Promotion thread

[kieran_vale]

All of a sudden a little gap has appeared between us and 4th, although Mansfield have a couple in hand on us, which will potentially change things. Our +20 goal difference could also be very crucial.

I think another 4 wins would do it for us but I still can’t bring myself to really believe. Still got to go to Newport, Tranmere and Northampton along with an inform Carlisle. Home games look slightly better on paper but they can be the tricky ones.

One thing I will say is that we have only lost 6 all season which is some effort and if we can just keep that consistency going, we should be fine but still a long way to go.

I’m just hoping Exeter have whatever it is needed sorted out long before the last day or if it’s a case of a draw is good for both then a leisurely stroll in the park and shake hands on it.

 

[masi51]

Had a quick scroll back and despite still being in the play-off places for now i cannot see the 5/6 Tranmere posters from last season. All bar one seemed decent lads....I digress
This is my view and a lot wont take any notice. Not bothered who comes up you will be playing next season in a league of 10 yes including FGR. The top end of lge 1 has too much quality for any team in lge 2. Then you have mid table about 4/6 teams who are to good to go down but wont trouble the top likes of Cambridge and Lincoln
FGR may join that group next season. Finally you will have the the last group who are no better than the top teams in lge 2 and its these you need to beat to stay up and build year by year

 

[FGR Stroud]

Remaining fixtures of the 10 promotion favourites:

 

[Moomin]

I’m just hoping Exeter have whatever it is needed sorted out long before the last day or if it’s a case of a draw is good for both then a leisurely stroll in the park and shake hands on it.

You and me both!

 

[valefan16]

I’m just hoping Exeter have whatever it is needed sorted out long before the last day or if it’s a case of a draw is good for both then a leisurely stroll in the park and shake hands on it.

Could come full circle in theory that Swindon need a win a Vale loss but Vale need a draw and both Vale and Exeter benefit from a point… that would be interesting!

 

[Devon_Lad]

I’m just hoping Exeter have whatever it is needed sorted out long before the last day or if it’s a case of a draw is good for both then a leisurely stroll in the park and shake hands on it.

We'll be promoted by then but probably need a win to secure the title so I wouldn't bank on it being a nothing game for us

 

[Devon_Lad]

Had a quick scroll back and despite still being in the play-off places for now i cannot see the 5/6 Tranmere posters from last season. All bar one seemed decent lads....I digress
This is my view and a lot wont take any notice. Not bothered who comes up you will be playing next season in a league of 10 yes including FGR. The top end of lge 1 has too much quality for any team in lge 2. Then you have mid table about 4/6 teams who are to good to go down but wont trouble the top likes of Cambridge and Lincoln
FGR may join that group next season. Finally you will have the the last group who are no better than the top teams in lge 2 and its these you need to beat to stay up and build year by year

We're only going to have a flying visit. Just a pit stop before we enter the Championship.

 

[shoddycollins]

If you've not already reserved a table in your nearest local good luck getting in to watch it. Gonna be rammed.

think they're setting up fanzones in some of the bigger cities in the country, and also Mansfield.

 

[masi51]

We're only going to have a flying visit. Just a pit stop before we enter the Championship.

Thats the spirit.....A bit of confidence

 

[AdamStag]

think they're setting up fanzones in some of the bigger cities in the country, and also Mansfield.

Everyone in mansfield would be happy for you to beat exeter, providing you let us beat you easter monday

 

[Spanishstag]

We'll be promoted by then but probably need a win to secure the title so I wouldn't bank on it being a nothing game for us

You have some tough games to come don't think you will be certain before the final day

 

[Indian Dan]

We're only going to have a flying visit. Just a pit stop before we enter the Championship.

The problem with that, which applies to a lot of clubs, is that you are essentially a selling club - bit like Crewe. You get a few good players, get promoted, said players get poached and you struggle to replace them with good enough players, then fall back. And with a ground with a capacity of less than 9,000 the revenue isn’t there to refuse offers for players.

It is always thus.

 

[AdamStag]

The problem with that, which applies to a lot of clubs, is that you are essentially a selling club - bit like Crewe. You get a few good players, get promoted, said players get poached and you struggle to replace them with good enough players, then fall back. And with a ground with a capacity of less than 9,000 the revenue isn’t there to refuse offers for players.

It is always thus.

That’s why we need to try and increase our capacity, especially the away end. if we were somehow fortunate enough to go up 1700 or so isn’t going to be close enough for some.

 

[Indian Dan]

It’s a tough one for us bottom feeders. Our ground is big enough but decrepit - luckily we have a new, progressive ownership that is addressing this. The redevelopment would see our capacity raised a bit - up to 18,000, up 3,000 from what it is now.

