Relegated and promoted teams

[Bob Settle]

Seeing as my last post had been locked I will rephrase my question. Of all the relegated and promoted teams from last season, what are your realistic hopes/expectations for the coming season.

 

[BetterCallSaul]

Minimum has to be a top 6 finish, best chance of getting promoted again is on the first try so hopefully we can get it done.

 

[Super_horns]

Bolton and Charlton will be under pressure to do well - weather they do or not is a different matter given the recent off field issues.

Neither have a manager yet I don't think?

MK Dons will also be expected to push for promotion back to the Championship.

As for the promoted sides - depends how ambitions they are - who is the next Burton?

Bristol Rovers and Oxford might expect to push on and be top 10 whilst Northampton have had a change of manager which could affect things.

AFC Wimbledon will just love to do the double over MK!

 

[EricSabin]

Mid table I think now we've lost Wilder

 

[Meadow]

As long as we're not relegated, I'm not bothered.

 

[Indian Dan]

Again, it all depends on incomings and outgoings. I fancy the 3 auto promoted clubs to do better than the 3 relegated clubs.

But this depends if their players are raided or not. It is difficult for clubs at this level to turn down good money for the players that were instrumental in getting them up and as much as we fans like to think the funds will be reinvested in all-round strengthening it almost never is.

This thread needs revisiting when everyone's squads are in place.

 

[WellyCobb]

Depends on what we do, but losing Wilder was a massive blow, losing Rose and Adams were smaller ones (Rose more than Adams really), and if there is any truth in the Holmes to Sheffield rumours then I think we'll be in for a long season, as he does carry us at times, and while the owners were able to keep us from liquidation, I don't think they've got the depth in their pockets to be able to replace all these losses with equal quality.

 

[Liam_SWFC]

Charlton, Bolton and MK Dons fans will be hoping for promotion pushes, but the only one equipped for it currently is MK Dons, the other 2 are a mess off the field but Russell Slade going to Charlton could get them back on track.

Northampton, Oxford and Bristol Rovers will be hoping to consolidate and avoid a season of struggle I'd expect, maybe even aim a bit higher especially Bristol Rovers. AFC Wimbledon will probably be chuffed to survive next season, then build from there given they have a new stadium on the way.

 

[Fedora Dale]

Agree with most others on here. As things stand at the moment:
MK top six
Bristol Rovers and Oxford to have decent seasons, maybe playoff outsiders.
Northampton bang in the middle under Page
Charlton top end if Hercule Poirot and Mata Hari leave Slade to get on with things, otherwise a struggle.
AFC Wimbledon bottom eight, but stay up.
Bolton strong relegation candidates.

 

[Gashead]

Very hard to judge the relegated sides (Bolton and Charlton specifically), but if Slade is appointed and there's not a load of random Belgian players signed then they could do well. Bolton I think will struggle. I fancy MK and Millwall to go up at this very early stage, think MK keeping Robinson gives them a bit of stability.

Fancy Oxford for top half, us and Northampton mid-table. Wombles could struggle a little bit, but I fancy them to stay up.

Very early days though.

 

[ThisTinpotLeague]

Right now I'd be pretty happy with anything above 20th. We have been away from this league for a very long time.

But then, we're yet to do any business and I have no idea what sort of team we'll be.

 

[DippyDon]

I can't see us not getting promoted, the squad at the moment isn't capable but all the early signs are positive considering the noises we are making.
Charlton will challenge if Slade is left to it, but if not then mid-table is all they can hope for really.
Bolton will struggle, the amount of change is needed is going to be disastrous.
Northampton and Bristol Rovers will be mid-table too, confidence could push them up a bit further but I can't see them challenging the play-offs too much.
Oxford will do well I think, top half/low play off challengers, especially if they invest well, Roofe leaving could mean they finish lower unless they use the money wisely.
AFC I can't see them staying up, or if they do it will be just. Nothing to do with any personal opinions but after watching the Stanley play-off games I said at the time whoever goes up will need to buy almost a whole new team to have a chance

 

[Muzzle]

When we get a manager, and when we then produce the accounts to get us out of the embargo, and when we know who exactly is left, and when we know the transfer budget and targets, i'll make a comment to this

 

[womble76]

Survival will do me.

 

[Saddlerrad]

Of the sides coming up, I fancy Bristol Rovers to do the best. Not sure why, but they just strike me as a club with momentum. I expect Northampton to get raided, promotion was a great achievement for AFCW and there's something about Oxford that makes me think, they may spend a couple of seasons in League 1 before pushing for the Championship, not doing it straightaway.

