Indian Dan’s L2 Hatchet Job

[Indian Dan]

Bradford City - L2 heavyweights this season. Any hangover from last season’s dreadful campaign could derail them. ID says POs.

Cambridge Utd - looked to have upgraded squad slightly. ID says a stress free season.

Carlisle Utd - strange recruitment goings on up here. Best players going, unknowns and seemingly journeymen coming in. ID says a season of struggle.

Cheltenham - no reason to think they will struggle. Slowly improving squad season on season. ID says comfortably mid table

Colchester - difficult to assess. Best players going/gone and recruitment unlikely to be as good. ID says knocking about but missing out on POs.

Crawley - a couple of decent looking signings so far. ID says another comfortable season

Crewe - steady improvement late on last season. If they can continue to improve a good season awaits. ID says PO dark horses.

Exeter - difficult to continually sell your better players and still maintain your position. ID says slight decline continues.

FGR - very similar comments as Exeter. I’ll always mark down Chuckles. ID says outside the POs.

Grimsby - appears to be something going on in fish land. Good, experienced signings and some feel good factor at last. ID says top half, possible PO dark horse.

Orient - desperately sad start for the National League champions. Losing a lot of goals from the team will be hard to replace. ID says bottom half, possibly occasional panic.

Macclesfield - changing their name to Houdini Town. Another season of struggle awaits. ID says relegation candidates.

Mansfield - no Flitcroft a massive bonus, untried manager bit of a negative. Lost Walker’s goals. ID says hard to see them not making the POs at least.

Morecambe - hard to see anything other than a right old struggle. ID says relegation candidates.

Newport - fantastic last season and, as yet, have kept most of the team together. Fuckers to play against. ID says difficult to emulate last season - top half.

Northampton - signed a raft of players early. Too many draws last season did for them. ID says improvement expected, POs.

Oldham - not a happy ship at BP, I think. Got money from sales - will they spend it though? ID says mid table.

Plymouth - limp wristed end to last season. New manager, new players, good stadium and fans. ID says POs.

Port Vale - clouds are lifting over Vale Park. A good club and fans that deserve better. ID says my dark horses for POs.

Salford - everybody’s hopeful failures. Big money signings abound but will take time to adjust. ID says mid table.

Scunthorpe - got to admit I know very little about the Iron. ID says there or thereabouts but maybe not quite making POs.

Stevenage - sniffing around the POs last season. Couple of decent signings. ID says a similar season awaits.

Swindon

Walsall - poor season saw them enter the Twilight Zone. Losing Cook a big blow. ID says a meh season on the cards.

 

[shoddycollins]

ID says

Promotion Contenders (at least playoffs)
Mansfield

Playoff Contenders
Bradford
Northampton
Plymouth

Playoff Outsiders / Top Half
Crewe
Exeter?
Grimsby
FGR
Newport
Vale
Scunthorpe
Stevenage

Mediocrity/Comfort (depending on your perspective)
Cambridge
Cheltenham
Crawley
Orient
Oldham
Salford
Walsall

Relegation Scrap
Carlisle
Macclesfield
Morecambe

ID seems to not be giving us the complete picture

 

[Indian Dan]

Not really. Maybe I should have changed my PO forecasts to just top 7 forecasts - of which there are 4 defo and 7 possibles. I just didn’t bother with autos

 

[BlackHaddock]

No one has assembled their 'squad' fully yet and training hasn't even started. Your assessment of each teams worth currently is therefore just a stab in the dark.

Thanks.

 

[Indian Dan]

Of course it is. Even when squads are formulated. Only a bit of boring out of season bollocks.

 

[JJ1532]

Our squad is not far off done. We'll lose one, maybe 2. We'll add 1-2 more. The bulk of our build is finished.

As for some of the assessments, some I'd disagree on so far are:

Cambridge - Not seeing the upgrade to be honest. An unproven from Villa, a seemingly decent RB from Swindon and a player that Port Vale didn't want. Where are the goals that they badly lacked last season? Think they'll struggle if they don't add some serious firepower.

