Other Football League 2018/19

[Mattyblue]

I personally don’t think we’d have finished comfortably in the top 2 this time in League 1.

We had a very small club having a season of a lifetime and that was it in way of competition for us and Wigan.

This season has seen a much stronger Charlton and Portsmouth, Barnsley spending decent money, plus a club the size of Sunderland. Luton were the Shrewsbury of this season and they lasted the course.

Though, of course, we could only beat what was put in front of us, but I’m just glad we didn’t have to test that theory.

Edited May 27, 2019 by Mattyblue

[Stuart]

Just now, Mattyblue said:

I personally don’t think we’d have finished comfortably in the top 2 this time in League 1.

We had a very small club having a season of a lifetime and that was it in way of competition for us and Wigan.

This season has seen a much stronger Charlton and Portsmouth, Barnsley spending decent money, plus a club the size of Sunderland. Luton were the Shrewsbury of this season and they lasted the course.

Though, of course, we could only beat what was put in front of us, but I’m just glad we didn’t have to test that theory.

Why won’t you give Mowbray any credit FFS?  

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, Stuart said:

Shrewsbury fell away at just the right time for us. But you compared a season with the best squad in the division versus a play-off match, a one-off game, in which luck plays a huge part.

Ultimately, Mowbray did what was expected. It doesn’t mean another manager couldn’t have done it.

Last season’s best Rovers XI would have beaten Sunderland’s.

Stuart, whatever way you want to dress it up they finished 9 points behind us. I don't get your second sentence.

I never said another manager couldn't have done it 

Indeed we would have. Testament to the job Mowbray did keeping the players together who would do a job and adding League 1 quality at a low cost. 

[roversfan99]

Think historys being re-written somewhat, we didn't just get promoted, we got promoted with a impressive points haul, comfortably by 9 points as @Bigdoggsteel said, with 2 games to spare and thats baring in mind in the first quarter of the season we were well off the pace (12 points) due to a long adaptation process, we made a lot of signings, the likes of Dack and in particular Graham took a bit of time to get going, and we had players like Caddis, Ward and Whittingham slowing things down. Also, the same team with very little improvement (due to Mowbray blowing most of his budget on a one goal striker admittedly) finished comfortably in mid table in the Championship. I still think we would definitely have got promoted from League 1 this season.

I stand by the assertion that a great season would have been winning the league, and that Mowbray was totally out of order by publically discounting its importance. But whether anyone else could have got us promoted is irrelevant, it was still a good achievement and he still deserves credit for it.

I also think the Sunderland job was a much harder one, there was less to work with in terms of the existing squad for Ross, and also it seemed from the outside to be a far more rotten core in terms of the atmosphere at the club; Mowbray didnt save us from relegation but there was a noticeable boost in terms of us under Mowbray compared to under Coyle, as youd expect. People mention the money spent on Grigg but he lost his top scorer in Maja.

[Mattyblue]

I’m not saying we wouldn’t.  Just that It was a tougher league this time, but we could’ve well risen to the challenge.

I’m just glad we weren’t there to find out.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

7 hours ago, JacknOry said:

Fans really rate McGeogh but seemingly the manager doesnt for whatever reason. Fans reckon he will be off.

McLaughlin is too good for L1 . Mcgeogh was identified by Ross to be ourfirst choice midfielder this season and yet has barely featured and wasnt even on the bench today . He is the only one of our midfielders capable of dictating the play and yet Ross didnt trust him..why would he stay..he will go back north

I went to Rochdale v Sunderland a few weeks back. McGeogh was the best player on the pitch by a fair way. Always available for the ball, kept it moving and covered a lot of ground. He was what I thought we were getting when we bought Danny Murphy. A sort of poor mans Tugay. I don't think he's played much since then. My Sunderland pal says he blows hot and cold though.

[Mattyblue]

Salford have just signed Richie Towell who was first choice in the Championship with Rotherham last season.

I imagine it will be a brief stay in League 2...

[JHRover]

On 31/05/2019 at 17:59, Mattyblue said:

Salford have just signed Richie Towell who was first choice in the Championship with Rotherham last season.

I imagine it will be a brief stay in League 2...

Looks like they aren't following a 2-3 year plan and signing players to make money off. Want promotion asap and prepared to pay for it. No time for them but they're putting their money where their mouths are rather than trotting out excuses.

[philipl]

Just now, JHRover said:

Looks like they aren't following a 2-3 year plan and signing players to make money off. Want promotion asap and prepared to pay for it. No time for them but they're putting their money where their mouths are rather than trotting out excuses.

You only need a couple of million or so to get out of League 2.  Numbers start adding zeros League 1 upwards.

[Norbert Rassragr]

The Singapore owner is putting the money in then. I wonder what the big plan is, whether he'll make them a championship level club and then sell up or it is just a hobby outside of owning Valencia.

[philipl]

On 31/05/2019 at 18:59, Mattyblue said:

Salford have just signed Richie Towell who was first choice in the Championship with Rotherham last season.

I imagine it will be a brief stay in League 2...

Towell did a job for Rotherham last season at Championship level- no pulling up trees but competent.

