The League 2 Promotion thread

[hold'um Oldham]

My favourite thread of the season (Or the relegation thread as it usually is for us).

Can Lincoln and MK maintain form?

Is it just a battle for 3rd and the play off spots?

How many teams can give the play offs a run this year?

Whose higher up the league's than performances suggest.they should.be?

It's close to Christmas now and the league table has settled down, I wouldn't expect many - If any of the bottom half to make an impact here. It is a very tight top half though. 3rd could easily sink outside the play offs with a bad Christmas.

As for latics we are hitting form at the right time and ain't far off the pace so I would hope to be in the mix come the new year and with a bit of wise business be looking at the right end of.the table for once come may.

I've not been dazzled by any team this year. Not walked away from any match thinking we were well and truly beaten, although I've only seen us at home due to family commitments.

Appart from the top 2 the rest is anyone's guess, but even those are catchable

 

[GTFCfish]

We’re gonna be right in the mix for this.







Next season.

 

[Camdenite]

We’re gonna be right in the mix for this.

Next season.

No reason why you shouldn’t be in the mix this season. Easily the best team we’ve faced this season (albeit for about a twenty minute spell in which you steamrollered us, and albeit in a cup match). No surprise you’ve hit form after that game.

For us, it will all depend on the Chuks and Healey situations. Chuks now looks to have a dodged a bullet by not ending up at Bolton, but others will surely be in for him with just six months on his deal and Healey’s loan extension is in Warnock’s hands (anything could happen). If we lose either I’d be confident Tis is able to bring in a suitable replacement and we have some good kids ready to be blooded in the forward positions .

We’ve also had a lot of players that have barely featured but are all back in the fold now (Pawlett, McGrandles & Sow) or have been injured recently but not far away (Moore-Taylor, Harley, Baudry, Walsh, Brittain). We should have the depth to cope.

 

[Gladders]

Haha no chance for us, for one we are too inconsistent, and secondly 9 points is massive even at this stage and even more so when there is another 10 clubs between us and play offs.

Top half will be an achievement and at least have us moving in the right direction to hopefully have a chance at play offs next season.

 

[valefan16]

Lincoln and MK will walk this unsurprisingly.

Despite beating them and us losing 6-2 to Lincoln 2 weeks before Bury were probably the best side to come to Vale Park strangely! I'd fancy them to go up. Mansfield seem to have finally sorted out their inability to turn dominance into wins also.

Everyone else is just a bit meh, some real inconsistency, Carlisle beating Colchester 4-0 for example? Tranmere losing to Notts Co and Crewe...

In terms of quality the first four are far superior, the rest probably a fraction between them.

 

[T.A]

I think our away form will let us down tbh. Plus we should be getting rid of a number of players in Jan and the summer but I'd be more than happy with a playoff place while we play the football we have done apart from the odd match.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Ours to lose, and by God we will.

 

[GTFCfish]

No reason why you shouldn’t be in the mix this season. Easily the best team we’ve faced this season (albeit for about a twenty minute spell in which you steamrollered us, and albeit in a cup match). No surprise you’ve hit form after that game.

For us, it will all depend on the Chuks and Healey situations. Chuks now looks to have a dodged a bullet by not ending up at Bolton, but others will surely be in for him with just six months on his deal and Healey’s loan extension is in Warnock’s hands (anything could happen). If we lose either I’d be confident Tis is able to bring in a suitable replacement and we have some good kids ready to be blooded in the forward positions .

We’ve also had a lot of players that have barely featured but are all back in the fold now (Pawlett, McGrandles & Sow) or have been injured recently but not far away (Moore-Taylor, Harley, Baudry, Walsh, Brittain). We should have the depth to cope.

As Frealaf says it’s our inconsistency that will stop us, we’ve turned in some very good performances but then there’s usually a poor one waiting just around the corner.

Think Lincoln and MK are nailed on (stating the bloody obvious i know) and then a toss up from 9 or 10 teams for 3rd to 7th.

 

[AdamStag]

If we can turn a few more of those draws into wins we should make the playoffs at the very least.

We've a few games in hand which would take us 3rd with 3 points or more.

As said above, can't see Lincoln or MK slipping up - both sides on the day were pretty much on the same level as us, which is encouraging I guess.

Bury on Boxing day could be a big game for both sides.

 

[Vanni]

As Frealaf says it’s our inconsistency that will stop us, we’ve turned in some very good performances but then there’s usually a poor one waiting just around the corner.

Think Lincoln and MK are nailed on (stating the bloody obvious i know) and then a toss up from 9 or 10 teams for 3rd to 7th.

Yeah you're stating the bloody obvious but not with the Lincoln and Mk prediction. It's the consistency thing that is bleeding obvious Fish. Far too many L2 sides have a good side on paper but are let down only by inconsistency. My lot is battling to stay up and yet some fans of other sides have told me after the game that we looked like a top 10 side.

League 2 is all about consistency as loads of sides are decent enough, again,on paper. Unlike down in the connie where anybody can rather easily tell the sides that will be up there come May, or the sides that will most likely go down. Or the PL, as the £€$¥ sides can put out their second or third team and still beat the strugglers.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Very much an outside chance of the play offs, especially if we lose Stockley and/or Pym.

No doubt Tisdale will be lording the trophy over us...

