Top six

[GTFCfish]

By all accounts i am at number 4 behind the infamous Scunny Pacifist.......Scrub that moved up to number 3 though a country mile behind the two bellends known as GTFC Fish and Robshep

Its Friday and the last time i looked you was still in the pop and crisp league and Robshep was still Ballooning in Lge 2 so all is well

No, you are the thickest by a County mile, Scunny Pacifist is like Einstein compared to you.

 

[masi51]

No, you are the thickest by a County mile, Scunny Pacifist is like Einstein compared to you.

Are you and Robshep the same person you both sprout utter shite and just put likes on each message.
You are currently on the lge 1 forum you will get dizzy this high up........Drop that balloon off on the way down and dont come back until your team gets back here in say 30 years

 

[SMH]

The last two times we've won this league, a wildcard team no one expects have been challenging for top two until the end. 2015/16 it was Burton, 2017/18 it was Shrewsbury, this season it's Plymouth.

At this stage with the points tally they have, Plymouth are not going to fall away, but if the same pattern transpires as the other two teams, then Plymouth should start dipping around mid to late March when the pressure really starts to build and every match becomes a must win. Burton had built enough of a points cushion to hang onto second place, whilst Shrewsbury fell into the playoffs under the non relenting pressure of us and Blackburn. It'll be interesting to see which way Plymouth go. If they finish top two when considering the strength of the league this season it'll be a brilliant achievement.

Us, Plymouth, Rotherham, Wycombe, Sunderland, Ipswich, Sheff Wed. I feel like six of those seven sides will make up the top six in any order. MK Dons, Oxford and Portsmouth fans may have something to say about that, but I feel like the latter three in particular will be able to strengthen significantly come January, which will be crucial.

 

[masi51]

The last two times we've won this league, a wildcard team no one expects have been challenging for top two until the end. 2015/16 it was Burton, 2017/18 it was Shrewsbury, this season it's Plymouth.

At this stage with the points tally they have, Plymouth are not going to fall away, but if the same pattern transpires as the other two teams, then Plymouth should start dipping around mid to late March when the pressure really starts to build and every match becomes a must win. Burton had built enough of a points cushion to hang onto second place, whilst Shrewsbury fell into the playoffs under the non relenting pressure of us and Blackburn. It'll be interesting to see which way Plymouth go. If they finish top two when considering the strength of the league this season it'll be a brilliant achievement.

Us, Plymouth, Rotherham, Wycombe, Sunderland, Ipswich, Sheff Wed. I feel like six of those seven sides will make up the top six in any order. MK Dons, Oxford and Portsmouth fans may have something to say about that, but I feel like the latter three in particular will be able to strengthen significantly come January, which will be crucial.

Be good to see you go next May then what? a minnow in the cesspool which is the championship
Not got a clue how much your new owners are worth but i dont see many championship class players in your already over paid squad..............good luck you are going to need it

 

[Boletus Edulis]

The last two times we've won this league, a wildcard team no one expects have been challenging for top two until the end. 2015/16 it was Burton, 2017/18 it was Shrewsbury, this season it's Plymouth.

At this stage with the points tally they have, Plymouth are not going to fall away, but if the same pattern transpires as the other two teams, then Plymouth should start dipping around mid to late March when the pressure really starts to build and every match becomes a must win. Burton had built enough of a points cushion to hang onto second place, whilst Shrewsbury fell into the playoffs under the non relenting pressure of us and Blackburn. It'll be interesting to see which way Plymouth go. If they finish top two when considering the strength of the league this season it'll be a brilliant achievement.

Us, Plymouth, Rotherham, Wycombe, Sunderland, Ipswich, Sheff Wed. I feel like six of those seven sides will make up the top six in any order. MK Dons, Oxford and Portsmouth fans may have something to say about that, but I feel like the latter three in particular will be able to strengthen significantly come January, which will be crucial.

I think this is a very good assessment. I am having a nosebleed that we are in a realistic fight for top six. Automatics is a step way too far. The strongest and best two teams are clearly Wigan and Rotherham.

We are clearly punching above our weight. When we play the top teams before the match I nearly always think “ooh, wouldn’t mind having him.” I very much doubt there are many of the opposition fans thinking “ooh I’d like that Argyle player.”