Salford - They'll be up there. They only need to be within touching distance of the top 7 come January and they'll chuck a load more money at it to push them into the play-off race. I doubt they struggle, Alexander knows this level well enough to avoid that.

It's funny that with the season drawing ever closer, I'm looking at a lot of squads and not seeing a lot of quality or many teams to be feared. Sure, some will overachieve and do surprisingly well, but out of 4-5 teams, the rest of the league, like last year, looks wide open. Most teams should feel like they have a genuine shot at making the top 7.

 

[Si Robin]

I'll be surprised if Alexander sees out the season, I suspect he's ultimately their weak link.

We're fine in defence and up front (assuming Reuben Reid does sign) - it's in the middle of the park we're extremely short.

 

[shoddycollins]

It's funny that with the season drawing ever closer, I'm looking at a lot of squads and not seeing a lot of quality or many teams to be feared. Sure, some will overachieve and do surprisingly well, but out of 4-5 teams, the rest of the league, like last year, looks wide open. Most teams should feel like they have a genuine shot at making the top 7.

Looking at ins and outs so far, seems quite a few teams are yet to pull their fingers out. Scunthorpe so far appear to be going with the team they finished last season with, though that might not be a bad thing, think they were the most competitive of the relegated sides. Mansfield have made one marquee signing, Stevenage and Oldham have been very quiet. Colchester and Plymouth really need to get going. There's quite a lot of transfer window left but you'd think a team who released so many players on relegation and are fancied to bounce back would be throwing their weight around in the transfer market by now. Before Salford get their chequebook out, the fact they haven't done a huge amount of business yet is ominous.

So far, impressive starts to window from Northampton and possibly Exeter to, though so far Exeter are really just replacing what they lost. Promising movement too from Swindon and Crawley.

 

[Conker]

Probably only looking at another 4/5 signings for Mansfield, and one of them will probably be a loan goalkeeper because Bobby is out until October.

 

[shoddycollins]

Should give anyone hope that you could be looking at a season of struggle/mediocrity but that could yet be changed by one or two game-changing signings. That doesn't even have to mean you fought off stiff competition to sign them, sometimes the right player just turns up at your door look at the likes of Ashley Nadesan going to Crawley based on location.

 

[Kim Jong Un]

ID says is the new AS YOU WERE

 

[valefan16]

Its still too soon as mentioned many haven't done much business at this point, if we sign Cullen as rumoured tomorrow that will big a boost for us for example. At this stage I think we will improve on the past two seasons but by how much I don't know as yet and cant predict.

At the moment Bradford have made good signings, Plymouth look as though they will be Bury Mk II so should be up there.

Salford have made a couple but everyone will expect far more from them come August signings wise.

Crewe - Lost goals, if they can replace them assume will be around about where they were last season again, better start maybe bother the PO picture.

That said we all looked at Notts as promotion contenders...

Of the sides coming down I think Walsall will struggle the most.

Orient should do ok coming up.

Morecambe will scrap survival again.

Carlisle fans will predict doom for the 8000th season running but do ok.

 

[Indian Dan]

None too bad on the prediction front so far.

 

[GTFCfish]

None too bad on the prediction front so far.

Grimsby - appears to be something going on in fish land. Good, experienced signings and some feel good factor at last. ID says top half, possible PO dark horse.

Mansfield - no Flitcroft a massive bonus, untried manager bit of a negative. Lost Walker’s goals. ID says hard to see them not making the POs at least.

Stevenage - sniffing around the POs last season. Couple of decent signings. ID says a similar season awaits.

 

[denzel ecfc]

None too bad on the prediction front so far.

I'm still waiting for our slight decline

 

[Indian Dan]

I'm still waiting for our slight decline

We all are, so get on with it.

 

[Conker]

I keep saying it and nobody is disagreeing with me so I assume we are on the same page, but how shite is L2 this year? It’s definitely dropped even from last season. I’m going to avoid names to stop people getting a tad upset but the teams in and around the promotion places look like previously mid-table L2 sides.

Not that it matters if you get promoted like, it’s just I cannot remember it being this bad.

