Div 2 15/16 - Crystal ball time

Just had a look at the BBC to remind myself who we'd be playing next season. Here's the "league" as they currently show it.

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Everybody in alphabetical order, fair enough, except for Wimbledon who are top! Very odd.

I've decided to split them into No Hopers and others based on my own personal reckoning.

No Hopers: Accrington, Barnet, D&R, Hartlepoole, Morecambe, Newport.

Others: I'm not aware of any major financial pluses or minuses affecting any of the "others" but I'd imagine that even optimistic York, Exeter and Mansfield fans are not expecting much for their teams which leaves:



Wimbledon: Something about them. London team. Not going to be far off.

Gas: Resurgent. Could bomb the lot.

Carlisle: just like us, aren't they? Could win the league or finish last. Got a feeling this isn't their year.

Crawley: Are they still the money bags team? Relegated last year. Wheels could be off.

Orient: Amazed they were relegated. Olympic stadium hooha could be the death of them.

Luton: Proper old school stadium. Delusions of geandeur. Always going to go close in this division at worst.

Northampton: See Carlisle. Have a feeling they are in meltdown. Could bomb completely.

Notts Co: An enigma. Big team for this division. They'll get it together one day.

Argyle: New manager. Thin squad. Could be another "building year".

Pompey: Not sure they have sussed out what is needed yet. Big team. Always going to be up there. The myth could be trumping the reality.

Stevenage: Good last season. Sheringham! Could go either way.

Wycombe: Impressive last year. Surely going to good next year too.

Yeovil: Luggy! There's no better manager they could have. Sure to do well.



So what are the traits preferable to see a team go up? A strong base, proven manager, continuity, stability.

Who fits the bill? Luton, Wycombe, Wimbledon.

Managerial upheaval counts against Argyle, Pompey, Stevenage.

Gas are back! Do not underestimate momentum.

Were I to place a bet on 3 teams to go up then Luton, Yeovil and Wycombe top my list (without checking any odds).

Play off teams: Argyle, Wimbledon, Gas, Notts Co.

Relegated: Accrington, Newport.


That's how my crystal ball sees it at present anyway.

AFC Wimbledon.

damn the phoneys !

Any League 2 team with Luggy as Manager has to be a good shout to go up. Managed to get a good price on Yeovil to win the league; can't see beyond them, to be honest.

Homeslice wrote:

Any League 2 team with Luggy as Manager has to be a good shout to go up. Managed to get a good price on Yeovil to win the league; can't see beyond them, to be honest.

he lost his magic with southend

1st = Luton Town
2nd = Notts County
3rd = Leyton Orient
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
4th = Wycombe Wanderers
5th = Argyle
6th = Portsmouth
7th = Yeovil Town
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
8th = Oxford United
9th = Bristol Rovers
10th = Northampton Town

23rd = Morecambe
24th = Accrington Stanley

Elias wrote:

damn the phoneys !

say no to frachises

VillageGreen wrote:

1st = Luton Town
2nd = Notts County
3rd = Leyton Orient
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
4th = Wycombe Wanderers
5th = Argyle
6th = Portsmouth
7th = Yeovil Town
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
8th = Oxford United
9th = Bristol Rovers
10th = Northampton Town

23rd = Morecambe
24th = Accrington Stanley

I'd swap Oxford and Wycombe. Otherwise that's near enough my guess.

VillageGreen wrote:

1st = Luton Town
2nd = Notts County
3rd = Leyton Orient
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
4th = Wycombe Wanderers
5th = Argyle
6th = Portsmouth
7th = Yeovil Town
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
8th = Oxford United
9th = Bristol Rovers
10th = Northampton Town

23rd = Morecambe
24th = Accrington Stanley

What have Rovers done to warrant such a high position on your table out of interest?

I think Bristol Rovers will shock a few this season, they have just come back up and the teams that have tend to do well [Luton, Newport].  However, I believe they will miss out on the Play-Offs and after flirting for much of the season too.

