Looking ahead to next season who do we think the strongest teams may be? Granted it’s a bit early considering there has been little transfer business done. However, going off LP’s comments, and similar from Colchester United’s last season too I would expect to see us both towards the right end of the table if what we were told about coming out the other end of Covid stronger is to stand up.
Of course, Rochdale, Northampton Town, Swindon Town and Bristol Rovers have dropped down from League One, and three of Morecambe, Newport, Tranmere and Forest Green will be staying with us.
From the National League, if Sutton United win tomorrow then they will be promoted into the EFL for the first time in their 123-year history, if not, it it between them and Torquay for the automatic place. If Sutton do win, one of Torquay, Stockport County, Hartlepool, Notts County, Wrexham, Chesterfield, Bromley, Eastleigh or FC Halifax could join them through the play-off (only 6 of those will compete the play-offs but all have a chance of being involved at the moment).
Think Northampton, Swindon and rovers will be up there with good squads. Mansfield and tranmere as well. Orient surprise package. Best managerial appointment of the league by some margin IMO. Salford and Bradford if they spend their higher budgets well. Then the cloggers in Newport always get results.
Finish above at least three of those clubs and you’re in the play offs at least.
Lack of ambition though, a one year rolling contract means he can essentially leave for little to nothing whenever he feels like it. I’m glad we haven’t taken this approach.
Knew we should have pushed the boat out this year to make the playoffs if three of them are getting promoted and only one is staying in League 2. I’m going to put that on Dutton as well
I think it is difficult to tell as like you allude to the effects of COVID are yet to kick in. That might be negated by clubs cutting squad levels and may see players taking salary cuts to get a contract at a club. Be interesting to see how transfer activity plays out. Guaranteed Salford and Mansfield will throw money at it again!
Hope not…But I can see fail being there or there abouts next season as they will push the boat out with what’s seems like a decent board who are forward thinking .
Not too bothered by what’s coming down, couple of them will be up there but nothing to suggest any of them will run away with the league.
Can see Stockport giving it the big 'un if they go up through play offs, signing Paddy Madden on 3 year deal for stupid money shows they’ve following the Salford model.
It is a buyers market again at this level. I would therefore expect there not to be much between the quality of squads on paper.
The successful sides will be the ones who can organise their “much of a muchness” squad into a coherent unit that has a little bit more quality up top than it does “accidents waiting to happen” at the back.
Salford are my new hobby horse of derision, and they’re borderline at the stage of throwing good money after bad now.
Any season you care to name, a squad including Henderson, Hunter, Lowe, Asante, Andrade, Elliott, Wilson, Gibson, and Towell, as well as the best keeper in the division by some distance, should be winning this awful league at a canter, on paper. In a Covid season, where most clubs are exercising a greater degree of caution, but where they’re paying off two accomplished managers for this level, each after a little stretch of time within the confines of the season, plus bringing in half a dozen players in January, it’s pretty much obscene that they didn’t go up automatically, never mind missed the play-offs.
I wonder aloud if their model has plateaued, with players dropping a single level for the big bucks now, instead of two or three, and the annual purchase of a new team is now more of a hindrance, in this regard, than in recent years.
(playoff winners)
