Fantastic League 2

[southchurch]

League 2 this season is fantastic for supporters and it really annoys me when people slag it off.
Just look at the top and bottom of this league and see how exciting the end of the season will be.
I think any one from Acrington in 13th will be hoping they can still make the play offs and from Bradford in 18th will be very worried about going down.

You can't ask more from any league than it to be close and nail biting. A couple of good wins and any thing can happen. A run of losses and you could be either out of it or right in trouble.
I think there is realisticly 6 teams hoping for the automatic spots .

[TABLE="class: table-stats"]
[TR="class: team first"]
[TD="class: team-name"]swindon
[/TD]
[TD="class: played"]36
[/TD]
[TD="class: goal-difference"]34[/TD]
[TD="class: points"]73[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: team"]
[TD="class: position"]
[/TD]
[TD="class: team-name"]torquay
[/TD]
[TD="class: played"]37[/TD]
[TD="class: goal-difference"]15[/TD]
[TD="class: points"]69
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: team"]
[TD="class: position"]
[/TD]
[TD="class: team-name"] Southend [/TD]
[TD="class: played"]37[/TD]
[TD="class: goal-difference"]20[/TD]
[TD="class: points"]67[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: team divider"]
[TD="class: position"]
[/TD]
[TD="class: team-name"] Shrewsbury [/TD]
[TD="class: played"]36[/TD]
[TD="class: goal-difference"]17[/TD]
[TD="class: points"]65[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: team"]
[TD="class: position"]
[/TD]
[TD="class: team-name"] Cheltenham [/TD]
[TD="class: played"]37[/TD]
[TD="class: goal-difference"]16[/TD]
[TD="class: points"]64
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: team"]
[TD="class: position"]
[/TD]
[TD="class: team-name"] Crawley [/TD]
[TD="class: played"]35[/TD]
[TD="class: goal-difference"]16[/TD]
[TD="class: points"]62[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
Any 3 from 6 but obviously swindon with a big advantage. but no one is walking it and as soon as a team looks to be hitting form they manage to lose. Torquay are really hot right now and Cheltnam cold but it could still change.


[TABLE="class: table-stats"]
[TR="class: team"]
[TD="class: team-name"]Bradford [/TD]
[TD="class: played"]36[/TD]
[TD="class: goal-difference"]-4[/TD]
[TD="class: points"]39[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: team"]
[TD="class: position"] 19
[/TD]
[TD="class: team-name"] Northampton [/TD]
[TD="class: played"]36[/TD]
[TD="class: goal-difference"]-20[/TD]
[TD="class: points"]37[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: team"]
[TD="class: position"] 20
[/TD]
[TD="class: team-name"] Barnet [/TD]
[TD="class: played"]36[/TD]
[TD="class: goal-difference"]-23[/TD]
[TD="class: points"]37[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: team"]
[TD="class: position"] 21
[/TD]
[TD="class: team-name"] Macclesfield [/TD]
[TD="class: played"]37[/TD]
[TD="class: goal-difference"]-13[/TD]
[TD="class: points"]35[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: team"]
[TD="class: position"] 22
[/TD]
[TD="class: team-name"] Plymouth [/TD]
[TD="class: played"]37[/TD]
[TD="class: goal-difference"]-17[/TD]
[TD="class: points"]35[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: team divider"]
[TD="class: position"] 23
[/TD]
[TD="class: team-name"] Hereford [/TD]
[TD="class: played"]37[/TD]
[TD="class: goal-difference"]-20[/TD]
[TD="class: points"]35[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: team"]
[TD="class: position"] 24
[/TD]
[TD="class: team-name"] Dag & Red [/TD]
[TD="class: played"]37[/TD]
[TD="class: goal-difference"]-28[/TD]
[TD="class: points"]34[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
Any 2 from 7 to go down and Dagenham will still feel they only need a little run to get out of trouble. A great 2-0 win today to start that run may be,

So come on lets not keep running this league down. Ok the standards in general is not that great but any one who like me was biting his or her nails for the last agonising 6 minutes today must admit its great fun.

 

[blue79]

Agreed. Lets hope we're successful at the end of it. If we're not it will be painful but must still be brave enough to say its been a good League 2.

 

[* ORM *]

I'll tell you what's fantastic. I assumed I would miss a home game as away yesterday must've meant at home next week and the timing of my flight back meant it was too much of a push to get to Heathrow. Then I checked the fixture list this morning. Yay for Tuesday !!!

We could well have emerged from a massive wobble just at the right time. Say what you like about Harris, his experience vs goal contribution is invaluable. I know Barker had been a bit shaky. Noes the time for him to show his worth and he's the best in the squad for that. Seven points in 8 crucial days would convince me the squad has what it takes for the run in and auto promotion.

 

[leeblue]

its tighter than a gnats chuff at the top and bottom

 

[meerkat54]

Yeah ! really tight at top and bottom, think it will be sqeaky pants time till the end of season for many of the div 2 clubs.

 

[Supa Shrimpa]

There aren't many teams that are either totally safe or without a chance of nicking a playoff spot, so I can see a lot more points being dropped by the top sides. Those teams at the bottom are going to be grafting for every point, so they'll be no easy games. I'm just pleased we've picked up some form for the run in. UTB

 

[1966 and all that]

Swindon aside, if we can keep up a better goal difference than our rivals it could be worth that extra point at season end.

