Finishing Position in League One 2020/2021?

[Sam Barker]

At the moment, just outside relegation...hopefully.

I just can’t get away from how bad the defence was in 2018/19 and most of the main culprits for that are still here. Personally I think we’re a strong defensive signing or two away from not having to worry about relegation. Hopefully Aimson can be a boost.

I’d love to be proven wrong and they all step up, but they were far from convincing in L2 and bailed out by Palmer a lot imo.

 

[WoodsyGreen]

If we don't properly strengthen the defence then we'll be battling relegation. We had Carey, Lameiras and Ladapo last time around and still went down because we couldn't defend, so it doesn't matter how many Ryan Hardies or Danny Mayors we have.

It's early days but I think we're a million miles off another promotion and will be until we sign two new centre-backs. I'm sorry but Wootton and Canavan are not League One defenders. Just my view and I know others will disagree.

 

[Devongreenowl]

If we don't properly strengthen the defence then we'll be battling relegation. We had Carey, Lameiras and Ladapo last time around and still went down because we couldn't defend, so it doesn't matter how many Ryan Hardies or Danny Mayors we have.

It's early days but I think we're a million miles off another promotion and will be until we sign two new centre-backs. I'm sorry but Wootton and Canavan are not League One defenders. Just my view and I know others will disagree.

Can’t disagree with that at all Woodsy. I said a few weeks ago, if Sawyer, Wootton and Canavan line up for the first match, we will struggle especially now that we have an inexperienced keeper too. I’m praying that Aimson is fully fit and also that Lowe brings in at least one more experienced defender if not two. However, Ryan Lowe is no fool so I expect him to shore up that defence between now and the first game of the season.

 

[PL2 3DQ]

Let’s not forget that in League One last time we played with a back four, Wootton only played nine league games and eight of them were before the end of September, also Sawyer played at left-back.
Last season as a back three the defence had the most clean sheets in League Two.
While I think we still need defensive reinforcements (aside from Aimson), I don’t think we should be writing off Canavan, Sawyer and Wootton just yet. They prospered as a back three playing close together although they did have Palmer behind them as a sweeper keeper.

 

[davie nine]

I hope that RL is right about our back three.
He does seem to have done well with his other recruits but, as last season, he seems to think that we don’t need strengthening in that particular area.
Perhaps, he is right, perhaps he has a defensive ‘blind spot’ or perhaps we should be patient and see what happens before the season starts.

 

[oldage]

If we don't properly strengthen the defence then we'll be battling relegation. We had Carey, Lameiras and Ladapo last time around and still went down because we couldn't defend, so it doesn't matter how many Ryan Hardies or Danny Mayors we have.

It's early days but I think we're a million miles off another promotion and will be until we sign two new centre-backs. I'm sorry but Wootton and Canavan are not League One defenders. Just my view and I know others will disagree.

I also do not feel easy about our defence. Canavan is the pick of our defenders but we looked far from convincing last season. RL is placing a lot of faith in Aimson but without a new commanding centre back we will struggle to make much headway in league 1.

 

[Nobby]

If we don't properly strengthen the defence then we'll be battling relegation. We had Carey, Lameiras and Ladapo last time around and still went down because we couldn't defend, so it doesn't matter how many Ryan Hardies or Danny Mayors we have.

It's early days but I think we're a million miles off another promotion and will be until we sign two new centre-backs. I'm sorry but Wootton and Canavan are not League One defenders. Just my view and I know others will disagree.

I also do not feel easy about our defence. Canavan is the pick of our defenders but we looked far from convincing last season. RL is placing a lot of faith in Aimson but without a new commanding centre back we will struggle to make much headway in league 1.

Whilst individuals in the Defence struggled last time in L1, we are a very different team:

- We don't sit back and invite pressure
- We press more effectively and win the ball back higher up the pitch
- We play with an extra CB which offers more protection
- We dominate the ball more and keep possession which means less constant pressure

All of the above have made us more defensively secure. I think we can safely finish mid-table with the current personnel, although I would like us to add a more mobile/pacey central defender.