 

[joethegill]

I don't really understand people tipping MK Dons to go well. Last time they were here then sure, they scored a lot and were exciting to watch. Since then, they've lost a LOT of goals (Alli, Grigg, Afobe for a start - almost half of that seasons league goals from those 3 alone), lost the best player in the league that year and had a pretty awful season in the Championship. Not only that, but arguably a couple of their better players last season were only on loan anyway, and the permanent signings they made last season are ropey at best - would anyone in this league actually want Simon Church?! Maynard could knock in a few I suppose, but he's just as likely to spend 6 months out with his injuries. They could go well, but I don't know people are tipping them so highly already.

Bolton and Charlton I wouldn't expect much from, but don't feel they'll be in trouble either. Of the promoted lot, I think I agree with the general consensus. Oxford and Rovers to finish top half, Northampton pretty midtable (could be in trouble if Holmes leaves) and Wimbledon happy to stay up, which I think they will. I think the bottom 4 next season will be made up of teams who were already in League One this season - Oldham, Bury and Fleetwood I'm looking at you in particular.

 

[T.A]

Thanks mate.

 

[The Reverend Skyblue]

I think all the relegated and promoted teams will finish behind the mighty skyblues, but it's been really hot today and I've been sat in the garden all day, so I might nave heatstroke

 

[Indian Dan]

I had to watch the fucking tennis yesterday with 3 of the most fearsome-looking, hard-drinking lesbians I've ever seen.

Tbf, they were a good laugh and supported Bolton - so that's why I think they will 'go down'.

 

[LuckyT]

I'll take survival on the last day via an own goal off the CBs right buttock.

A lot of our fans are saying our manager and squad are more suited to the 'tippy-tappy' football of league one, but I remember hearing this each time we've been promoted... It'll be tough and we'll need to be really savvy when spending our budget.

 

[The Hand of Dom]

Tippy-Tappy?

League One??

 

[Indian Dan]

He means us.

 

[Wombling Kiwi]

I'll be happy if this time next year, we are still a League 1 club. Like a lot of others I think Rovers and Oxford will do well, Northampton had a season out of the box, but will be around mid table next season. Haven't given the relegated teams much thought, but Charlton or Bolton could be near or in top 6.

 

[LuckyT]

Tippy-Tappy?

League One??

My point exactly.

 

[Gashead]

Tippy-Tappy?

League One??

To be fair, we were told last year that League 2 is essentially hoof ball, think Taylor-era Watford combined with Pulis-era Stoke. Meanwhile, League One is tika-taka, expansive football, Ian Evatt is the best ball-playing centre-half in the league etc. etc. Oxford were best suited to adapt to this monstrous change in approach, according to those who've experienced League 1.

So I am expecting brilliant football every week next year

 

[WomblingFree]

Yep will be happy to finish outside the bottom 4 though preferably not on the last day of the season frantically refreshing score updates on my phone whilst soiling my underwear.

My uneducated opinion for what its worth (certainly re league 1 as a whole and esp the relegated champ sides) is that Charlton will struggle to make the playoffs. MK will be in the top 4 all season, Bolton will do ok and prob make the play offs.

I really fancy Bristol Rovers to do well and Oxford to also be up there at the end of the season. Northampton bit of an unknown under a new manager but can't see them struggling.

 

[The Hand of Dom]

To be fair, we were told last year that League 2 is essentially hoof ball, think Taylor-era Watford combined with Pulis-era Stoke. Meanwhile, League One is tika-taka, expansive football, Ian Evatt is the best ball-playing centre-half in the league etc. etc. Oxford were best suited to adapt to this monstrous change in approach, according to those who've experienced League 1.

So I am expecting brilliant football every week next year

I would avoid the Bradford games then

 

[ThisTinpotLeague]

So I am expecting brilliant football every week next year

I, for one, welcome you and anyone else who wants to convert to Oxelona next season.

 

[Optogas]

I expect Oxford and Northampton to be safely mid table, bit worried about all these people tipping Rovers to do well as don't want to jinx them! So will say mid table to 8th for Rovers. Can see Wimbledon struggling at the start and finishing around 17th. Mk Dons should be in and around the automatics all season. Charlton and Bolton because of their off field circumstances are pure guesswork both should be to ten, but relegation usually affects poorly run sides much more than reasonably well run ones so going lower mid-table for both.

 

[Saddlerrad]

To be fair, at times in the last 2-3 seasons our 'tippy tappy' style cost us when we had no plan B. With Whitney in charge next season and some of our more expansive/fluid players leaving, I'm expecting us to be a bit higher up the naughty list and have a bit more bite. It's a shame we couldn't sacrifice the odd player in the last few years that was technically good for a bit more beast as I really would have fancied us to finish in the top 6 even before this season.

I'm struggling to think of teams that I genuinely thought hoofed it last season.

Only Bradford stick out, but they didn't always 'hoof' it as such, they were quite dynamic down the sides. Millwall were fairly direct.