Division Three, 2024/25

[TANGODANCER]

Cardiff could go either way this season but I'm surprised more names haven't been flung toward the hat.

https://www.ntt20.com/p/championship-ma ... many-names

"Getting your ducks in a row in May or early June makes a lot of sense." Quote..

Only fault I can see with that is until the season starts we won't actually know if we've guessed right in tossing the proverbial coin. It's Roulette with just two colours. I can sympathise with the off-field team worries with money always a joker in the pack, but the fact it's the same for the whole league is at least a hopeful gambit and as often said, in the final countdown it's up to the players. Whoever they may be is the Nostradamus factor. As ever, Que Sera Sera.

[TonyDomingos]

FT Charlton 1-0 Orient. Happy with that.

[HMX]

Happy with Wimbledon joining us next season. Decent away day with some friends and TW folk!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Happy with Wimbledon joining us next season. Decent away day with some friends and TW folk!

Hopefully - if tickets don't sell out in a flash. I'm glad for the club itself, as well as because it's my closest league ground (since Sutton went dahhhn).

[Frank Drebin]

Before a transfer has been completed, the bookies have the 3 promoted teams as favourites for promotion.
We’re rated 4th,
1. Luton
2. Cardiff
3. Plymouth
4. Bolton

[Worthy4England]

Might keep me tenner in my pocket for now...

[TonyDomingos]

Might keep me tenner in my pocket for now...

Physical cash? How quaint!

[knobpolisher]

Yep they look like the three relegated teams to me.

[Frank Drebin]

Yep they look like the three relegated teams to me.

B’Jaysus, I read it after I posted and still didn’t see it. Of course I meant the 3 relegated teams are favourites for promotion.

I presume Luton are favourites because of the parachute money they’re still receiving.
Cardiff and Etete, nah! Not for me.
Plymouth, well they don’t have Schumacher this time around.

[knobpolisher]

Interesting point re Luton, they had the parachute payment last year but that didn't stop them freefalling. The stadium itself holds approx 12K when full so not a massive income stream and I can see an exodus of players. Think I would rather be us than them.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Interesting point re Luton, they had the parachute payment last year but that didn't stop them freefalling. The stadium itself holds approx 12K when full so not a massive income stream and I can see an exodus of players. Think I would rather be us than them.

Agreed on the whole. Although their relative wealth differential is greater in this division, I don’t suspect they’ll be hoovering up talent as per the season just finishing. The only way it might really affect us is a direct auction for the same player; then again, we fought off Wrexham for one player last summer and it’s fair to say it’s not worked out impeccably.

[Wrighty92]

I'd definitely say of the relegated teams, Luton is the one I'm most concerned about at the top end of the table. It's not so much the players they will go out and sign, more that they have a manager who was doing really well last season until he ditched Wycombe (with far less resources) and in January, they spent a fair amount on players who presumably will stay with them now to try and get promoted (Aasgard from Wigan, Isiah Jones from Boro, Mark McGuiness from Cardiff as well as various others signed last summer and January in deals totalling well over £30 million). Let's say they were to come down, sign Richard Koné from Wycombe and then just maintain their squad, they'd certainly be an issue)

Cardiff I'm far less worried about, mainly because they remind me of Huddersfield from last season, in that their fans seem to think they're an absolute mess, which seems a fair assumption to make.

Plymouth I'm more mixed as it'll depend on who they keep and sign to a degree, but they've already sneakily picked up Caleb Watts from rivals Exeter, winning the fans some early bragging rights.

As for other general contenders, we've already established of the playoff losers, Orient are losing their key men back from loans. Wycombe will likely lose their key man (Koné) and were in free-fall, Stockport seem like they may lose all 3 of their starting CBs (Hills from his loan, Horsfall offered a new contract but likely to step up to Championship (hopefully) and Ethan Pye could secure them a couple of million in funds but would be tough to replace.

Then only Reading finished above us (in arguably our worst season since the relegation to league 2). Reading now financially secure and Lewis Wing tied down to a contract, could be an issue. Huddersfield may also be okay depending on manager choice.

