PRE-SEASON PROSPECTS

..

*****************

..

As I write this it’s four days to the start of the season. What will it bring us? Silverware at last, mid table mediocrity or a struggle? Whatever we do it means competing against 23 other clubs each of which will have their own aspirations or, in some cases, fears. So to give some idea of the competition we face here is a quick run through of my views of the other clubs prospects.

Birmingham City. Relegated last season in an atmosphere more like Fred Karno’s circus than a football club. Barry Fry is a useful manager and did pretty well at Barnet and Southend but given the rate he turns players over their inconsistency it will mean nothing more than occasional glimpses of glory.

Blackpool. Allardyce is an interesting appointment as manager and in Tony Ellis they’ve got a proven goal scorer. The defence has been shored up with experience from Bolton in the form of Brown and Burke but there is always a sneaking feeling the Oystons hands on approach (†) can be counter productive. There will be an improvement but only to the extent that the fight against relegation won’t be as grim as the last two years.

Postscript (June 2020) – the reference to Oyston’s hands on approach related to the way in which he ran the Club.  It was in no way a smart alec reference to any other behaviour, which at the time of writing had not come to public attention!!

Bournemouth. A club in turmoil, no manager and from what I can gather no board either. Unless they do something quickly they’ll find themselves adrift by the end of September and there will be no coming back.

Bradford. Stapleton got a raw deal but having got rid of him I think they’ve invested wisely in Lennie Lawrence. He’s got rid of 7 players and in Kamara he’s brought in the sort of ball winning midfielder we could do with. John Taylor from Bristol Rovers, and previously with Cambridge, will give them some goals so definite possibilities at Valley Parade.

Brentford. Webb is a sound manager. They surprised me by faltering last time round but not this time. A strong candidate promotion although they haven’t been particularly active in the transfer market this summer.

Brighton. Brady certainly made an improvement in the latter half of last season and given the right circumstances this will continue. The doubt is however about the circumstances. They’ve had more winding up orders than my lad’s toy railway and things don’t seem to have improved over the summer. All in all mid table material.

Bristol Rovers. Ward’s a good manager but releasing 4 and bringing no one in could mean his abilities will be tested to the utmost. Despite that, and based on the fact I thought they were the best team to come to EP last year, they’ll have an interest in the promotion stakes.

Cambridge. A club that seems to be trying to find a way to recapture the glory of the Beck years without the opprobrium attached to that style. No transfer activity of any consequence leads to the conclusion of a hard winter ahead.

Cardiff. What can you say? The Chairman hawking the club around to anyone with a few bob to spare. Undoubtedly the most notorious supporters in the division. A ground that’s failed its safety inspection and as I write a player who has failed a drugs test. It all points to a grim winter, but Eddie May is hard enough to ensure they’ll survive with ease.

Chester . Barrow did a marvellous job last year and look at the thanks he got! Frankly their board, if they have one, deserved to fail but spare a thought for the fans. Years in isolation at Macclesfield, they finally return home, enjoy a bit of success and then get thrown into confusion again. 9 players have been shown the door and Pejic seems to be investing in experience in the form of Ratcliffe and Shelton to keep them up. He’s got a job on his hands. The Deva Stadium is in for a sorry nine months.

Crewe. The best manager in the League and that includes your Ferguson’s; Dalglish’s and Graham’s but unlike them is restricted by a sell to survive policy. You have never heard of the players he buys but invariably they are useful. That’s why his new acquisitions will lead to a no problem season consolidating behind the front-runners. (Great new stand behind the goal too – Ed).

Huddersfield. That taste of Wembley will lead them to wanting more. A new season brings a new ground and signings such as Cowen and Reid together with sound management from Warnock make them one of the favourites.

Hull.  Given their ground and crowd potential they should be capable of far more than they achieve. No signings or disposals of note so I can’t see anything more than the inconsistency they displayed recently. They might start well but like Christmas decorations they’ll fall by January into mid table.

Leyton. Bewilderingly inconsistent, promising much but achieving little. A mass clear out with 7 going but an interesting signing in Andy Gray. The new management team of Turner and Sitton will probably give them some impetus but not enough to keep them anywhere near the promotion race.

Oxford. The sort of club that you could see spending only one season in the 2nd and exiting via the trap door into the 3rd. Denis Smith won’t let happen, but I would think that the exertions of keeping in the 1st division over recent seasons will have taken their toll so a season of retrenchment is in prospect.

Peterborough. Nice to see them back with us. Making any assessment of their prospects is well nigh on impossible but the new manager, (Still from non League), 13 signings and 6 departures. Adcock’s departure may leave them short on the goals front which Tony Lormor will only partially replace.  I can see them putting a challenge in if they get a reasonable start.

Plymouth. How will they react to their near miss last time? The acquisition of Peter Swan from the Vale will shore up the defence but recent rumblings of discontent from Castle may leave them short of firepower. Can’t see them not making a challenge-  Shilton must have his eyes on a better job so he will have to be seen doing a good job at Home Park.

Rotherham. With Henson in charge, and knowing what the locals think, then I can’t see too much progress at Millmoor. Martin James will do them some good.   Probably just enough to keep them away from relegation mire.

Shrewsbury. Having seen them last season I can see them making a big impact this time. In fact if you’ve got a few bob put it on them to be in a play off spot at least.

Swansea. Wembley glory hasn’t produced any cash for new players but there again none have left either. Is this lack of ambition or a sign that things have been sorted out out at the Vetch? Sadly for the Swans I think it is the former. It’s always cold wet and windy down there the next nine months aren’t going to help warm up the locals.

Wrexham. No transfer activity other than the disposal of make weight players like Sertori and Paskin. The youth policy is something we could learn a great deal from and it is from there that they will continue to improve to an upper mid table position.

Wycombe. Time for a period of stabilisation after their meteoric rise –  they’ll find it a struggle but Martin O’Neill is no fool and is more than capable of keeping them out of trouble.

York.  Surprise package last season and I see nothing to suggest that they won’t put a bid in again this time –  at the end it will be a case of so near so far.

So putting my head on the block this is how I think Division Two will pan out come next May

You will notice that there is one notable exception from this list. I’m not going to tempt fate and say where we will be. I’ll leave that the Sunday Telegraph correspondent who saw no less than the championship trophy in the EP boardroom!!

..

August 1994