I also think Oxford United will do ok,  but again, not good enough for the Play-Offs. I believe they will also flirt with the top seven throughout the season. And the same applies to Northampton Town.

As for Argyle, I feel they will finish in fifth place, with only slight dips during the season (I reckon that once they get into the Play-off positions, they could stay there).

Angry wrote:

VillageGreen wrote:

1st = Luton Town
2nd = Notts County
3rd = Leyton Orient
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
4th = Wycombe Wanderers
5th = Argyle
6th = Portsmouth
7th = Yeovil Town
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
8th = Oxford United
9th = Bristol Rovers
10th = Northampton Town

23rd = Morecambe
24th = Accrington Stanley

What have Rovers done to warrant such a high position on your table out of interest?

More to the point, what have Argyle done to warrant such a high position on your table? As the squad stands we'll be lucky to finish in the top 10 imo.

Les Miserable wrote:

Angry wrote:

VillageGreen wrote:

1st = Luton Town
2nd = Notts County
3rd = Leyton Orient
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
4th = Wycombe Wanderers
5th = Argyle
6th = Portsmouth
7th = Yeovil Town
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
8th = Oxford United
9th = Bristol Rovers
10th = Northampton Town

23rd = Morecambe
24th = Accrington Stanley

What have Rovers done to warrant such a high position on your table out of interest?

More to the point, what have Argyle done to warrant such a high position on your table?  As the squad stands we'll be lucky to finish in the top 10 imo.

Unless we see some more incomings its going to be hard for even the beardiest of beards to argue the case for a better season than last.

I think Yeovil have fairly serious money issues. Even with Sturrock, the aim for them will be to have an undramatic mid-table season. SFD rightly says about Gas that momentum should not be underestimated. The opposite is also true - Yeovil's relegation from the Championship was predictable, collapsing through L1 was not.

1st = Luton Town
2nd = Notts County
3rd = Yeovil Town
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
4th = Cambridge United
5th = Argyle
6th = Portsmouth
7th = Oxford United
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
8th = Wycombe Wanderers
9th = Bristol Rovers
10th = Northampton Town

23rd = Accrington Stanley
24th = Leyton Orient

(Thanks for the template VG!)

Paven wrote:

1st = Luton Town
2nd = Notts County
3rd = Yeovil Town
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
4th = Cambridge United
5th = Argyle
6th = Portsmouth
7th = Oxford United
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
8th = Wycombe Wanderers
9th = Bristol Rovers
10th = Northampton Town

23rd = Accrington Stanley
24th = Leyton Orient

(Thanks for the template VG!)

Well that's an interesting one-Orient bottom of the football league! Speaking to an avid Luton fan, a friend of mine and he is not over enthusiastic about the coming season at all. He reckons John Still has just gone around his old teams and contacts signing players form the likes of Dagenham.
I will be surprised to see Yeovil in the shake up at the top, top 3 anyway and also Cambridge.
What the hell do I know though?, it's all a bit early for guessing games but for what it's worth I'll go with:

1. Notts County
2. Pompey
3. Argyle
4. Luton
5. Leyton Orient
6. Oxford
7. Bristol Rovers
8. Yeovil
9. Crawley
10. Northampton

22.Morecambe
23. Accrington
24. Newport

You watch it will be like watching a bad B Movie..eve of the season uncle jim will wheel out the O bearded one with a rally the troops speech convincing aviva's we are Real Madrid a head of the new season..middle table if were lucky

1st = Notts County
2nd = Stevenage
3rd = Portsmouth
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
4th = Oxford
5th = Gas
6th = Argyle
7th = Orient


23rd = Cambridge
24th = Mansfield

Know from when I used to run the forecasting league that people rarely get it right.

Argyle will finish 8th - 12th- we'd need a miracle season with no injuries to do well- we might do well until Christmas then fall away. Not sure who will go up as a number of strong teams- those coming down from League 1 (a Luggy managed side should make playoffs at least), the Gas, Wycombe, Pompey, Luton, Oxford. Even Barnet could be dark horses as they did beat Rovers to the Conference title.