But for some it’s all a bit chicken and egg. Do you build it and they will come, or invest in the team and ignore the infrastructure. Fans will always moan that money spent on off field activities would be better spent on the playing side.

The aim is to be sustainable at whatever level you’re at.

The inevitable truth is that many clubs who have a good spell will naturally fall back to their natural level soon enough. That has been the death knell for some - Yeovil and Scunny in recent times.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Trick is to build it out of wood, then if you go up you can just nail a few bits on and if you go down you can just burn the bits you don't need.

 

[Devon_Lad]

Everyone in mansfield would be happy for you to beat exeter, providing you let us beat you easter monday

Mansfield are surely not looking high enough up the table to be concerned about our results? Given your away form and fixtures left, play offs is the best you've got.

Final table will be

1.Exeter
2.Port Vale
3.FGR

 

[Devon_Lad]

The problem with that, which applies to a lot of clubs, is that you are essentially a selling club - bit like Crewe. You get a few good players, get promoted, said players get poached and you struggle to replace them with good enough players, then fall back. And with a ground with a capacity of less than 9,000 the revenue isn’t there to refuse offers for players.

It is always thus.

We've had one cycle of players since things really kicked on. That theory would be true if we didn't now have a steady line coming through. We got relegated from L1 when we weren't in a good financial position and had to sell our spine (most of which weren't academy products)

We now have an academy alone that could fit into our squad, the best financial position we've ever been in - We turned down £1m for Josh Key...

As long as the talent keeps coming through we will be fine in L1 & the Champ.

 

[shoddycollins]

We've had one cycle of players since things really kicked on. That theory would be true if we didn't now have a steady line coming through. We got relegated from L1 when we weren't in a good financial position and had to sell our spine (most of which weren't academy products)

We now have an academy alone that could fit into our squad, the best financial position we've ever been in - We turned down £1m for Josh Key...

As long as the talent keeps coming through we will be fine in L1 & the Champ.

It's whether the income from player sales is enough for you to afford a top end L1/Champ squad, because you won't get much use out of your own best academy players before they get poached which I think is the issue Crewe are having. It's a revenue stream that's good to have though and one we're all working on getting. Player sales have probably just about kept us in the league this year if for no other reason then allowing us to sack two managers and get omari Patrick back in.

 

[Indian Dan]

That’s exactly my point. Crewe are the finest example of a cyclical club - up and down like a yo-yo. Rotherham are the same with the Championship and L1. No matter how good you think your academy is, the truth is that they will be sold - either before breaking into the first team or after playing a bit. There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just a bit blinkered thinking that the production line will always produce - cos it will not.

Enticing ‘outside’ players to some clubs is also a problem. As is infrastructure. A small club will always be a small club. A decent player who can see playing with a middle for diddle club will not enhance their long term prospects will want off. Most players only get 1 chance of making a decent living if they have the talent. And staying at a going nowhere club isn’t the answer.

 

[Conker]

Sky Bet got Mansfield 3rd fav for Promotion currently @ 10/11

 

[shoddycollins]

That’s exactly my point. Crewe are the finest example of a cyclical club - up and down like a yo-yo. Rotherham are the same with the Championship and L1. No matter how good you think your academy is, the truth is that they will be sold - either before breaking into the first team or after playing a bit. There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just a bit blinkered thinking that the production line will always produce - cos it will not.

Enticing ‘outside’ players to some clubs is also a problem. As is infrastructure. A small club will always be a small club. A decent player who can see playing with a middle for diddle club will not enhance their long term prospects will want off. Most players only get 1 chance of making a decent living if they have the talent. And staying at a going nowhere club isn’t the answer.

Yeah though to be fair to Rotherham, they've done really well to get into that position. Not that long ago they'd be down here with us.

 

[Indian Dan]

I’m not having a go t clubs who depend on academies. We’re just the same when it comes to recruitment. Some times the recruitment will go well, sometimes it’ll be meh, sometimes it will be disastrous.

Whatever club gets promoted from whatever league it means some of those players are, obviously, better than the league they got promoted from. They need to take their chance of a lucrative move before they get found out that they are not as good as they appeared.

It’s just how it is for all of us.

 

[kieran_vale]

Sky Bet got Mansfield 3rd fav for Promotion currently @ 10/11

I’d say that’s about right. Wins like the last couple Mansfield picked up are the kind that I expect a promotion team to get. They have us fifth favourite behind Northampton. Can maybe debate that one but I’d say it’s close enough between us two.

I’m not totally convinced Salford are dead and buried in this race either as much the thought of that makes me want to throw up.

 

[Devon_Lad]

That’s exactly my point. Crewe are the finest example of a cyclical club - up and down like a yo-yo. Rotherham are the same with the Championship and L1. No matter how good you think your academy is, the truth is that they will be sold - either before breaking into the first team or after playing a bit. There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just a bit blinkered thinking that the production line will always produce - cos it will not.