After the match things are different. Yes to Iorfa on his performance gains us, but not many others of the stars played better than our incumbent. Going on fans forums often after a match they often say they’d like to have some of them our players.

What is going on is that we have an extremely tight knit team, where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. But all that travel will eventually catch up with a very small squad. Yesterday our subs were all kids. We don’t have the money of the Ipswich’s and the like, so January won’t bring in big names. You are absolutely right in March we may struggle. In out past two seasons in league one we ran out of steam. That said things feel very different this season.

I don’t know what is going to happen, but I’m blooody loving it.

 

[WhiteRussian]

I think we will hover around the lower play off places for most of the season. If we finish in or out depends on many things. One point I would make is I don't believe we really need to recruit much in January unless we have significant injuries. I'm more worried on losing players. We have a wealth of strikers, Eisa, Parrot and Watters which must be the envy of any club struggling to score and a pretty good spine. Any other season I would think us nailed on for playoffs and a good shout for autos but this is not a regular league 1 season.

If we can't I would love Plymouth to get promotion simply because of all the 'big' clubs steamrollering (and pay rollering ) the league but I think Ipswich and Rotherham should get the autos.

We shall see. There will be plenty of twists and turns, that's for sure.

 

[WhiteRussian]

Another point. I and others are going on about how strong league 1 is this season but even if 3 of the 'big' clubs go up, whoever comes down is probably not going to be a minnow either. The bottom 7 clubs in the Chamionship at the moment are Sheff U, Bristol C, Cardiff C, Peterboro, Hull, Barnsley and Derby. Only really Peterboro is a club you would class as normally league 1 level.

There seems to be a big shift in the levelling off of clubs at the moment.

 

[SMH]

Another point. I and others are going on about how strong league 1 is this season but even if 3 of the 'big' clubs go up, whoever comes down is probably not going to be a minnow either. The bottom 7 clubs in the Chamionship at the moment are Sheff U, Bristol C, Cardiff C, Peterboro, Hull, Barnsley and Derby. Only really Peterboro is a club you would class as normally league 1 level.

There seems to be a big shift in the levelling off of clubs at the moment.

Derby going down will be a boost for the three promoted L1 clubs as it means that one poor Championship team will stay up by default, most likely either Barnsley, Hull or Peterborough. If we were to go up then it’ll be that team and the two other promoted teams that we need to target finishing above next season. Plus there’s always one team who could unexpectedly have a nightmare campaign.

 

[Mary MacDonald]

Wigan and Rotherham to get automatic promotion, with Plymouth, MK Dons, Ipswich, and finally Oxford rounding out the playoffs. This season reminds me of the season Blackburn Rovers were in this league, where it was Wigan, Blackburn, and Shrewsbury fighting for automatic promotion and Shrewsbury were top of the table for most of that season like Plymouth this season.

 

[Mary MacDonald]

The last two times we've won this league, a wildcard team no one expects have been challenging for top two until the end. 2015/16 it was Burton, 2017/18 it was Shrewsbury, this season it's Plymouth.

At this stage with the points tally they have, Plymouth are not going to fall away, but if the same pattern transpires as the other two teams, then Plymouth should start dipping around mid to late March when the pressure really starts to build and every match becomes a must win. Burton had built enough of a points cushion to hang onto second place, whilst Shrewsbury fell into the playoffs under the non relenting pressure of us and Blackburn. It'll be interesting to see which way Plymouth go. If they finish top two when considering the strength of the league this season it'll be a brilliant achievement.

Us, Plymouth, Rotherham, Wycombe, Sunderland, Ipswich, Sheff Wed. I feel like six of those seven sides will make up the top six in any order. MK Dons, Oxford and Portsmouth fans may have something to say about that, but I feel like the latter three in particular will be able to strengthen significantly come January, which will be crucial.

These things seem to happen every year in this league. It was Lincoln City last year and Wycombe the year before.

 

[LeonTheGreen]

I almost feel like promotion this season would be a season to soon. There’s no reason we can’t be a sustainable championship club eventually, especially with crowds of 15k+. Saying that, if it does present itself we’ve got to do our best to grab it.