He would have been on low wages by Championship standards and now faced a significant pay cut so take him for tea and sandwiches with Gary Neville, give him a Salford shirt signed by Beckham, offer perhaps 10% more basic than Rotherham would pay him in League 1, sell him a dream and better win and promotion bonuses than the Millers and Salford have got a player who will dominate League 2 for an outlay as little as £200k more than a League 2 player would cost them otherwise. 

Repeat ten times and you've bought the League 2 title for £2m with most of the added spend contingent on win and promotion bonuses. 

Edited June 2, 2019 by philipl

[Husky]

On 27/05/2019 at 15:06, Mattyblue said:

I personally don’t think we’d have finished comfortably in the top 2 this time in League 1.

We had a very small club having a season of a lifetime and that was it in way of competition for us and Wigan.

This season has seen a much stronger Charlton and Portsmouth, Barnsley spending decent money, plus a club the size of Sunderland. Luton were the Shrewsbury of this season and they lasted the course.

Though, of course, we could only beat what was put in front of us, but I’m just glad we didn’t have to test that theory.

As I recall it was a pretty poor league which we seemed to coast in the end. Also, surely someone noted that all the teams that went down from the Championship came straight back up (including poor poor Rotherham) - that's how bad the standard was.

[JHRover]

Approval given for Coventry to play next season at St Andrew's. So the threats to kick them out of the league were hollow ones as they will agree to relocation to ensure they can fulfil their fixtures. 

My issue is whether the rental income and receipts through this ground share can be used by Birmingham to offset against Ffp calculations. Given their recent record with the regulations I suspect this extra cash will come in very handy. Question should be whether it is fair on rival clubs that a member can benefit from this arrangement to put them in a stronger position as a result of the league sanctioning this relocation. 

Convenient solution all round....

[Mattyblue]

Two groundshares in 5 years. Horrible situation.

They should never have left Highfield Road.

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, JHRover said:

Approval given for Coventry to play next season at St Andrew's. So the threats to kick them out of the league were hollow ones as they will agree to relocation to ensure they can fulfil their fixtures. 

My issue is whether the rental income and receipts through this ground share can be used by Birmingham to offset against Ffp calculations. Given their recent record with the regulations I suspect this extra cash will come in very handy. Question should be whether it is fair on rival clubs that a member can benefit from this arrangement to put them in a stronger position as a result of the league sanctioning this relocation. 

Convenient solution all round....

How much would a team get for renting their ground for a season I wonder? 

 

[Norbert Rassragr]

44 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Two groundshares in 5 years. Horrible situation.

They should never have left Highfield Road.

The chairman/owner at the time wanted and indeed got his houses built and made a fat wedge of cash. Rumours are that Gordon Strachan got a kickback too. There's nothing there to say that there was a football ground at Highfield road at all other than the houses look newer than those around it.

As for the price of renting a ground, Coventry paid about £1.5m p/a for the Ricoh Arena, so it is likely to be a bit less for St. Andrews.

[Stuart]

The “Where Are They Now” thread is buried in the concourse so thought I’d post it in the forum.

Tommy Spurr, retired at 31 due to injury. Such a shame for the lad.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, Stuart said:

The “Where Are They Now” thread is buried in the concourse so thought I’d post it in the forum.

Tommy Spurr, retired at 31 due to injury. Such a shame for the lad.

Not the greatest but on form he was better than the three left backs on the books at the moment.

[Stuart]

Just now, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Not the greatest but on form he was better than the three left backs on the books at the moment.

Used to like Spurr. You could tell he really enjoyed playing here.

[DeeCee]

Good strip 

[JacknOry]

Pretty solid left back for us I thought. No world beater but i'd have him above Williams and Bell.

[cesus]

10 hours ago, Stuart said:

The “Where Are They Now” thread is buried in the concourse so thought I’d post it in the forum.

Tommy Spurr, retired at 31 due to injury. Such a shame for the lad.

Always liked Spurr and came across as a very good pro. The lad hasn’t seemed to have had any luck with injuries in the last few years, I’ve seen him in Clitheroe a few times over the last year or so and he always seemed to be walking really badly. Hope he isn’t damaged too badly long term!

Edited June 11, 2019 by cesus

[Stuart]

2 hours ago, OnePhilT said:

It's not "buried", it has just moved into a more permanent and therefore prominent place. I mentioned previously that there were four separate threads called Where Are They Now, and I thought it was better to have that topic merged and moved into somewhere more special in the forum, because a thread such as that one ends up being "buried" (as you put it) in this part of the forum.

No offence intended Phil. Just not sure how many people go through the other areas than the main forum to have seen that it was posted there. I used the search facility to even find the Spurr thread.

I’ve stopped using ICBINF due to the real bitterness that it can create so I rarely tread outside the main football forums anymore.

Keep up the good work.

[darrenrover]

Good luck to the donkey lashers: they've finally rid themselves of the Oystons and Belekon and a well connected Blackpool fan has bought The Seasiders.

It'll be interesting to see how it pans out.

[Tom]

I thought Spurr was about 35-36 not 31, shame for him