Enticing ‘outside’ players to some clubs is also a problem. As is infrastructure. A small club will always be a small club. A decent player who can see playing with a middle for diddle club will not enhance their long term prospects will want off. Most players only get 1 chance of making a decent living if they have the talent. And staying at a going nowhere club isn’t the answer.

It's whether the income from player sales is enough for you to afford a top end L1/Champ squad, because you won't get much use out of your own best academy players before they get poached which I think is the issue Crewe are having. It's a revenue stream that's good to have though and one we're all working on getting. Player sales have probably just about kept us in the league this year if for no other reason then allowing us to sack two managers and get omari Patrick back in.

Our academy could compete in high L1/Champ themselves. Granted some we would sell and with that money other academy players will develop or we will use the monies to buy some ourselves. The difference is between us and Crewe is we have players coming through on a much more consistent basis and don't need to buy players when we sell a gem, we just produce another one. We can afford now to sell when we want rather than whenever someone comes in with an offer - see Key. Crewe aren't trust owned and the owner wants profit. It's not a like for like model. We will sell if we are struggling for money, which isn't going to be likely or if the offer is just too good to turn down, in which case we can use that to reinvest completely.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Do Crewe still produce players? I know their record 20 odd years ago, but have many gone on to bigger things in the last 10 years.
I just want to get up and see where we are next season, I suspect we are miles behind a challenge in league one, look at Bolton this season despite their spending. I still think we struggle attracting players from other clubs, its a long way from London, Birmingham and Manchester

 

[leedsvaliant]

Our academy could compete in high L1/Champ themselves. Granted some we would sell and with that money other academy players will develop or we will use the monies to buy some ourselves. The difference is between us and Crewe is we have players coming through on a much more consistent basis and don't need to buy players when we sell a gem, we just produce another one. We can afford now to sell when we want rather than whenever someone comes in with an offer - see Key. Crewe aren't trust owned and the owner wants profit. It's not a like for like model. We will sell if we are struggling for money, which isn't going to be likely or if the offer is just too good to turn down, in which case we can use that to reinvest completely.

Just my opinion, but you still can't rely on players coming through all the time, especially as you move up the leagues. Crewe had a few fallow years before they got promoted last time and then when they go up a level they just come straight back again.

I think in league 1/championship you've got to predominantly make good signings with maybe 1 or 2 youngsters, otherwise you're just bouncing back and forth. That's why it's so rare for clubs to rise from the bottom division up to the Premier league/championship without serious investment. You've just got to hope that you're one of the lucky ones like Burton or Accrington who have far exceeded their capabilities and then hope for huge investment like a Bournemouth or Brentford once you get there.

It happened with Stoke, they bounced around Championship/league 1 and then got back into the championship. Then one of the richest families in the UK became owner again and took them to the next level. Even they are now wary about how much they have put in.

 

[kieran_vale]

Do Crewe still produce players? I know their record 20 odd years ago, but have many gone on to bigger things in the last 10 years.
I just want to get up and see where we are next season, I suspect we are miles behind a challenge in league one, look at Bolton this season despite their spending. I still think we struggle attracting players from other clubs, its a long way from London, Birmingham and Manchester

Think they produced a couple of really good fullbacks one was Ng and can’t remember the other but he went to the Championship. I think the problem Crewe have had is a lot of their younger lads in the past used to sign new contracts on the understanding Crewe would do right by them but with all of them having agents nowadays they play hardball a lot more and hold them to ransom. One of them was sitting out the start of the season from memory. Also they used to drive the price up as Gradi used to claim a percentage and well let’s just say he’s not involved in football any more.

 

[Indian Dan]

On what basis can you say your academy players could compete in L1 and Champ? You’re not even running away with L2.

Your problem will be attracting quality players into the club. If you’re not paying silly salaries to attract them - a la Salford - nobody would want to sign.

 

[valefan16]

Think they produced a couple of really good fullbacks one was Ng and can’t remember the other but he went to the Championship. I think the problem Crewe have had is a lot of their younger lads in the past used to sign new contracts on the understanding Crewe would do right by them but with all of them having agents nowadays they play hardball a lot more and hold them to ransom. One of them was sitting out the start of the season from memory. Also they used to drive the price up as Gradi used to claim a percentage and well let’s just say he’s not involved in football any more.

They had that lad this season they didn’t play for months over his contract situation who is one of their best players. The little midfield lad. Strange one. That said they’ll be a big force next season with their huge Robbie Williams* concert.

*tribute act.

 

[AdamStag]

Mansfield are surely not looking high enough up the table to be concerned about our results? Given your away form and fixtures left, play offs is the best you've got.

Final table will be

1.Exeter
2.Port Vale
3.FGR

if that’s your opinion then cool.