Question National League this season: the odds and your favourites?

[rigsby]

They got a lot of recruitment done early, so you could say they have preseason to gel.

Our lads have 12 months and 46 league games as a preseason to gel.

 

[Callum]

Southend finish top enough said Barnet second

 

[overseas shrimper]

Our lads have 12 months and 46 league games as a preseason to gel.

I don't get your point. I was referring to Barnet's new recruits gelling. Never mentioned our team.

 

[rigsby]

Feel like Sutton have recruited well, and if a relegated team can be classed as dark horses, they’d be my tip.

One or two of their summer signings appeared on our whiteboard.

It used to be the case that those relegated were favourites to bounce straight back up. Not anymore.
Grimsby managed it after they came done with us. Due to some outstanding performances in the play-offs after finishing in 6th place.

In the last 10 years I can only think of Cheltenham? who have actually won the NL after relegation. Chesterfield, Wrexham and Stockport all went close the previous season and had spent money over 2 or 3 years before winning it.

Barnet tick that box and that's why they are favourites. However they are not in the spending league of the previous winners. So it should be a much closer competition this season.

Oldham and us now tick the former league club who have got their act together and should be looking at top 3 this time. Plus both clubs will have good support so can sign players during the season.

If Sutton or FGR are going to do anything then they will need to break the losing mentality that any relegated club suffer from. As stats prove that is more difficult than clubs and their fans believe when the dreaded drop out of the EFL finally happens.

I guess one advantage for them is they are not big names so the smaller clubs wont have that big scalp mentality when they play them at home. Plus like Grimsby they have got out of the NL in the recent past.

As for the rest of them I really don't see any Champions amongst them. Its should be tighter than last few seasons and 10 points might be the difference between 4th or winning it.

Either way anything less than top 3 for us will be failure. Kev has had a long apprenticeship in the NL and has shown improvements in his game management. For us to be Champions he will have to step up another notch when it comes to getting result in the last 15.

I firmly believe Kev&Co, the players and us fans are capable of doing that. This is our season.

 

[johnlattimerssponge]

As long as we are successful in making a few good additions to our squad I think we will be capable of winning or making the playoffs at least.

York look to have made a few decent signings so think they might be good value at 16-1.

 

[Lincoln Shrimp]

I expect the top 7 to include ourselves, Barnet, Rochdale, York, Aldershot, Gateshead and Halifax.

The biggest flop for the coming season which many will disagree with I'm sure will be Oldham.

 

[Mr Browns Ghost]

We should hopefully be in contention for promotion, others to consider are Solihull Moors and Gateshead who both looked pretty decent in the FA Trophy final at Wembley.

We won’t win promotion off the back of ‘we’ve got a new owner’ we will win promotion from having a comparative squad, we fell short last year and so far 4 out 2 in … whilst having to currently train on park standard pitches … let’s see where we are after the first 6 games … it will be another minor miracle if we finish top 7 as things currently stand

 

[Guybrush13]

Scoring goals was our issue last season (on the field of course). If we don't get that right this season, we'll be lucky to get play offs.

 

[rigsby]

We won’t win promotion off the back of ‘we’ve got a new owner’ we will win promotion from having a comparative squad, we fell short last year and so far 4 out 2 in … whilst having to currently train on park standard pitches … let’s see where we are after the first 6 games … it will be another minor miracle if we finish top 7 as things currently stand

Without the points deduction we would have finished 6th last season. One point behind 5th. We will comfortably finish in the top 7.

 

[rigsby]

Scoring goals was our issue last season (on the field of course). If we don't get that right this season, we'll be lucky to get play offs.

More goals is always nice but worth remembering that Bromley only scored 3 goals more than us. To many games lost by 1 goal was our problem, not how many we scored.

 

[annie1954]

I think like last season in this league on the day anyone can beat anyone just look at Chesterfield last time how they slipped up on their run in . Dorking away was a good example a game on paper should have been a easy three points for Chesterfield

 

[Mad Cyril]

Can't believe how few people are talking about Forest Green. They are absolutely chucking money at it. I expect them to win it, Barnet 2nd and us in the playoffs.

They should have been chucking money at it last season.

 

[rigsby]

I think like last season in this league on the day anyone can beat anyone just look at Chesterfield last time how they slipped up on their run in . Dorking away was a good example a game on paper should have been a easy three points for Chesterfield

Chesterfield put the work in early on so were nailed on champs by then. They didn't just take their foot of the gas, they had switched the engine off by then and were happily coasting

 

[overseas shrimper]

I think like last season in this league on the day anyone can beat anyone just look at Chesterfield last time how they slipped up on their run in . Dorking away was a good example a game on paper should have been a easy three points for Chesterfield

I think the Chesterfield players were already on their beach / poolside sun loungers, mentally, for their end of season run-in.

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

More goals is always nice but worth remembering that Bromley only scored 3 goals more than us. To many games lost by 1 goal was our problem, not how many we scored.

Absolutely, turn the loses into draws, and the draws into wins.
And we need better home form, some luck too,

 

[cerbera45]

Southend 73 votes, Barnet 42

 

[united we stand]

More goals is always nice but worth remembering that Bromley only scored 3 goals more than us. To many games lost by 1 goal was our problem, not how many we scored.

You are actually heighlighting that scoring goals WAS the problem. Those 1-0 losses would have been draws with another goal . If we were loosing 3.0 I might agree with you that’ more goals’ wasn’ t the issue

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

I think like last season in this league on the day anyone can beat anyone just look at Chesterfield last time how they slipped up on their run in . Dorking away was a good example a game on paper should have been a easy three points for Chesterfield

I watched that game on tv. Dorking played the small plastic pitch much to their advantage and C'field were off form, missing bounces, speed of ball, turning etc. I get your point but that game wasn't a classic.
Thankfully no plastic pitches this season although I won't be surprised if I have that incorrect.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

You are actually heighlighting that scoring goals WAS the problem. Those 1-0 losses would have been draws with another goal . If we were loosing 3.0 I might agree with you that’ more goals’ wasn’ t the issue

Lost by one goal. Not lost 1-0. In our 15 defeats we conceded two or more in all but three of them.

 

[rigsby]

You are actually heighlighting that scoring goals WAS the problem. Those 1-0 losses would have been draws with another goal . If we were loosing 3.0 I might agree with you that’ more goals’ wasn’ t the issue

I not saying scoring wasn't problem or can't be improved. I would love to see another 15/20 scored this season. But it still doesn't make winning mentality.

I meant games lost by the odd goal not just 1-0. The first was at Dorking after being 1-0 up and comfortable until we gifted them a goal. Same thing on the last day of the season v Rochdale.
We lost home and away to Bromley and Barnet all by the odd goal. Fylde at home etc.

Out of that list we should have got something in every game. My point is we can't lose home and away to Barnet and Oldham this season if we want promotion.

Bromley scored 73 and got promotion. Flyde 74 and finished 18th. Teams who win games or at least draw games, win things. ......No matter how many posts there are about 20+ season strikers, it never has and never will be just about goals scored.