Guardian League One Preview (1 Viewer)

Otis

Well-Known Member
Did I say they were right every time? Is more often than not 'every time?'

i think not.
 

FRY-CCFC

Well-Known Member
simple fact i made was bookies base odds on how much money is spent on the team to go up or down and frankly it varies from bookmaker to bookmaker on sky bet it has us as 4th favourite to win the league behinnd sheff u, mk dons, and swindon ahead of bournemouth :whistle:
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
Yep and if they get it wrong like they do maybe we will finish 14th just like I have predicted!

:whistle:

And yes it does vary, which is why I went on Oddscheker.
 

Mr T - Sukka!

Active Member
Lets get realistic here. In our last 6 competitive matches we achieved 2 out of a possible 18 points. (P6 W0 D2 L4)

All this when we were fighting for our Championship status!

And we add a couple of free signings and lots of people are expecting promotion/play offs?

Its not a case of the fans being negative! The team we follow are negative! FACT!

Dont believe me? Disagree? Look at our last 6 league games! See it now?
 

Martin180

Well-Known Member
Lets get realistic here. In our last 6 competitive matches we achieved 2 out of a possible 18 points. (P6 W0 D2 L4)

All this when we were fighting for our Championship status!

And we add a couple of free signings and lots of people are expecting promotion/play offs?

Its not a case of the fans being negative! The team we follow are negative! FACT!

Dont believe me? Disagree? Look at our last 6 league games! See it now?
The team we follow are negative ?

Dont understand , most of those players have gone .Are the new players negative too ?

For me we have signed better players in the whole than those who have left , and certainly Jennings,Elliott ,Fleck ,Brown and maybe Ball and better than Leaue 1 standard
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
But we have lost some of our best players and replaced them with unknowns who possibly aren't so good.

If we still had Cranie and Keogh in League One I would fancy our chances a lot more.
 

Martin180

Well-Known Member
But we have lost some of our best players and replaced them with unknowns who possibly aren't so good.

If we still had Cranie and Keogh in League One I would fancy our chances a lot more.
Cranie was a passenger last season ,Keogh was a whole-hearted player but my mate described him as his second touch was always a tackle .I think Malaga has serious potential , and Fleck , Barton and Jennings ahead of Clingan the crab ? Up front we now have Ball, Elliott and maybe Polo instead of Platt ??

I think we have done very well so far in the summer and have addressed a lot of last seasons weaknesses
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
Here's hoping.

Not counting my chickens.

When we got Freddie he was supposed to be a really good player and David Bell too and Clingan and McSheff was supposed to shine for us again and McIndoe looked like he was a great buy .... and .....


Too many false dawns.
 

Houchens Head

Fairly well known member from Malvern
Will Pompey do any good? Portsmouth Council have given the club a £1million bridging loan yesterday. Watch them dip into the transfer market and pull the rug out from under everyones feet! Tossers!
 

Martin180

Well-Known Member
Here's hoping.

Not counting my chickens.

When we got Freddie he was supposed to be a really good player and David Bell too and Clingan and McSheff was supposed to shine for us again and McIndoe looked like he was a great buy .... and .....


Too many false dawns.
I agree but that is the nature of the spectator , too much hope and false dawns .All i am saying is that i genuinely feel that this seasons squad as it stands currently looks more balanced and a lot more depth too it .We have signed some unknowns but we have or hopefully signing players with a pedigree more than good enough for this league and maybe higher .Jennings is a very good player , Elliott too , both Fleck and Barton have the potential to be very good for us and i think Malaga is going to be good too .Add them to the players left like Baker , Sheff, Wood , Murphy and others and with the young players like Clarke, Thomas ,Christie ,Cameron and maybe Jeffers i think we have a lot to be optimistic about
 

Lord_Nampil

Well-Known Member
we sign the to trialist (which i think we will) and it looks like there's something in this left back story then you have to say our squad of 30 is capable of finishing in the top 6 and maybe even top 2! Thorn in my eyes has actually brought in the right type of players, its down to his management skills now to deliver...

We need to get rid of this air of negativity around the club, and at the moment the only person who can do that is Thorn, if we win matches that negativity will disappear !!!
 