All in all, I don't think the league will be as strong this year as last year, but I do think we'll need to massively sort ourselves out to be in with a shout of autos and I really don't fancy us to have another go at the playoffs, god forbid.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Good review, Wrighty. Some fine points.

Was thinking after posting the above that Bloomfield had had a good six months with Wycombe, but I do suspect Luton is a different, harder job. At Wycombe, post-Ainsworth they were probably praying for stability and turned to a 550-game club legend to replace him. Replacing Ainsworth in Feb 2023, he won just 4 of the remaining 15 league games to slip from 7th to 9th; the following season, they went backwards and finished 10th. He then had a superb six months but I can see why Luton fans aren't united in joy about him.

[BWFC_Insane]

I'd definitely say of the relegated teams, Luton is the one I'm most concerned about at the top end of the table. It's not so much the players they will go out and sign, more that they have a manager who was doing really well last season until he ditched Wycombe (with far less resources) and in January, they spent a fair amount on players who presumably will stay with them now to try and get promoted (Aasgard from Wigan, Isiah Jones from Boro, Mark McGuiness from Cardiff as well as various others signed last summer and January in deals totalling well over £30 million). Let's say they were to come down, sign Richard Koné from Wycombe and then just maintain their squad, they'd certainly be an issue)

Cardiff I'm far less worried about, mainly because they remind me of Huddersfield from last season, in that their fans seem to think they're an absolute mess, which seems a fair assumption to make.

Plymouth I'm more mixed as it'll depend on who they keep and sign to a degree, but they've already sneakily picked up Caleb Watts from rivals Exeter, winning the fans some early bragging rights.

As for other general contenders, we've already established of the playoff losers, Orient are losing their key men back from loans. Wycombe will likely lose their key man (Koné) and were in free-fall, Stockport seem like they may lose all 3 of their starting CBs (Hills from his loan, Horsfall offered a new contract but likely to step up to Championship (hopefully) and Ethan Pye could secure them a couple of million in funds but would be tough to replace.

Then only Reading finished above us (in arguably our worst season since the relegation to league 2). Reading now financially secure and Lewis Wing tied down to a contract, could be an issue. Huddersfield may also be okay depending on manager choice.

All in all, I don't think the league will be as strong this year as last year, but I do think we'll need to massively sort ourselves out to be in with a shout of autos and I really don't fancy us to have another go at the playoffs, god forbid.

Yeah seems reasonable. Always someone who surprises too.

[nicholaldo]

Huddersfield Town appoint Lee Grant as their new manager.

It's his first managerial role and, on the face of it, I'd guess that's likely to be better news for us than it could've been.

[BWFC_Insane]

Huddersfield Town appoint Lee Grant as their new manager.

It's his first managerial role and, on the face of it, I'd guess that's likely to be better news for us than it could've been.

Weird one. Having said that Mousinho did well at Pompey. It’s hard to say with first time appointments how they might work out.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Bang goes the hope of Evatt and Markham giving us money back on their hubristic purchases. Well, Huddersfield's money, at least.

[Harry Genshaw]

Plymouth tweeted tonight that Muslic has been given permission (reluctantly) to speak to Schalke.

I was surprised to see Barry-Murphy & Buckingham as front runners, ahead of Evatt for the Cardiff job. Evatt's stock must have fallen further than I realised.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Plymouth tweeted tonight that Muslic has been given permission (reluctantly) to speak to Schalke.

I was surprised to see Barry-Murphy & Buckingham as front runners, ahead of Evatt for the Cardiff job. Evatt's stock must have fallen further than I realised.

I'm currently in Plymouth. If you can get a location I could kidnap and drop him off when I pass through Manchester

[TonyDomingos]

Plymouth tweeted tonight that Muslic has been given permission (reluctantly) to speak to Schalke.

Muslic now confirmed at Schalke. Hopefully, Plymouth will re-appoint Rooney.