 up easily, we mugged them.
As per original thread all of us can only go on the 90 minutes we have seen, results aside i thought Millwall looked a dangerous side and we beat them 3-1.
The majority of fans on here will wonder how the hell we are not bottom of the league as we have been cack in 95% of away games barely even registering a shot.
The League is what it is but this topic will pop up next season i imagine.

 

[UTS]

It's 3rd division football, what do you expect? I'd wager English 3rd division sides would smash the equivalent in France, Spain, Germany etc..

Also people comment the quality gets worse season after season etc, well maybe you are just growing accustomed to the standard?

Gets said every season.

 

[Shrimpurh]

I actually think the standard this year is marginally better than last year.

 

[LS Bantam]

Biggest budget seems to guarantee promotion, below that the league is fairly even and agree with the above comment that the quality of a sides strikers make a massive difference

 

[PuB]

It was much better back in the good old days...

In all seriousness it really fucking wasn't. If you're old enough to remember the days of division four football (especially bouncing around at the bottom end of it scrapping for points against Scarborough and Halifax) then I doubt you'd question the quality.

 

[joethegill]

If anyone is in any doubt about the quality having improved (particularly defensively), then you need to check out 'Crap 90s Football' on Twitter. Great for a laugh.

For example:
https://twitter.com/Crap90sFootball/status/756819209322201088

I refuse to believe that the quality of football available these days is worse than that.

 

[bantamigo]

The leagues better than last year, you've got 10 sides who could get into the play offs. We were a lot worse than a few of the teams I've seen this year and finished 5th. I agree with SF in that it's just the norm to go to away teams and stick 9 men behind the ball and play for the draw, it's disappointing because most teams are better when they open up a bit.

 

[ThisTinpotLeague]

No smoke without fire fella.

It's said every single year. Since we know the long term trend is to improve, it's absolutely incorrect.

 

[Marked Ox]

Tackling was far more entertaining then though. 90s football was good, you just feel that as Gillingham were crap.

If anyone is in any doubt about the quality having improved (particularly defensively), then you need to check out 'Crap 90s Football' on Twitter. Great for a laugh.

For example:
https://twitter.com/Crap90sFootball/status/756819209322201088

I refuse to believe that the quality of football available these days is worse than that.

 

[RobboPOSH]

It's said every single year. Since we know the long term trend is to improve, it's absolutely incorrect.

Especially since the likes of you and Northampton have come up.

Noone this year seems capable of going on a massive run and there is some bizarre results. This year we have been laughably bad at home and very lucky away, yet we find ourselves up there still.

 

[joethegill]

Tackling was far more entertaining then though. 90s football was good, you just feel that as Gillingham were crap.

We were crap in the early 90s, I'll give you that. From 1995 onwards we were actually very good most of the time, culminating in our first ever promotion to the second tier in the 99/00 season! Our team from 98-00 would've spanked most in this division right now, but then again they did at the time!

 

[Indian Dan]

Especially since the likes of you and Northampton have come up.

Noone this year seems capable of going on a massive run and there is some bizarre results. This year we have been laughably bad at home and very lucky away, yet we find ourselves up there still.

Watching Swindon gives me the massive runs.

 

[KetIron]

As said previously, this nonsense is spouted every year.

It's as regular, and as boring, as how bad the ref's are.

 

[ThisTinpotLeague]

I reckon you would be hard pressed to find a fan in this league that trully believes their side are decent.

That's funny because I think our side is a decent third-tier side and according to the opposition write ups on this forum, we haven't deserved to win a single game this year.

 

[dedwardp]

As above, it is said every single year without fail. And having been subjected to fourth tier football this season for the first time in nigh on 20 years, I can assure you that League Two really is awful and the standard in League One is perfectly fine.

 

[The Reverend Skyblue]

How shit must we be to be bottom and certainties for relegation in this pretty terrible league.
Anyway checking my route for Forest Green next season so must go

 

[Agombar stool]

As said previously, this nonsense is spouted every year.

It's as regular, and as boring, as how bad the ref's are.

And yet you continue to post on it, despite it being blatantly obvious from the subject title what it's about.

It's totally subjective, and the fact there are 6 new teams in the league every season means it's a worthwhile discussion in my eyes.

There seems to be a good mix of arguments and points on this thread which is surely what the forum is all about?

Got to be better than the Yorkshire teams having a wank off over how many people go and watch them week in week out for sure?

 

[woburnsandsdon]

I'd say the standard is worse than previous years- that being said, we've been guff to be fair - 14 points off the play offs with the way we've played so far- we should be miles behind, a good run ............