Division Three, 2024/25

[Worthy4England]

Supercomputer klaxon!
https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... irmingham/
Opta says we will win the league, Brum 2nd. Interestingly, Lincoln 5th, Rotherham 7th... and Wrexham 20th. Hmm.

Rarely wrong. I will take that.

Infallible, computers. So no excuses.

[GhostoftheBok]

I have to be honest, Wrexham 20th would crack me up.

[GhostoftheBok]

Keanu Baccus is showing some class against Barnsley tonight.

[Mar]

I have to be honest, Wrexham 20th would crack me up.

Tough league this one. League two seems to be promotion if you've got your act together, certainly a tougher prospect than the national league two team promotion problem.

This one seems like there's always a load of clubs with their act together and it's a case of most consistent gets promoted and then gamble of playoffs.

Them finishing bottom half wouldn't surprise me. That'd be holding onto players too long.

[Worthy4England]

After seeing us get beaten by the team who finished bottom and struggled for wins, at home, last season, I think maybe we should just assume all are capable on their day or if we let them.

[GhostoftheBok]

We dropped about 17 points against the lower half sides, I think it was.

Barnsley have had a poor window so far, but they've just signed an international keeper and have strikers due in.

It's a long season.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

We dropped about 17 points against the lower half sides, I think it was.

This angle interested me so I looked it up.

We dropped 19pts (L3 D5) against lower-half teams (plus another 6 against 12th-placed Wigan, for the record).
Derby dropped 18 (L4 D3).
Pompey dropped 22 (L2 D7).

But Pompey didn't lose a single game against the top 7 (Derby lost 4, we lost 2).

[Worthy4England]

So the moral of the story is just be "on it" every time you cross the whitewash.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

So the moral of the story is just be "on it" every time you cross the whitewash.

Pretty much. Loads of different ways to pile up points into the mid-90s, but they all need an average of 2+ppg.

The efficient way to win promotion is to demolish those around you in the six-pointers, thus actively denying them the chance to get points (on that afternoon or evening).

But you could also lose every game home and away against the top 7 teams that aren't you, win every single game home and away against the other 16, collect your 96pts and go up. I mean it wouldn't exactly look good for the following season, but it would do the job. Probably.

Same as you could win every game home and away against the top 16 (except you), lose to the bottom 7, get 90pts and stay down.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

It's not Division Three, but PNE have dumped Ryan Lowe after one game. I don't wanna give it the "Game's gone", and they drifted in the spring, but unless they have a genius waiting around the corner, it seems both ludicrously early and a bit daft. Maybe he decided he's done enough fog-plaiting. Maybe it's just tiredness all round.

Anyways, despite this untidy ending I reckon he'd be a target for any tier-three team with upward designs – including us, if Evatt's time was declared over. I know the bedsheets are still in the laundry and the pitchforks in the shed, but y'know.

[Prufrock]

He's was not...universally loved down the road. The Evatt haters would lose their minds. More trendy buzzwords but without ever scoring goals. No doubt he'll do all right though, not sure what else they expect in terms of results

[Mar]

Apparently there was a four and a half hour meeting discussing things with Ryan Lowe.

If that was a four and a half hour meeting dragging him over the coals and giving him grief for transfer failings, previous seasons and tactics, he may have just said to hell with it and sacked it off.

It's a long meeting under those sort or circumstances.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Apparently there was a four and a half hour meeting discussing things with Ryan Lowe.

If that was a four and a half hour meeting dragging him over the coals and giving him grief for transfer failings, previous seasons and tactics, he may have just said to hell with it and sacked it off.

It's a long meeting under those sort or circumstances.

Maybe it snowballed and a lot of things that had been unsaid finally got said. Lowe's been frustrated by the finances - imagine being poor in that division - and clearly the board/fans weren't united behind him.

He's was not...universally loved down the road. The Evatt haters would lose their minds. More trendy buzzwords but without ever scoring goals. No doubt he'll do all right though, not sure what else they expect in terms of results

Must be weird being a PNE fan - absolutely smashing your head repeatedly against the ceiling.

Stoke is similar but different - absolutely marooned in lower-midtable for half a decade... but like us they've had the good times in recent memory.

Trevor Hemmings was PNE's Eddie Davies, pumping in millions, till his death. Son's still there but the tap's turned off. As you say, what's the plan now?

[GhostoftheBok]

Wigan's "guaranteed future England international" centre back is off to Hull. Their manager is expecting "a small percentage" of the fee to get a replacement, due to the need to service debt.

Always worth remembering how other League One clubs have it.

[Mar]

Wigan's "guaranteed future England international" centre back is off to Hull. Their manager is expecting "a small percentage" of the fee to get a replacement, due to the need to service debt.

Always worth remembering how other League One clubs have it.

They brought in Will Aimson to replace / cover him. So there's still that coming back to haunt us moment

[GhostoftheBok]

Charlton are worryingly (and unsurprisingly) solid under Jones. Won both their openers. Only lost 2 in 18 in the league since he was appointed. They always have plenty more money to strengthen their squad, too.

Drew too many at the end of last season, but if he turns those into wins they will fly. Not a lot of goals in them with May gone, which may be what kills them off.

[BWFC_Insane]

Charlton are worryingly (and unsurprisingly) solid under Jones. Won both their openers. Only lost 2 in 18 in the league since he was appointed. They always have plenty more money to strengthen their squad, too.

Drew too many at the end of last season, but if he turns those into wins they will fly. Not a lot of goals in them with May gone, which may be what kills them off.

Think he’s a good manager too. Will only work in certain situations but I think he gets it.

[GhostoftheBok]

Think he’s a good manager too. Will only work in certain situations but I think he gets it.

He's definitely a good manager. A wanker, but knows how to organise a team.

[BWFC_Insane]

Think he’s a good manager too. Will only work in certain situations but I think he gets it.

He's definitely a good manager. A wanker, but knows how to organise a team.

Yes agree - completely objectionable on all levels. I like that!

[GhostoftheBok]

Stockport extremely impressive away at Blackpool.

This could be a cracker of a League One season.