Just a very good feel about the place at the minute. 6m+ in the coffers, no debt, crowds surpassing 13k, no loss since the opening day, a very transparent owner and one of the brightest young managers in English football at the helm. Great time to be a green.

 

[Mary MacDonald]

I almost feel like promotion this season would be a season to soon. There’s no reason we can’t be a sustainable championship club eventually, especially with crowds of 15k+. Saying that, if it does present itself we’ve got to do our best to grab it.

Just a very good feel about the place at the minute. 6m+ in the coffers, no debt, crowds surpassing 13k, no loss since the opening day, a very transparent owner and one of the brightest young managers in English football at the helm. Great time to be a green.

Weren't you in the Championship 15 years ago?

 

[MatthewArgyle]

Yes we were

 

[Luke Imp]

I almost feel like promotion this season would be a season to soon. There’s no reason we can’t be a sustainable championship club eventually, especially with crowds of 15k+. Saying that, if it does present itself we’ve got to do our best to grab it.

Just a very good feel about the place at the minute. 6m+ in the coffers, no debt, crowds surpassing 13k, no loss since the opening day, a very transparent owner and one of the brightest young managers in English football at the helm. Great time to be a green.

You could be describing us last season in most of that post.

We should have gone up. Injuries hit us right at the wrong time (losing Grant having been injured in the 4-3 at your place was the start of it) and when that happens, the bigger Club's with the deeper squads, not necessarily better XI's, start to close in. If we had a slightly deeper squad, which we couldn't afford anyway, we'd have just about got over the line I think.

 

[GTFCfish]

I’m a bit confused here as I’ve just looked at the top half of League 1 and ‘best team in the league’ Bolton Wanderers do not appear to be on it, I presume this table is a bit of a misprint?

 

[masi51]

I have told you about looking this high up in the football league you will get vertigo

 

[SVH]

1 Sunderland
2 Rotherham
.........................................................................
3 Wycombe
4 MK Dons
5 Wigan
6 Oxford

Sunderland letting me down but otherwise looking there or thereabouts.

 

[stevowanderer]

Sunderland letting me down but otherwise looking there or thereabouts.

It would take something special for us to break into that as Sheff Wed, Ipswich etc are all in decent form too… and we have left it too late IMO but we are setting ourselves up nicely for a good season next season.

 

[SVH]

It would take something special for us to break into that as Sheff Wed, Ipswich etc are all in decent form too… and we have left it too late IMO but we are setting ourselves up nicely for a good season next season.

Yeah I think another season here won’t do you any harm and you’ll strengthen further in the summer and be one of the favourites to go up for sure.

 

[masi51]

I’m a bit confused here as I’ve just looked at the top half of League 1 and ‘best team in the league’ Bolton Wanderers do not appear to be on it, I presume this table is a bit of a misprint?
View attachment 15926

Told you to stop talking bullshit in November and come back in May
Told you the same the November previously thought you may have learned by now.
PS Hows bouncing straight back up looking

 

[masi51]

Yeah I think another season here won’t do you any harm and you’ll strengthen further in the summer and be one of the favourites to go up for sure.

I am also of that opinion. Another season growing as a squad will do more good than harm
When we go up we must have the nuclease of a team that will stay there
The Championship is a horrible league to be in in terms of income expendature

 

[SVH]

I am also of that opinion. Another season growing as a squad will do more good than harm
When we go up we must have the nuclease of a team that will stay there
The Championship is a horrible league to be in in terms of income expendature

If you don’t go up are you confident you’ll keep your players championship clubs will be looking at?

 

[masi51]

If you don’t go up are you confident you’ll keep your players championship clubs will be looking at?

Good question.......Trafford got no hope in hell of breaking into the city squad so he may come back.
I would guess there must be a Dozen teams looking at Fossey be amazed if we got him back.....The rest are tied to decent contracts. Talks going on to extend Santos contract even though he is tied down another 18 months.
Dapo is the one i fear we may lose he is simply too good for this league but again we have him contracted for another 2 and a half years......We need to make money and if the right offer came for any of them our model now is to sell and re invest.
Evatt and a bloke called Chris Markham are the two management positions that we simply need to hold on to

 

[stevowanderer]

If you don’t go up are you confident you’ll keep your players championship clubs will be looking at?