Martin180

Well-Known Member
we sign the to trialist (which i think we will) and it looks like there's something in this left back story then you have to say our squad of 30 is capable of finishing in the top 6 and maybe even top 2! Thorn in my eyes has actually brought in the right type of players, its down to his management skills now to deliver...

We need to get rid of this air of negativity around the club, and at the moment the only person who can do that is Thorn, if we win matches that negativity will disappear !!!
I `m hoping we start well and by Xmas are selling out the Ricoh and smashing teams ,we certainly have the players to do so :)
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
I would feel a lot more confident with a better manager but I am hoping AT is using last season as a learning curve and that he will make a better fist of it this season.
 

Martin180

Well-Known Member
I would feel a lot more confident with a better manager but I am hoping AT is using last season as a learning curve and that he will make a better fist of it this season.
Can we afford a better manager? We have supposedly had better managers since relegation ...

Thorn might be inexperienced but he wears his heart on his sleeve and wants to play the game the right way ,hopefully last season will have toughened him up and he will demand more from the squad this season .

Am certainly glad we arent starting this season under Hoofroyds stewardship ....
 

Nonleagueherewecome

Well-Known Member
Are only realistic competition in this league is Sheffield united, mk dons, Preston, swindon and donny. These teams and us will make up the top six and the rest will fall way below the play offs like they usually do. Fact is people are over valuing the level of teams in this league, in recent years there have been lots of good teams in this league e.g soton, Wednesday and charlton but not this season. It is fans like you that give our club a losing mentality by never backing the team or manager



I have never heard such tosh in my entire life.

What a stupid statement. You haven't got a clue. I always, always, always back the team, always have, always will. I have been there come rain or shine, been there when other people have turned their backs on the team. Even at Christmas when I said we were going down I still went to every game and backed the team every game.

How on earth can you come out with such ridiculous sweeping statements as this when you don't even know me.

I always back the manager too and have never ever chanted for any manager's head ever.

It's so ridiculous all i can do is to sit here and laugh at how ridiculous what you've just said is.

What a lemon. So wide of the mark it is just purely laughable.

:facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::whistle:

The worse thing is that I'm sure there were plenty of PNE & Sheff U fans who felt like he did about the rest of L1..and promptly had the smugness knocked out of them. The point is that none of Southampton, Charlton or Leeds got straight out of this division, and Preston and Scunthorpe finished bottom half last season. Who the hell are we to be saying "this league is crap, we'll walk it"? If the players and staff take that attitude, we're foooked!

It's worth having a look at the league positions so-called "big" clubs have had after relegation.

Charlton: 2009/10-4th
2010/11-13th
2011/12-1st (P)

Leeds: 2007/08-5th
2008/09-4th
2009/10-2nd (P)

Forest: 2005/06-7th
2006/07-4th
2007/08-2nd (P)

Sheff W: 2003/04-15th
2004/05-5th (P)
2010/11-15th
2011/12-2nd (P)

Saints: 2009/10-7th
2010/11-2nd (P)

Preston: 2011/12-15th

All of those teams can claim to have a richer herritage than CCFC. Many have a much bigger fanbase. In the majority of those cases, it took a takeover by wealthy owners to reverse the terminal decline. And I haven't even mentioned Bradford, Plymouth and Luton..

Time to wake up and realise we need to have a fantastic season if we are going to get out of this division at the first attempt. I really hope we do it, but by not expecting it, the likes of Otis and myself are suffering from realism, not pessimism!

Remember the Sheff Wed "welcome to L1, GET READY FOR CULTURE SHOCK" thread a while back?
 
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Otis

Well-Known Member
Certainly do.

We have had a number of people warn us that it's going to be very tough. We've had ex City players including David Smith who is with Grimsby tell us how tough a league it is. We've had clubs like Forest and Weds and Leeds go down and take quite a while to come back up.

Yet, for some reason we seem to be expecting play-offs and promotion.

I say 14th. Hope I am wrong. To be honest, I just don't wish to see us in yet another relegation dogfight, albeit in a division even lower than before.

If we're midtable this season I won't be calling for Thorn's head and will probably think he's done an okay job. Unfortunately though, I think an awful lot of fans will be turning on him.