 

[demportdave]

Nobby makes an important distinction between the dreadfully negative, sit back, let them have the ball tactics of Adams compared to Lowe and his possession-based tactics.

Adams's tactics put an awful lot of pressure on a shaky back 4 and a dodgy Keeper.

However, despite Lowe's more positive tactics, Palmer made a big difference behind the back 3 last season. I still can't believe how Mansfield were not 5 or 6 up by HT, they cut us open at will and only a combination of Palmer and poor finishing kept us in that game

We won't get away with that this season in League 1 We definitely need at least one new quality CB.

 

[oldage]

Hopefully you are right but I can't help feeling we will be leaking a lot of goals this season when up against better opposition.
Sawyer was slow last season, Wootton doesn't fill me with confidence and Aimson has yet to prove his fitness. IMO all three are squad members and not first choice defenders.
Still finding it difficult to understand why RL has not addressed this weakness as a priority?

 

[Balham Green]

Many forecasting a play off bid or better. Many forecasting relegation battle. :crazy:
In reality we dont have clue. In this season of all seasons with all the uncertainties. Perhaps a safe bet would be mid table so I'll go for 12th. I'll stick my neck out though and say it wont be a relegation battle. The infrastructure and recruitment system is too strong to allow that to happen. I wouldn't judge anything on last time we were there. Most clubs will likely have smaller budgets which seems to be forgotten by posters. Also ridiculous to relate Wooton's potential when he hardly played that season. And we now have a manager who instil's confidence in players. We saw last night the difference weak management makes, with Barcelona. Wouldnt be surprised if we have a cheeky late run.

 

[saxman]

I agree with a lot of that, BG. I also hope we start with a flier like last season rather than the slow starts of DA's teams. I think the dip in form a few matches in last year was understandable with a totally different system of playing. I like the look of the new signings to date but I also wonder if we are lacking the fast, intelligent beast at the back....

 

[jespafc]

Many forecasting a play off bid or better. Many forecasting relegation battle. :crazy:
In reality we dont have clue. In this season of all seasons with all the uncertainties. Perhaps a safe bet would be mid table so I'll go for 12th. I'll stick my neck out though and say it wont be a relegation battle. The infrastructure and recruitment system is too strong to allow that to happen. I wouldn't judge anything on last time we were there. Most clubs will likely have smaller budgets which seems to be forgotten by posters. Also ridiculous to relate Wooton's potential when he hardly played that season. And we now have a manager who instil's confidence in players. We saw last night the difference weak management makes, with Barcelona. Wouldnt be surprised if we have a cheeky late run.

Yeah, I'd concur with this overall.

RL will know what he needs to do, and I have confidence in his ability and judgment. There are some big teams in there, but there appears to be a stability around the club which should see us hold our own.

Mid table would be a satisfying season.

 

[davie nine]

It is quite an interesting table of opinions.
There are always ‘glasses half full’ and ‘glasses half empty’ but the balance seems to be slightly favouring the negative.
I expect that the balance will shift one way or another when we know the full squad.
I hope to be confidently wearing my green tints after about 10 games.

 

[Lobster]

What a pointless thread at this stage of the off-season.

 

[MickyD]

It is quite an interesting table of opinions.
There are always ‘glasses half full’ and ‘glasses half empty’ but the balance seems to be slightly favouring the negative.
I expect that the balance will shift one way or another when we know the full squad.
I hope to be confidently wearing my green tints after about 10 games.

I wouldn't call the current figures even slightly favouring the negative - on the contrary. Currently 37% think we'll finish in, say, the top eight, with 11% believing we'll be promoted; and only 16% think we'll even be in any danger of relegation, with just 2% believing we'll go down. Mid-table covers a lot of places.