League 2 General Chat Thread

[valefan16]

I think League Two was just like that in the early years of the decade. The new stadium teams like Shrewsbury and Chesterfield turned into contenders thanks to revenue increases and you had an anomaly like Notts throwing ridiculous money at it. But I think the turning point was when Swindon came down and were managed by Paolo di Canio and Crawley came into this league and both started throwing money about like it was going out of fashion. The next season, Fleetwood did the same and Rotherham hired Steve Evans and he started chucking ridiculous money there too. Suddenly you had others coming into the league and chucking daft money at it (Mansfield, Bury, Luton and Pompey the latter once they got on sound financial footing) and then you had teams like Newport (benefitting from the Euromillions bloke) Cambridge and Lincoln (FA Cup revenue) and more hobby clubs making the league (FGR, Salford) that your other existing clubs felt the need to drive up the wages themselves or face non league oblivion like Torquay, York, Hartlepool etc.

This year has the feel of a proper old school League Two where cash isn't exactly king. But I'm sure that'll change over the next 35 games or so.

You’ve got rid of some of the big spenders certainly, it’s changed a lot in the past decade, when we came back down I hadn’t even got the likes of Mansfield on the radar as teams I’d expect us not to compete with financially at least but teams are willing to chuck silly money at it for what in reality is modest success getting into the third tier where it’s not that much different from here apart from the big basket case 2 or 3 clubs that pop down each season for a year like Wolves/Leeds/Forest etc

Could be what see’s the Bury situation repeated if better controls at this level and L1 are put in place.

 

[GTFCfish]

Reminds me a bit of 2009/10 when you had the likes of Dagenham, Aldershot and Morecambe make the plays offs (and go up in Daggers case).

Yeah that was a great season that one.

 

[GEORGE]

There is no outstanding team at the moment. Tbh, I thought we would be that team, but our home form is dreadful and we’ve been absolutely fucked with injuries. Dion Conroy, who has only been back from an ACL for about 20 games did it again yesterday. Left the pitch in tears.

You should have bought Bennett then. Maybe Jan ??

 

[valefan16]

Yeah that was a great season that one.

Was a weird season, we actually lost less than anyone else except the champions yet finished 10th!

Two of those play off sides are now non league and the other perennial relegation battlers

 

[GTFCfish]

Was a weird season, we actually lost less than anyone else except the champions yet finished 10th!

Two of those play off sides are now non league and the other perennial relegation battlers

And we were relegated to the National League.

 

[Chris FGR]

And we were relegated to the National League.

So that probably wasn't the year you all lifted your Chairman up on your shoulders and sang "There's Only One John Fenty" then....

 

[Indian Dan]

You should have bought Bennett then. Maybe Jan ??

Can’t see him playing CB!

 

[Vanni]

It’s a shitter quality league which has led to a better more open division as it stands.

The cream (big spenders such as Bradford, Mansfield and Plymouth) may rise to the top as the season progresses and tweaks are made but so far it’s not as cut and dried.

Reminds me a bit of 2009/10 when you had the likes of Dagenham, Aldershot and Morecambe make the plays offs (and go up in Daggers case).

Fairly open.

Spot on Valefan. It's only the poor quality (or the averageness of most sides) that is making L2 more open.

Calderwood did say the other week that he thinks as many as 15 sides can make the play offs this season, and I think he's got a point. Just about the only side that I can safely say will definitely not make the top 7 is Stevenage, and not because they're still w/o a win so far. They have to sign a good 5/6 decent players to go places and I don't see this happening. OTOH, most other sides are only short of one or two players to stand a chance of making the the top 7.

Mind you, an open league keeps things interesting so i'm not grumbling. I can honestly say that this year not a single team scares me, unlike previous seasons. But not fearing anyone (when the club you support is only a mid table one) strongly suggests that the league is not a strong one.

 

[GTFCfish]

So that probably wasn't the year you all lifted your Chairman up on your shoulders and sang "There's Only One John Fenty" then....

I would guess not, no.

 

[Deepcut Cobbler]

Snatched a draw from the jaws of victory for the second week running!!
'Cruising' 2-0 up again and managed to concede two to lose another two points.
This on the back of the 1-0 up 2-1 down at Bradford is becoming too much of a habit!
KC needs to sort his tactics and substitutions and not go to sit back to defend a lead, the old phrase "the best form of defence is attack" never wears out.

 

[Chris FGR]

Mark Cooper has now been 'promoted' to Head Coach apparently, with Head of Recruitment Richard Hughes becoming our Director of Football. Not sure if it makes any difference whatsoever, but it's exciting news according to the club.

 

[Luke Imp]

Bit of a shit promotion being given less responsibility and not necessarily being able to sign the players he wants.

From memory, and someone will correct me if necessary, he operated under a Head Coach role at Swindon and it worked out ok and I think I said when FGR appointed him that he's probably more a Head Coach type.

