League One 25/26 - the Runners and Riders, or Schumacher's First Strike

[truewhite15]

As suggested by TonyDomingo - hopefully it brings us luck!

[TonyDomingos]

Marvellous! This is the thread that sends us up. Might be via the play offs, but who cares?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

"League One" instead of "Division Three"? Woke nonsense! #gamesgone #AMF

[truewhite15]

"League One" instead of "Division Three"? Woke nonsense!

I'm a Premiership era football fan. Division Three means League Two. Or Division Four.

What's in a name, anyhow??

[TonyDomingos]

"League One" instead of "Division Three"? Woke nonsense!

We've transitioned. Get over it.

[BWFC_Insane]

"League One" instead of "Division Three"? Woke nonsense! #gamesgone #AMF

Quite. Wait till Joey Barton sees this.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

https://x.com/StockportCounty/status/19 ... 8445415781
Stockport sign Posh LB Tayo Edun, who always impressed me. Replacement for Ibou Touray, likely to join Bradford.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

https://x.com/wwfcofficial/status/1935978452026343857

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

https://x.com/leytonorientfc/status/1936084125032632597

[Bertie Wooster]

I'll be totally honest I'm very happy with SS's signings to date, however as it stands IMO we are nowhere near good enough to challenge for a top 2 spot. Apart from Dalby we have absolutely nothing upfront or any back up to Dalby if he gets injured (which as we know as a club, we do get lots of quite serious injuries).

I personally think that we need another 3 new players of which 2 need to be attackers, and one a pacy winger.

[BWFC_Insane]

I'll be totally honest I'm very happy with SS's signings to date, however as it stands IMO we are nowhere near good enough to challenge for a top 2 spot. Apart from Dalby we have absolutely nothing upfront or any back up to Dalby if he gets injured (which as we know as a club, we do get lots of quite serious injuries).

I personally think that we need another 3 new players of which 2 need to be attackers, and one a pacy winger.

These things are hard to predict and hard to read this early. Watched enough of league one to know it’s often about consistency and getting the luck with injuries and players in form at the right times.

Some teams click and others don’t or take longer.

Hard to read. I would if I’m being really honest be surprised if we are troubling the top 2 as it stands.

My expectation for next season is to make the play offs probably 5th or 6th. If I’m honest I think that’s most likely looking at things as it stands.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

We're partway through a rebuild - maybe only halfway, if we can shift enough deadwood.

Plenty other teams with lots to do, whether they were in the second, third or fourth tier last season.

Many yards to walk yet.

[Bertie Wooster]

As well as needing more attacking options & pace upfront, we still need a proper experienced leader IMO to be SS's voice on the pitch

We need a new captain and proper leader to lead by example.

[BWFC_Insane]

We're partway through a rebuild - maybe only halfway, if we can shift enough deadwood.

Plenty other teams with lots to do, whether they were in the second, third or fourth tier last season.

Many yards to walk yet.

Yeah there are and sometimes teams just click and others don’t. But it’s hard to say we’ve made up enough ground or will make up enough ground on the teams that finished above us including the three from the league above and those ambitious lot below us who have undoubtedly on paper at least stolen a march.

I feel like we still need a left back, two wingers, another striker and there are still question marks over our defenders and some of the midfield.

Whilst we could click and find a way through it feels to me like we will be adjusting till after January to get somewhere close to ideal and maybe even after that.

It’s also clear we aren’t throwing money at it so one assumes that we will be comfortably outspent by a few. No real complaints there but being realistic I do think top two feels unlikely at this stage.

[Bertie Wooster]

SS's body language in his interview today comes across like he's confident and knows something we don't - therefore I await to be blown away next week, although all of our signings to date are decent none of them have made me think fcuk me this guy will get us up next season or how have we pulled that one off etc.

I have very little faith in any of our players from last season stepping up enough and that's my worry. however 4 -5 more as our insider has indicated has made me a little more hopeful.

[sonicthewhite]

I agree with all the points discussed already. If we can maintain pace with the play offs pack, then with some astute signings in January, we could conceivably make a push for the automatic slots. I know, I know, lots of ifs, buts and maybes, but it's the hope that gets you

[The_Gun]

I'll be totally honest I'm very happy with SS's signings to date, however as it stands IMO we are nowhere near good enough to challenge for a top 2 spot. Apart from Dalby we have absolutely nothing upfront or any back up to Dalby if he gets injured (which as we know as a club, we do get lots of quite serious injuries).

I personally think that we need another 3 new players of which 2 need to be attackers, and one a pacy winger.

Absolute bollocks, for me.

There don’t look to be any standout teams in the division thus far, and if we make more good signings we should be right up there.

[Prufrock]

There's no way we shouldn't be top four. There were problems with the group. But also a year ago they were one game from the champo. It's not rip it up. I like SS profile. But there's no way of badging this as a several year job.

I'm not convinced so far, but it's June. But no excuse at all for not being up there. You get rid of goals but a profile you don't like... Fine but you need to be right.

[BWFC_Insane]

There's no way we shouldn't be top four. There were problems with the group. But also a year ago they were one game from the champo. It's not rip it up. I like SS profile. But there's no way of badging this as a several year job.

I'm not convinced so far, but it's June. But no excuse at all for not being up there. You get rid of goals but a profile you don't like... Fine but you need to be right.

That team were never going up in a million years. They came ‘close’ in a very weak league yet couldn’t finish above embargoed Derby or beat Oxford.

No matter they didn’t have the right stuff.

It clearly is a rebuild and Schumacher and Harkin have basically said so.

This team finished 8th last season so I think that’s a better metric than the season before. 8th shows how far off we are - and teams below us are splashing the cash.

I wouldn’t badge it as a several year job - but I’m not convinced you can inherit the useless mess SS did and turn it round completely in one window. For me play offs and we will be better placed within them. Who knows.

[Worthy4England]

10 points off 6th. We were closer on points to relegated Crawley, than second placed Wrexham. We were shitter than the team that went up from L1 by any sensible measure.

When we talk about losing goal scorers. We did just that. Lost Dion replaced him with a can't be arsed and got much worse as Collins press was approsching zero. Funny innit, how we were top of L1 when Collins signed and got worse from there. Gimmie Dion every day of the week.

Collins might look ok as a small Champo purchase to show pony on the last 10 minutes, he's not a guy to build any dreams of promotion from L1, on.

I did say I'd wait until our business was done and will do so, but I'm hopeful, given the noises that we are in the process of having the clearout we needed and play offs should still be a target.