 

[Pak Power]

We have 3 games against the top teams, 3 against mid table teams, and three against the bottom teams.
If we manage to pick up 3 wins against any of the lower 6, and three draws against any of the lower 6. Then we would end up with 79 points and that might just be enough to gain automatic.

If we manage any points against the top 3 we are playing then that would be a bonus. Any points taken off the three we play at the top will feel like double. But knowing Sufc we will probably do it the hard way.


Probably a lot of twists and turns yet, and injuries /suspensions for all teams make it almost impossible to predict. (otherwise we would all win the pools)


Nevertheless a good end to the season, and still in with a 'shout' is something I'm sure most of us would have taken at the beginning of the season.

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

We have 3 games against the top teams, 3 against mid table teams, and three against the bottom teams.
If we manage to pick up 3 wins against any of the lower 6, and three draws against any of the lower 6. Then we would end up with 79 points and that might just be enough to gain automatic.

If we manage any points against the top 3 we are playing then that would be a bonus. Any points taken off the three we play at the top will feel like double. But knowing Sufc we will probably do it the hard way.


Probably a lot of twists and turns yet, and injuries /suspensions for all teams make it almost impossible to predict. (otherwise we would all win the pools)


Nevertheless a good end to the season, and still in with a 'shout' is something I'm sure most of us would have taken at the beginning of the season.

There is a simple way of looking at this. For your premise of three wins and three draws (79points), to be sufficient for automatic promotion it would require (assuming we say Swindon are already up), three out of the four of our promotion rivals (Crawley, Cheltenham, Shrewsbury and Torquay), to score less points than us. How likely is that???? ............NOT!

 

[Pak Power]

There is a simple way of looking at this. For your premise of three wins and three draws (79points), to be sufficient for automatic promotion it would require (assuming we say Swindon are already up), three out of the four of our promotion rivals (Crawley, Cheltenham, Shrewsbury and Torquay), to score less points than us. How likely is that???? ............NOT!

If you read again, I said MIGHT just be enough. Depends on others obviously. I genuinly do not think 79 points will be enough, but it only takes us to win against one of out top three oponents (say benyon scores a late winner against his old club and we beat Torquay for example), and the whole situation changes.


I think it will go to the wire, and an exciting last day. just hope we get in the top 3, as I don't fancy the play offs.

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

I did read your 'might', just wanted to illustrate that scenario is HIGHLY unlikely. I still hold by the two points a game (from the last ten), which would give us 84 points and that might be enough..........but I certainly wouldn't bet my house on it! I do agree with you that it could 'go down to the wire' and I'm trying to prepare myself for that stressful possibility. I think I could take the necessity of a win against Macclesfield to secure promotion. What would be more difficult would be having to rely on other results going our way. Terrible to get a win in the last game, only to find it a pyrrhic victory. I don't think that any of us fancy the play-offs......like failing to get promotion and then being given a dog's chance........is that 3 or 4 to 1 against.......what ever it is, I wouldn't fancy it!

 

[Ricky Otto]

I get your point about the excitement of every game being so important as it is so tight but the football in league 2 doesn't excite me. Sooner we are out of this division the better!

 

[Smiffy]

The target needs to be to win our 5 remaining home games. We do that and we will be pretty much nailed on for an auto spot. Can we do it though is the question?

 

[turkishm]

The target needs to be to win our 5 remaining home games. We do that and we will be pretty much nailed on for an auto spot. Can we do it though is the question?

All i can say is thank goodness we have 4 away then.

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

The target needs to be to win our 5 remaining home games. We do that and we will be pretty much nailed on for an auto spot. Can we do it though is the question?

I understand what you're saying but recent form doesn't look too kindly on you. I'd prefer to look at it another way and that would put enormous importance on the next two matches. IF we can get six points from Aldershot and Bristol (I see us getting 4), I could then believe that wins at home to AFC, Barnet, Macclesfield and an away win at Bradford would be the most possible. I would hope that 85 points and a good goal difference would be enough.
Anyway it's fun speculating what's going to happen, especially when, such a short time ago, we were wondering whether we were going to even make the play-offs!

 

[Thundersley Blue]

Think Tuesday could be a defining evening. Gillingham v Crawley. Swindon v Torquay . Shrewsbury v Cheltenham. If we can get the win against Aldershot we will have gained ground on at least 3 of the top 8.

 

[Clinton Baptiste]

Macclesfield, Barnet and Wimbledon SHOULD be 3 wins. I would then take 2 wins from the other 6 games- our away record is superb so could see us beating any of the teams we are facing away- and that should see us in the top 3.

 

[Smiffy]

I understand what you're saying but recent form doesn't look too kindly on you. I'd prefer to look at it another way and that would put enormous importance on the next two matches. IF we can get six points from Aldershot and Bristol (I see us getting 4), I could then believe that wins at home to AFC, Barnet, Macclesfield and an away win at Bradford would be the most possible. I would hope that 95 points and a good goal difference would be enough.
Anyway it's fun speculating what's going to happen, especially when, such a short time ago, we were wondering whether we were going to even make the play-offs!

Well indeed. Fact is to be sure of going up the easy way, we will need at least 16 points from the remaining 27 on offer. A tall order, but hopefully we are just coming into a bit of form again at the right time...

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

Would certainly try and get over if there was a decisive game. Only problem is that I've just looked, in horror, at the fixture list and found that I'm working during the Bradford, AFC and Macclesfield games. :'(

 

[OldBlueLady]

Win all the away games, that's the secret.