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Final league one table as the bookies currently see it
- Thread starter Rob GT4
- Start date
As a Gills fan I had them down for the wooden spoon before pre-season, they have had an excellent pre-season but that usually counts for nothing so I can't see the bottom four being far from wrong
Generally promoted teams have done reasonably well in League 1 and there is no reason to think we will not do likewise, but history also shows it will take a season or two to develop a team capable of challenging for promotion to the Championship. But we are football fans and at this time of year euphoria abounds. Reality normally sets in around November time.
....but it doesn't, does it? Just look at the comments last November, when we were very well placed. Many were analysing our weaknesses and expecting a collapse in the second half of the season.
Even 2 days ago, there was a comment on Pasoti "Last season we didn't create enough opportunities in games. Which meant we had to take the limited opportunities we had".
This was from a team that spent the whole season without the out and out striker who we all crave for.
Even 2 days ago, there was a comment on Pasoti "Last season we didn't create enough opportunities in games. Which meant we had to take the limited opportunities we had".
This was from a team that spent the whole season without the out and out striker who we all crave for.
S
same_old_pompey
Guest
Just having a scout around your forum to see how pre-season is going.
A few posts are pretty dismissive of our (Pompey's) chances this year promotion wise, any reason for this in particular?
We got promoted without an out and out striker and have now signed one in Pitman (add to that a decent goalkeeper and Holmes-Dennis replacing Enda Stevens) AND a common theme from pundits was that Cook had assembled a team for L1, which wasn't really suited to L2 (despite our eventual promo as Champions), your team was L2 through and through (perfectly encapsulated by the success of Sonny Bradley from set pieces). Whilst not being massively confident of how this season is going to play out (who is), I wouldn't see it as ridiculous for us to mount a promotion challenge, especially with a manager who has done in a few times before.
Good luck by the way, be nice if we can continue this upward trajectory together. Despite half the clubs in the league being closer geographically (and not offering anything in the way of match day spice), it's nice to have a rivalry with someone.
A few posts are pretty dismissive of our (Pompey's) chances this year promotion wise, any reason for this in particular?
We got promoted without an out and out striker and have now signed one in Pitman (add to that a decent goalkeeper and Holmes-Dennis replacing Enda Stevens) AND a common theme from pundits was that Cook had assembled a team for L1, which wasn't really suited to L2 (despite our eventual promo as Champions), your team was L2 through and through (perfectly encapsulated by the success of Sonny Bradley from set pieces). Whilst not being massively confident of how this season is going to play out (who is), I wouldn't see it as ridiculous for us to mount a promotion challenge, especially with a manager who has done in a few times before.
Good luck by the way, be nice if we can continue this upward trajectory together. Despite half the clubs in the league being closer geographically (and not offering anything in the way of match day spice), it's nice to have a rivalry with someone.
Good luck to you too Same Old. Shrewd signing in Pitman, though I personally wouldn't invest too much faith in Holmes-Dennis, he certainly didn't impress when we had him. I hope the rivalry continues for many seasons to come.
S
same_old_pompey
Guest
Holmes Dennis played at Wembley for Huddersfield in the play off final, surely he can't be that bad. He has looked decent in pre-season.
davie nine":1mb7v58f said:
Mmmm that was my comment. As I saw every league game at HP I stand by it.
You talk about an out and out forward but without the creating the opportunities you cant score. Our passing at HP was very average at times and it often took a wonderful strike, a good bit of fortune or the brilliance of Carey to break down a team. Teams use to be able get their shots away and Argyle were often looking for their first shot to test the goalie by half time. Wasn't every game but it was in many of them.
http://www.footcharts.co.uk/index.cfm?task=basics_shotsontarget
Look at this table. Under shots per game look how the opposition got many shots on target. Its one of the highest figures in that division, outside of the bottom 6-8 teams. Even higher that relegated Hartlepool. Carlisle, a team in freefall for most of the second half of the season, only have a slight worse stat. Its something we have to improve this season because you give better teams & players the chances to shoot, being in a higher league, you would imagine they will take it at a more clinical rate than league two opposition.
Going back to Argyle creating opportunities, the top 3 clubs who had most shots was Luton, Portsmouth and Doncaster. Argyle were some 25-30 shots less. That suggest to me we had to make the most of our chances in order to gain promotion. We are after all talking about a side who were outside the top 6 in terms of finishing with shots on target per game, but yet who finished second in the league overall. Makes it even more remarkable when the other automatic promoted teams finished 2nd and 3rd in the shots on target league and I think highlights an issue.
Will it be a problem this year? My hope is that that instead of striker type players Jervis & Slew in the wide positions you have proper wide men who will create more opportunities down the wings. Also with Lameiras it takes the burden off solely off Carey to create an assist when you have instead a guy who appears to be able to create opportunities for those around him too.
lyndhurst green":y6tfxdie said:
It's Funny, there's a post about Sony going to Leeds, He was not great for us, same as the guy who scored for you at FP, but both have done well at Home Park. Taylor was hated by a lot of Pompey fans,but i thought he was OK, but may do well for you. Some players click at certain clubs and not others, some are just too young when they are at your club, then `mature and improve ( re SB i suspect) THD will be good i suspect and you will be surprised.
As ar going up..I think Pompey will, as far as relegation, i do not think or want Argyle to go down, i think DA is too good a manager and they might be a dark horse-good luck COYG-PUPPPU
ford hill POMPEY fan":ime8k4vt said:
Not sure what you base Pompey going up on.
You just lost a very good manager and replaced him with a manager who good at this level but I don't think he is better than Cook.
Sure you get a large number of season ticket holders. Your crowds will be one of, if not the highest home attendance once again. However, whilst I think you will have a good season I would suggest teams like Bristol Rovers will surprise you and probably by the end of the season be above you. I cant quite see why you think you will get promotion where as last season I saw a squad way too good for league two.
Argyle might struggle. The lack of goals, but more interestingly the way we play the 4-2-3-1 system may result in a number of teams finding relative joy against us because I look at our full backs and think they aren't up to league 1 standard. To me in the system we play full backs are one of the most important areas because they need to have the work rate, energy and pace to get up and down the pitch in that system.