 

[shoddycollins]

I keep saying it and nobody is disagreeing with me so I assume we are on the same page, but how shite is L2 this year? It’s definitely dropped even from last season. I’m going to avoid names to stop people getting a tad upset but the teams in and around the promotion places look like previously mid-table L2 sides.

Not that it matters if you get promoted like, it’s just I cannot remember it being this bad.

I tend to agree... Exeter definitely have something about them, and FGR are playing decent football if somewhat unorthodox but Swindon are the only 'good' team in this division, and look set to improve in January. I'd just keep an eye on Colchester I think they're putting something together.

 

[Indian Dan]

I keep saying it and nobody is disagreeing with me so I assume we are on the same page, but how shite is L2 this year? It’s definitely dropped even from last season. I’m going to avoid names to stop people getting a tad upset but the teams in and around the promotion places look like previously mid-table L2 sides.

Not that it matters if you get promoted like, it’s just I cannot remember it being this bad.

That’s said every season - without fail. Just because a team was poor last year doesn’t mean they have to be poor this. Teams recruit well, teams recruit poorly. The only thing I will say, is that even a modicum of cash and an astute manager can go a long way in L2.

You can’t tell me that Bradford and Plymouth haven’t made the league that bit stronger than last season. Mansfield are only floundering due to a poor managerial appointment. Nobody else that was knocking about or in the POs last season have really slipped away - Newport maybe. I think teams have got stronger - I know we have. Maybe the poor teams last year have just got poorer, too.

 

[F!RTHY]

This league is absolutely gash - as you were x

 

[Conker]

That’s said every season - without fail. Just because a team was poor last year doesn’t mean they have to be poor this. Teams recruit well, teams recruit poorly. The only thing I will say, is that even a modicum of cash and an astute manager can go a long way in L2.

You can’t tell me that Bradford and Plymouth haven’t made the league that bit stronger than last season. Mansfield are only floundering due to a poor managerial appointment. Nobody else that was knocking about or in the POs last season have really slipped away - Newport maybe. I think teams have got stronger - I know we have. Maybe the poor teams last year have just got poorer, too.

I knew you be against it because you are doing well, but I’m well accustomed to league 2 football being a Mansfield fan and those teams in the promotion spots, including Swindon are a lower standard than usual.

It’s funny how you’ve change tune from previous seasons, but that’s how a standard football fan works I suppose, because I think suggesting it’s got stronger is ridiculous.

 

[Indian Dan]

I’d say L1 is a much poorer quality league than usual this season.

You can really only tell once a team gets promoted and see how they get on up a league.

 

[BlackHaddock]

Pish, we are all Pish. Except us, we are Phish!

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Compared to 2016-17 (our first season of this spell) the league is more wide open. The top 4 then were Pompey, Plymouth, Donny and Luton (think of all the money spent there) and you had an in-form Exeter side in the playoffs with promoted Blackpool and a strong Carlisle side that have regressed since then. But now clear philosophies whether it's direct and physical or possession based and attacking, as opposed to big budgets (Mansfield, Salford we're looking at you) are being rewarded for a change and I find it makes it a far more entertaining league.

I think some bottom half sides are very harsh and maybe a tad envious of not being a part of this wide open promotion battle though because Exeter and Plymouth have played some lovely stuff when I saw them. On the other hand, Northampton, Colchester and Forest Green have the defensive organisation to go deep into the business end of the season. We're playing our best football since 2002-03 ourselves. Swindon were abysmal at our place but they're scoring goals and winning games. I liked the look of Cheltenham but I think they lack the depth and wins to keep it going for a full season and they'll tail off. The only side that are baffling me with their presence in the promotion race are Bradford who really looked a poor side early on in the season at our place who we really should've put to the sword. They seem to draw or narrowly win games every week which is why they're there but there is quality in that squad, it's just being managed in a pragmatic fashion which is typical of Gary Bowyer.

 

[valefan16]

It’s open I’d say that; none of the top sides have impressed me but that’s because we’ve beaten most of them! Whereas you have the standard anti football cloggers trying to boot you off the park at home too.