Not sure who will go down possibly someone like Newport/ Mansfield.

pepsipete wrote:

Know from when I used to run the forecasting league that people rarely get it right.

You rarely see a poor bookie.

swampy wrote:

Paven wrote:

1st = Luton Town
2nd = Notts County
3rd = Yeovil Town
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
4th = Cambridge United
5th = Argyle
6th = Portsmouth
7th = Oxford United
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
8th = Wycombe Wanderers
9th = Bristol Rovers
10th = Northampton Town

23rd = Accrington Stanley
24th = Leyton Orient

(Thanks for the template VG!)

Well that's an interesting one-Orient bottom of the football league! Speaking to an avid Luton fan, a friend of mine and he is not over enthusiastic about the coming season at all. He reckons John Still has just gone around his old teams and contacts signing players form the likes of Dagenham.
I will be surprised to see Yeovil in the shake up at the top, top 3 anyway and also Cambridge.
What the hell do I know though?, it's all a bit early for guessing games but for what it's worth I'll go with:

1. Notts County
2. Pompey
3. Argyle
4. Luton
5. Leyton Orient
6. Oxford
7. Bristol Rovers
8. Yeovil
9. Crawley
10. Northampton

22.Morecambe
23. Accrington
24. Newport

Really.

Last season's When Saturday Comes prediction:

1 Luton
2 Burton
3 Southend
--------------------
4 Portsmouth
5 Shrewsbury
6 Tranmere
7 York
---------------------
11 Plymouth Argyle
21 Exeter City
22 Wycombe
---------------------
23 Accrington
24 Morecambe

I'm pretty sure FourFourTwo magazine had us down to finish 2nd.

swampy wrote:

Paven wrote:

1st = Luton Town
2nd = Notts County
3rd = Yeovil Town
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
4th = Cambridge United
5th = Argyle
6th = Portsmouth
7th = Oxford United
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
8th = Wycombe Wanderers
9th = Bristol Rovers
10th = Northampton Town

23rd = Accrington Stanley
24th = Leyton Orient

(Thanks for the template VG!)

Well that's an interesting one-Orient bottom of the football league! Speaking to an avid Luton fan, a friend of mine and he is not over enthusiastic about the coming season at all. He reckons John Still has just gone around his old teams and contacts signing players form the likes of Dagenham.
I will be surprised to see Yeovil in the shake up at the top, top 3 anyway and also Cambridge.
What the hell do I know though?, it's all a bit early for guessing games but for what it's worth I'll go with:

1. Notts County
2. Pompey
3. Argyle
4. Luton
5. Leyton Orient
6. Oxford
7. Bristol Rovers
8. Yeovil
9. Crawley
10. Northampton

22.Morecambe
23. Accrington
24. Newport

Yep, Orient are the one I pick out that may do a Tranmere, never know..

I actually completely forgot Exeter. Stick them in the Top 7 and take out Oxford.

Cornish Chris wrote:

Last season's When Saturday Comes prediction:

1 Luton
2 Burton
3 Southend
--------------------
4 Portsmouth
5 Shrewsbury
6 Tranmere
7 York
---------------------
11 Plymouth Argyle
21 Exeter City
22 Wycombe
---------------------
23 Accrington
24 Morecambe

I'm pretty sure FourFourTwo magazine had us down to finish 2nd.

Only on an argyle forum, your squad is actually weaker this season than last, and i take it you havent noticed our new signing? keeper from the CCC, who is prob the best PC Keeper in league 2, couple with the fact we have signed Troy Brown, Holmes, Resigned Ribs and are about to sign Will Hoskins, we have a side that can keep clean sheets and Will and Tommy up front we should will be fine

Write us off, it will make commenting on this thread through the season so much more amusing

I put you 7th.

Love your new Paul Richardson themed 3rd kit btw.