 

[Franchisor]

Normally I'd be apprehensive but I just cannot see us dropping more points than those below us from this point on. I do think we are the best side in the league - best defence in the EFL and our squad depth is good - we have several players who should really be playing at L1 or above (Chuks, Agard, Sow, Healey, Gilbey, Nicholls, JMT, Williams, Houghton, Cargill, Pawlett etc).

Lincoln look a resilient side, they will finish top 3 without a doubt.

My money would be on Mansfield to be the other side to finish top 3, they look incredibly hard to beat.

 

[AdamStag]

Normally I'd be apprehensive but I just cannot see us dropping more points than those below us from this point on. I do think we are the best side in the league - best defence in the EFL and our squad depth is good - we have several players who should really be playing at L1 or above (Chuks, Agard, Sow, Healey, Gilbey, Nicholls, JMT, Williams, Houghton, Cargill, Pawlett etc).

Lincoln look a resilient side, they will finish top 3 without a doubt.

My money would be on Mansfield to be the other side to finish top 3, they look incredibly hard to beat.

Being hard to beat is great providing you win the games, draws are useful for nothing.

Keep the hard to beat tag with a few less draws and maybe so - playoffs for me

 

[Reremnart]

I haven`t seen Milton Keynes so I can`t comment on them. Of the teams I have seen Mansfield and Lincoln are by far the best and I can see both of those going up.
As for us well our problem is definitely away from home. Just how a team who has conceeded 4 in 11 at home has let in so many away is beyond me. We just seem to switch off at set pieces over and over again. We played with 3 cbs in the cup game at Southport midweek and looked pretty solid so I can see Mellon going what again against Bury on Saturday. If we can tighten up at the back, use the FA Cup cash together with some money we except from some earlier in the season transfer dealing to bring in some reinforcements in a couple of places we might just stick in there and nick a Play Off place but it`s a big IF !!!

 

[Wooderson]

Three out of Lincoln, MK, Mansfield, Bury, for the autos IMO.

 

[UTS]

We’ve just lost our assistant manager to Malmö... wonder how it will affect things.

We were absolutely dire against Oldham in the first half last week, I’m sure any Oldham fan would agree.

 

[WhiteRussian]

Please the autos and not the playoffs for us. We are utterly dire in the playoffs.

There is nothing stopping any club going on a good run, we were down in the lower half of the table at the end of September then went on a 5 game winning run up the table.

I agree with the above stated 3 from 4 for autos but the playoffs are really an unknown although if Mansfield are in them, I wouldn't be surprised if they won.

 

[Tranmerewhite]

From what I’ve seen so far. Lincoln, MK Dons & Mansfield top 3.

Any of; Bury, Tranmere, Veggies, Colchester, Exeter, Oldham to win playoffs.

 

[hold'um Oldham]

I fancy us to be the side that storms it from mid table obscurity.

I also talk bollocks alot

 

[UTS]

Oldham fans always seem to have an air of unsubstantiated confidence about them, which is odd considering they are probably the least successful side in English football since the turn of the millennia.

 

[Tranmerewhite]

Oldham fans always seem to have an air of unsubstantiated confidence about them, which is odd considering they are probably the least successful side in English football since the turn of the millennia.

They got a draw at Prenton Park a few weeks ago though.

 

[Spanishstag]

I fancy us to be the side that storms it from mid table obscurity.

I also talk bollocks alot

Its not the worst problem in the world

 

[AdamStag]

Oldham fans always seem to have an air of unsubstantiated confidence about them, which is odd considering they are probably the least successful side in English football since the turn of the millennia.

I think there was a fair degree of humour in the post

 

[AdamStag]

They got a draw at Prenton Park a few weeks ago though.

Got a draw at Mansfield too, and stopped us scoring, few teams do that

 

[Tranmerewhite]

Got a draw at Mansfield too, and stopped us scoring, few teams do that

If you lose to us and you’re at home you may as well just give up till next year though. See; Carlisle.

 

[UTS]

I think there was a fair degree of humour in the post

I meant in general.

 

[RLC]

From what I’ve seen so far. Lincoln, MK Dons & Mansfield top 3.

Any of; Bury, Tranmere, Veggies, Colchester, Exeter, Oldham to win playoffs.

Pretty much agree, although I think Bury could also go up automatically. Their squad must be one of the best - and most expensive - in the division. We will see how good they are tomorrow.

I also think Newport are more likely to make the play-offs than FGR, with their two prolific strikers.

 

[T.A]

Attacking wise we probably are in the top three of the division. Defensively we are wobbly at best against another team that puts us under a bit of pressure. We could do with a new dominating CB or a CM that is more defensively minded if we are to go up in my opinion.

 

[hold'um Oldham]

Ha the thing about supporting oldham is that most of the time in the last 25 years has been utter shite, so when we get a period where we do well - even if it's only 5 or six games - we tend to blow it out of proportion.

Add to that the club knows how to press the self destruct button all too well and it's a nightmare. When wellens came in last season I shit you not for 7 games we were the best team in the division. Hitting 3 or 4 past teams. Top promotion chasing teams. Then Doyle got injured and wellens bottled his game plan and recruitment in January and we end up getting relegated.

We have very little to shout about but no matter how little we will shout about it. It's generally known as clutching at straws.

Were gunna walk the league from January though you do realise that?

 

[Luke Imp]

MK are the best side I've seen us play this and over the last couple of seasons - much better than any of the promoted sides last year.

They're the only one I've looked at and thought they genuinely had a decent amount of players who looked better than L2 and I think I said as much in the match thread when we played them.