Division Three, 2024/25

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

A thread for Wanderers-relevant news regarding rivals, expected and actual. Starting with:

Overwhelming title favourites Birmingham City (they're 7/2 with most bookies, nearest rivals around 9/1) have made the obvious choice to go for a tried and tested manager, a wily old character who knows the division and how to get out of it. Only joking, they've appointed a thirtysomething who's never managed grown-ups before - but is of course Highly Regarded In The Game. Chris Davies is his name, formerly Spurs assistant and a long-time sidekick of Brendan 'Brent' Rodgers at Swansea, Liverpool, Celtic and Leicester. So that could go either way, and I think we all know which way we want it to go...

[Worthy4England]

No bugger gets anywhere changing managers, so they'll be well fooked. As second favs for both the title and autos, with a stable plan, we should be nailed on at 5/2. Woop, woop.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

No bugger gets anywhere changing managers, so they'll be well fooked. As second favs for both the title and autos, with a stable plan, we should be nailed on at 5/2. Woop, woop.

They had to change managers, given the previous incumbent's poor health. But it's notable that with their pick of possibilities - including Alex Neil - they went for another of those untried young coaching-badge wielders who keep getting promoted.

[Mar]

Wigan signed ex-loanee, now Wigan loanee, Calvin Ramsay.

Never really hit the ground running here. Hopefully he goes onto bigger and better things, after leaving Wigan.

[Worthy4England]

No bugger gets anywhere changing managers, so they'll be well fooked. As second favs for both the title and autos, with a stable plan, we should be nailed on at 5/2. Woop, woop.

They had to change managers, given the previous incumbent's poor health. But it's notable that with their pick of possibilities - including Alex Neil - they went for another of those untried young coaching-badge wielders who keep getting promoted.

Indeed. Cheap and cheerful. No chance.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/ar ... kk55y3exzo

Peterborough at it again, scooping up non-league strikers who could be worth nowt or could be worth seven figures. It wouldn't be the first time they'd had either of those results – call it the Mason-Clark/Tshimanga Paradox.

Given he's already spent six years in the north-west – and was loaned back over the water to where Eoin Doyle could judge him – you'd hope we knew about this lad and have for some reason (which I'm not going to prejudge) decided not to bid.

[Harry Genshaw]

Peterborough seem to have a really good model and have generated some serious money over the years. Presumably, amongst all their successes (Toney, Clark-Harries, Smodicz, Makail-Smith etc etc) there's been a few duffers too.

I see Huddersfield snapped up a wing back from Lincoln yesterday and their fans are confident of landing Alfie May now.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Peterborough seem to have a really good model and have generated some serious money over the years. Presumably, amongst all their successes (Toney, Clark-Harries, Smodicz, Makail-Smith etc etc) there's been a few duffers too.

I see Huddersfield snapped up a wing back from Lincoln yesterday and their fans are confident of landing Alfie May now.

Was slightly surprised to find that they paid £650,000 for Toney, while in the third tier, so that's hardly finding gold in the dirt. That said, they got £5m for him so it was a gamble that worked.

The same summer (2022) Posh signed Ephron Mason-Clark from Barnet, they also signed David Ajiboye - another wide forward from down the pyramid, in his case Sutton. Last season he was sent back to Sutton on loan and now he's listed. Two summers before that, when they sold Toney, they bought in Clarke-Harris for £1.4m and Szmodics for a seven-figure fee. Szmodics they made some profit on, Clarke-Harris they didn't. Ronnie Edwards, signed that summer from Barnet, might make them a bigger profit yet.

Any signing (or appointment) is a gamble and many, if not most, end in failure. All the successful Wanderers managers I've known have signed some liabilities as well as legends, but those fade from the story with selective memory (often unconscious - why should we remember an Oscar Fernandez over an Okocha?). Similarly, it's easier to remember other team's loud successes than quiet failures.

On another note, I wonder what changed for Alfie May to go so far north? Last summer he seemed to want to get as close as he could to his native Kent. Maybe, like King Arthur Gnahoua, he just needed somewhere on the school run but something's changed his mind. Maybe he just loves Michael Duff.

[GhostoftheBok]

Wanderers managers I've known have signed some liabilities as well as legends, but those fade from the story with selective memory (often unconscious - why should we remember an Oscar Fernandez over an Okocha?).

Blessing Kaku, take a bow.

[officer_dibble]

Has May gone then? Saw he was ‘linked’.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Has May gone then? Saw he was ‘linked’.

Not gone but HTFC expected to up their offer.

In other news, Rotherham have pinched Exeter's left-sided defender Zak Jules – ex of MK Dons, and mentioned not long since by Ghost – on a free. He won't be their highest-profile signing this summer but it's another shrewd one.

[officer_dibble]

If Rotherham gel quickly it’s pretty ominous I think. Could do with playing there in August.

[GhostoftheBok]

The three relegated clubs all having their shit together doesn't fill me with joy.

[officer_dibble]

Nope. Have Wrexham signed Jamie Vardy yet?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Nope. Have Wrexham signed Jamie Vardy yet?

No but they have extended the contracts of Mark Howard, formerly of us, and Steven Fletcher, formerly of everywhere else.

And Hollywood Rob says the contract offer to Gareth Bale is still on the table, if he's bored of golf.

[Worthy4England]

Looks like a top year to escape the Division

[Harry Genshaw]

Ashley Fletcher to Blackpool on a 2 year deal. He looked a class act several years ago in Parky's last championship season. His stats since that Middlesbrough spell though, look decidedly average.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Two more for Rotherham. ex-Wednesday goalkeeper Cameron Dawson and Evans favourite Alex MacDonald, a 34-y-o winger he's managed at three other clubs.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/ar ... 2227ep06zo

[BWFC_Insane]

Well that’s a rough old start to the season. Under pressure right from the off.

Sat Aug 10 Leyton Orient A

Wed Aug 14 Carabao Cup One

Sat Aug 17 Wrexham H

Sat Aug 24 Charlton Athletic A

Wed Aug 28 Carabao Cup Two

Sat Aug 31 Exeter City H

Sat Sep 7 Cambridge United A (International Date)

Sat Sep 14 Huddersfield Town H

[truewhite15]

Well that’s a rough old start to the season. Under pressure right from the off.

Sat Aug 10 Leyton Orient A

Wed Aug 14 Carabao Cup One

Sat Aug 17 Wrexham H

Sat Aug 24 Charlton Athletic A

Wed Aug 28 Carabao Cup Two

Sat Aug 31 Exeter City H

Sat Sep 7 Cambridge United A (International Date)

Sat Sep 14 Huddersfield Town H

I mean. You'd have said that regardless of who we were playing. I'll grant you an upwardly-mobile Hollywood FC and a Huddersfield smarting from relegation - but the rest were mid-table fodder last season.