I've never been sure about the Head Coach and Head of Recruitment / Director of Football role anyway. It just seems to easy for conflict between the two of them because the former are effectively given a list that the latter has drawn up. An easy excuse if needed.

We operated under a similar structure in 2006/07 with John Schofield and John Deehan and it didn't really work.

 

[James Frost]

My point is Newport getting promoted using their tactics will get them nowhere apart from getting relegated back to L2. If you are happy about getting to L1 as the pinnacle of your ambition, then fair enough.

Sustainable football is a must. I’m not sure that a Swindon Town fan can take any moral high ground on that though...

Two administrations plus a £13 million bail out after you were promoted under Di Canio wasn’t it?

That’s next level shithousery. Teams should compete within their means otherwise they are cheating the other clubs in the competition.

 

[Agombar stool]

Sustainable football is a must. I’m not sure that a Swindon Town fan can take any moral high ground on that though...

Two administrations plus a £13 million bail out after you were promoted under Di Canio wasn’t it?

That’s next level shithousery. Teams should compete within their means otherwise they are cheating the other clubs in the competition.

That's what I call a frosty reception!!

We are now running on a sustainable basis having seemingly learnt from the past.

Well done though on taking irritating 'whataboutery' to the next level. FWIW I have no issue with teams playing to their strengths, isn't that the beauty of the game? It would be dull as hell if everyone played like Man City. I think Newport should be rightly proud of their recent success, in both the league and their cup run. If they play a more agricultural way, well so be it.

 

[Indian Dan]

What bail out was that? What are you on about?

Andrew Black, who bankrolled di Canio, decided to back out. Sold the club debt free and took his financial hit.

The administration was nothing to do with overspending, it was the usual story of rogue owners fleecing the club.

If you’re fine with extreme shithousery and hoofball, good for you.

 

[LeonTheGreen]

Scunthorpe at home today, never forget that Josh Morris goal last season. Hope we smash em

 

[Bottega Don]

Scunthorpe at home today, never forget that Josh Morris goal last season. Hope we smash em

You can't still be bitter about that surely? The goal had no impact on either of our seasons. Josh Morris doesn't even play for us anymore and the manager who let it happen isn't our manager.

You absolutely will beat us. We haven't won away since January and we have injuries galore

 

[Si Robin]

Our game with Newport next week has been called off due to international call-ups!!

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Ahead to a Mills pen put in on the rebound. Patchy stream but from what I saw we're worth it, though Crawley coming forward well too and not out of it by any stretch. Same team as last week not surprisingly from us.

 

[Stripes]

Joe Mills resumes as top scorer, what a guy.

More goals to come. Crawley will score at some point, so we will need to score again!

 

[Chris FGR]

No match thread? Shame on you other FGR fans, do I have to do it every fucking week..,..

Playing ok so far, Crawley dangerous some big lads up top, need a second.

 

[LeonTheGreen]

I’ll go on record now and say we will be in L2 this time next season. Not good enough. We’ll always concede and we don’t score anywhere near enough.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Saw that out, gave Crawley bit of a soft goal back through slack defending though their move was fine, also need top draw save when one of their lads had a cracking volley, they always had something coming forward. Still, shook ourselves down and got back on top. We were top of the league last i looked at a live table! This lot are coming together and expect we can stay up at the play-off end at the business end of the season.

 

[James Frost]

Unlucky Carlisle but what a goal to win it!

 

[Carver]

I'm quite shocked that Shoddy Collins and Hellogregory are nowhere to be seen today.

I must be the only Carlisle fan left now..

 

[dedwardp]

I thought Graham Westley was still in charge of Stevenage today, christ.

 

[Chris FGR]

I'm quite shocked that Shoddy Collins and Hellogregory are nowhere to be seen today.

I must be the only Carlisle fan left now..

Maybe they actually went to the game?

 

[Casey]

Been at work all day so no idea if the FGR v Crawley result was fair or not but we have to do something with our defence! The individual players ain't too bad for this level but we have let in 8 goals in the last three games.

From the sidelines it looks as though the full backs are flying forward but only trotting back and we are playing without a holding midfielder. We can't rely on world class goalkeeping and last ditch tackles to keep us in games.

Casey

 

[shoddycollins]

Unlucky Carlisle but what a goal to win it!

Sounded like we were the more likely team to score, I believe that was Newports only shot on target, but that's why we're where we are and they're where they are. Scoring goals is the key attribute that determines whether you win games.

 

[Stripes]

We do seem to have found a goal threat in the last two games. That made the difference today. The Crawley defence we're pressured and duly obliged. The recently returned Liam Shepherd adding a threat from the right previously missing. That alone a big improvement.

The Crawley forwards looked really sharp all game, and it came as no surprise they got one, they look like a side that will cane sides who are not giving 100%.

Our first penalty looked pretty soft, but hay ho..

Too early to get excited, Exeter next-up!