I just think it's going to be a lot, lot tougher than many people seem to think on here. If you go over to GMK hardly anyone is predicting playoffs. i dare say no-one is. Most are saying midtable.

Much more sensible in my book. Yet on here? Lots of rose tinted, Sky Blue glass optimism.

We are a failing club and failure is all we have known for a long long time. It's going to be very tough to turn that mentality round.
 
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Astute

Well-Known Member
The worse thing is that I'm sure there were plenty of PNE & Sheff U fans who felt like he did about the rest of L1..and promptly had the smugness knocked out of them. The point is that none of Southampton, Charlton or Leeds got straight out of this division, and Preston and Scunthorpe finished bottom half last season. Who the hell are we to be saying "this league is crap, we'll walk it"? If the players and staff take that attitude, we're foooked!

It's worth having a look at the league positions so-called "big" clubs have had after relegation.

Charlton: 2009/10-4th
2010/11-13th
2011/12-1st (P)

Leeds: 2007/08-5th
2008/09-4th
2009/10-2nd (P)

Forest: 2005/06-7th
2006/07-4th
2007/08-2nd (P)

Sheff W: 2003/04-15th
2004/05-5th (P)
2010/11-15th
2011/12-2nd (P)

Saints: 2009/10-7th
2010/11-2nd (P)

Preston: 2011/12-15th

All of those teams can claim to have a richer herritage than CCFC. Many have a much bigger fanbase. In the majority of those cases, it took a takeover by wealthy owners to reverse the terminal decline. And I haven't even mentioned Bradford, Plymouth and Luton..

Time to wake up and realise we need to have a fantastic season if we are going to get out of this division at the first attempt. I really hope we do it, but by not expecting it, the likes of Otis and myself are suffering from realism, not pessimism!

Remember the Sheff Wed "welcome to L1, GET READY FOR CULTURE SHOCK" thread a while back?

There is realism about our situation. How many say they are expecting a top 2 finish? I expect a top 6 finish. How many of the teams you mentioned were in trouble when relegated and then lost most of their players, leaving a rebuilding period ahead of them. We have been bringing players in. Nobody can say they will be good, but there again nobody can say they will be crap. At least we have strengthened our squad more than most of us thought we would.

You say that it is a culture shock to relegated clubs. I agree. Just wait until we go to grounds that have stands that resemble sheds. Yeovil's ground is quite recent, but we don't have any cover over us. And their ground will be one of the better ones.

So on the fact of where the relegated teams came. 12 finishing positions were 7th or above. 4 others were below 7th. So the majority were playoffs or better. 2 of them were 7th place so missed out on playoffs. Not as though most teams badly struggle though.

Until we get the season underway we can't say we will have a good season. But we also can't say we will have yet another poor season.
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
I think any over optimism comes from it being unpalatable to some that we stagnate in an even worse division. Deep down I don't think many really expect a walkover, they just can't comprehend or face the alternative.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
Fair point.

Maybe it's just gallows humour then? Someone standing in front of a firing squad dreaming what he is going to have for dinner tomorrow!
 

Paxman II

Well-Known Member
There are no rose tinted glasses for me. If you study the league and study the squads including our own then we are among the favourites.

Just being realistic. Nice to see you have stated your position Otis! 14th. Frankly I find that a tad bit pessimistic. So you really think the 13 other teams are going to be better than us? Nah can't see it sorry.

This is a must do season for CCFC and SISU. There is everything about the club riding on it. Fail to produce at least a challenging season and CCFC may fall off the ledge for good. No room for any more mistakes. If AT is not producing after a dozen games I think he will be as good as gone!

So for me it's not just about the quality of players or management it's also about the whole gambit surrounding the club at this juncture.

I'm most looking forward to us winning some for a change and developing that winning mentality.
 

coundonskyblue

New Member
The worse thing is that I'm sure there were plenty of PNE & Sheff U fans who felt like he did about the rest of L1..and promptly had the smugness knocked out of them. The point is that none of Southampton, Charlton or Leeds got straight out of this division, and Preston and Scunthorpe finished bottom half last season. Who the hell are we to be saying "this league is crap, we'll walk it"? If the players and staff take that attitude, we're foooked!

It's worth having a look at the league positions so-called "big" clubs have had after relegation.