It’s intriguing and open, FGR have been out of form, think Crewe had a 2 in 7 or 8 win rate before Saturday and Cheltenham had been on/off yet have still managed to stay in position, we’d picked up 3 points from 15 and still stayed in tenth so it’s close but not many teams have then upped it to put pressure on the top lot apart from Colchester and Cobblers. Salford have started to pick up so may be a dark horse to push on especially if they spend in January.

Aside from the bottom 2 (even then Stevenage have drawn a lot) and Macc who have been off field deducted points it’s fairly good but doesn’t seem to have any real quality sides apart from Swindon maybe at the levels of some of the sides we’ve seen in recent years such as Lincoln or Luton for example.

Not been any real massive spenders and Mansfield who maybe have we’re only spending to replace what they’d lost in the summer. Salford didn’t even spend as big as we all expected so you’ve seen some teams such as Crewe, Northampton, Cheltenham and Vale improve after years of relative struggle.

 

[Vanni]

When discussing this sort of stuff, I like to hear what two ground hopping friends of mine reckon, esp. when they're 'neutrals' as they both support a PL side. Their opinion is the same as mine, L2 is a poor league this year, and the standard is dropping in L1 and the conference as well.

Mind you, a poor league means a more open league so I'm not complaining. But one thing I don't get is that the lower leagues should in reality get stronger the more time goes by. Surely the influx of foreign players in the PL and the Championship should be reflected in more quality players dropping down a level or two?

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

When discussing this sort of stuff, I like to hear what two ground hopping friends of mine reckon, esp. when they're 'neutrals' as they both support a PL side. Their opinion is the same as mine, L2 is a poor league this year, and the standard is dropping in L1 and the conference as well.

Mind you, a poor league means a more open league so I'm not complaining. But one thing I don't get is that the lower leagues should in reality get stronger the more time goes by. Surely the influx of foreign players in the PL and the Championship should be reflected in more quality players dropping down a level or two?

In theory you're correct. But what the PL mega-riches have created now is a culture of young English players not making it into the big leagues and many of them lose their drive. That's why you're getting so many former big prospects turning out in non league whether it be the Vanarama leagues or the old glue leagues. Some have been on fat five figure weekly wage contracts for 3,4,5 years that have turned them into millionaires. So they lack the desire to play full time for £1/2K a week when they can train two evenings and pick up a few expenses turning out for Tooting and Mitcham or Radcliffe Borough or Rushall Olympic. There are a lot of FL standard players in many of the regional leagues on ability, they just simply lack the drive to get back there, preferring an easy life instead.

And those are the ones that still want to play football. There are many others that just turn their backs on the game full stop once the big PL club pulls the plug...

 

[Indian Dan]

In the end, does it really matter. Get promoted and see if you can be competitive in L1. This year’s looks very poor.

Could do with Sunderland putting a run together.

 

[Vanni]

In theory you're correct. But what the PL mega-riches have created now is a culture of young English players not making it into the big leagues and many of them lose their drive. That's why you're getting so many former big prospects turning out in non league whether it be the Vanarama leagues or the old glue leagues. Some have been on fat five figure weekly wage contracts for 3,4,5 years that have turned them into millionaires. So they lack the desire to play full time for £1/2K a week when they can train two evenings and pick up a few expenses turning out for Tooting and Mitcham or Radcliffe Borough or Rushall Olympic. There are a lot of FL standard players in many of the regional leagues on ability, they just simply lack the drive to get back there, preferring an easy life instead.

And those are the ones that still want to play football. There are many others that just turn their backs on the game full stop once the big PL club pulls the plug...

The more I think about it the more I think you're right; that's the most logical explanation I've come across so far. It's not like they really need to train every single day for a L2 wage, and truth be told, 2K is peanuts to them and not worth the hassle.

I don't know if that's the road I'd take if I were in their shoes though, but I can understand why they choose to.

 

[Vanni]

In the end, does it really matter. Get promoted and see if you can be competitive in L1. This year’s looks very poor.

Could do with Sunderland putting a run together.

Chill bro! I can't speak for others but I do know that I'm not implying that Swindon and all the other promotion seeking sides will only be going up because the league is a poor one this year.