We have opened contract talks with Santos this week and he’s captain now. Everyone is contracted so we would attract good fees and have no desperation to sell. Only one I’m slightly worried about is Dapo. He is too good for league 1 but I think it would take a silly bid in the millions for us to consider letting him go with 2 years left on his contract (plus a club option for an extra year I think). Wouldn’t surprise me if we try to tie him up even longer before the end of the season too. If we didn’t go up next season we’d definitely lose him.

Having said that we also need to keep/buy loanee Fossey. He has absolutely transformed our right hand side. I think he would be very difficult to replace.

 

[stevowanderer]

Good question.......Trafford got no hope in hell of breaking into the city squad so he may come back.
I would guess there must be a Dozen teams looking at Fossey be amazed if we got him back.....The rest are tied to decent contracts. Talks going on to extend Santos contract even though he is tied down another 18 months.
Dapo is the one i fear we may lose he is simply too good for this league but again we have him contracted for another 2 and a half years......We need to make money and if the right offer came for any of them our model now is to sell and re invest.
Evatt and a bloke called Chris Markem who we simply cannot afford to lose

Agree with everything here. Trafford we may get on another loan and I really like him but I feel he is replaceable with a decent budget. Obviously would prefer to keep him. Fossey and Dapo are the major ones. Plus Evatt and Markham you are right… they genuinely feel irreplaceable atm. I haven’t felt this way about a manager since big Sam.

 

[masi51]

We have opened contract talks with Santos this week and he’s captain now. Everyone is contracted so we would attract good fees and have no desperation to sell. Only one I’m slightly worried about is Dapo. He is too good for league 1 but I think it would take a silly bid in the millions for us to consider letting him go with 2 years left on his contract (plus a club option for an extra year I think). Wouldn’t surprise me if we try to tie him up even longer before the end of the season too. If we didn’t go up next season we’d definitely lose him.

Having said that we also need to keep/buy loanee Fossey. He has absolutely transformed our right hand side. I think he would be very difficult to replace.

pretty much have the same thoughts !!

 

[WhiteRussian]

If we don't go up we will be decimated, simple as that. Too many loanees and our best players will bet sold. We don't ever force players to stay and that's pretty well official. As long as the fee is fair, we let them go.

Saying that we were hit quite hard by departures in January. Our forum had a mini meltdown and Winkleman was getting some flack but we have pulled through. I'm coming to think our best asset at the moment is Liam Sweeting, our Sporting Director who seems to be the one who pulls rabbit signings out of the hat.

I doubt we will go up simply because we aren't going to get the autos and our record in playoffs is dire, but then everyone says that of the playoffs.

 

[K-Win]

Bolton may have a chance of keeping Fossey. He's a class act but he's already had three long-term injuries in his short career, which may put quite a few clubs off offering him a long-term contract.

 

[Boletus Edulis]

We have opened contract talks with Santos this week and he’s captain now. Everyone is contracted so we would attract good fees and have no desperation to sell. Only one I’m slightly worried about is Dapo. He is too good for league 1 but I think it would take a silly bid in the millions for us to consider letting him go with 2 years left on his contract (plus a club option for an extra year I think). Wouldn’t surprise me if we try to tie him up even longer before the end of the season too. If we didn’t go up next season we’d definitely lose him.

Having said that we also need to keep/buy loanee Fossey. He has absolutely transformed our right hand side. I think he would be very difficult to replace.

As I said before I see quite a few parallels between you and us the first year back in league one under Adams. We were bottom of the table at Xmas and then went on a ridiculous winning run, and then simply ran out of steam - injuries, suspensions and a general knackered squad. How are you in terms of depth of squad? I think that may be key for you this season to convert a good run into a top six place.

 

[GeneralLee]

Bolton may have a chance of keeping Fossey. He's a class act but he's already had three long-term injuries in his short career, which may put quite a few clubs off offering him a long-term contract.

He was brilliant against us. I’d love us to be in for him if he went up… No doubt he’ll have suitors in the Champ/a future at Fulham.