Charlton: 2009/10-4th
2010/11-13th
2011/12-1st (P)

Leeds: 2007/08-5th
2008/09-4th
2009/10-2nd (P)

Forest: 2005/06-7th
2006/07-4th
2007/08-2nd (P)

Sheff W: 2003/04-15th
2004/05-5th (P)
2010/11-15th
2011/12-2nd (P)

Saints: 2009/10-7th
2010/11-2nd (P)

Preston: 2011/12-15th

All of those teams can claim to have a richer herritage than CCFC. Many have a much bigger fanbase. In the majority of those cases, it took a takeover by wealthy owners to reverse the terminal decline. And I haven't even mentioned Bradford, Plymouth and Luton..

Time to wake up and realise we need to have a fantastic season if we are going to get out of this division at the first attempt. I really hope we do it, but by not expecting it, the likes of Otis and myself are suffering from realism, not pessimism!

Remember the Sheff Wed "welcome to L1, GET READY FOR CULTURE SHOCK" thread a while back?

The one positive I take from that is all those clubs (Not including preston) did eventually get back to the Championship.

Football clubs always return to their natural level in the end, no club our size has gone down and stayed down.
 

johnwillomagic

Well-Known Member
As someone has already pulled non-leagues argument apart I can only summarise again. Most of those teams used as an example finished play offs or better even if they did not make it up. Think most think with or squad play offs is a minimum and this is realistic. Do not think anyone on here has said we are guaranteed champions with 120 points! :facepalm:

Our squad has a much more healthy balance about it than last year - have my doubts that Otis has put his money where his mouth is with that 14th place prediction with the bookies anyhow! ;)
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
I wouldn't!

As I say, my prediction is based on the fact that it may well take the team every long time to gel, that League One is supposedly very tough and that we still have many of the players who failed us last time out.

Whether or not Thorn failed us is still very much up for debate.

I also said I would be a lot more optimistic with a better, more experienced manager at the helm but we can only play with the cards we have been dealt can't we.

Just not sure at all how AT is going to react and counteract to any distinctly average opening salvo to our League One start should we have one.

If it all gels and the new players look the business and we can stay relatively injury free then I will very much change my prediction.
 

FRY-CCFC

Well-Known Member
i can't take otis seriously as after a pre-season loss he argued that the players wouldn't respect thorn as he looks like someone you wouldn't buy a car off :facepalm: Still waiting on that list of 13 teams that will finish above us :jerkit:
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
That was a joke of course. Thought that was obvious. ;)

You seriously want me to name 13 clubs who will finish above us?

If I could do that I wouldn't be posting on here and would be on my yacht somewhere in the Caribbean organising my trip on the first passenger Moon shuttle.
 

lordsummerisle

Well-Known Member
I wouldn't!

As I say, my prediction is based on the fact that it may well take the team every long time to gel, that League One is supposedly very tough and that we still have many of the players who failed us last time out.

Whether or not Thorn failed us is still very much up for debate.

I also said I would be a lot more optimistic with a better, more experienced manager at the helm but we can only play with the cards we have been dealt can't we.

Just not sure at all how AT is going to react and counteract to any distinctly average opening salvo to our League One start should we have one.

If it all gels and the new players look the business and we can stay relatively injury free then I will very much change my prediction.


Pretty much every team in League One has virtually a new roster of players this season compared to last season Otis.

Don't think that "gelling" will be a problem exclusive to us.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
Let me put it this way for you.

On paper are there 13 teams better than us in this division? Almost certainly not.

Can we play worse than 13 teams in this division? Without a shadow of a doubt.

Not even like you can point to our record against lower league opposition in the past is it. We've been piss poor. Now we are amongst them.

We need to fight like cat and dog to compete in this division. I think we could be in for a very rude awakening.

And Lord, correct me if I am wrong, but weren't many other teams bringing players in weeks before we started to?
 

FRY-CCFC

Well-Known Member
well considering we signed elliot a day after the window opened shows thats wrong<br />
i get we could do a scunithorpe but we have a better squad than scunny and we could also do a leicester or norwich so it could go either way bt there is more of a chance imo of us doing well than bad surely there is more of a chance of bournemouth not gelling than us
 
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