League One 2008-9 Preview

Discussion in 'Other Divisions' started by Leedsunited, Jul 17, 2008.

  1. Leedsunited

    Leedsunited Member

    Jun 14, 2007
    Yorkshire
    Club:
    Leeds United AFC
    BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION
    Last Season; 7th
    Coach: Mickey Adams

    Transfers IN:

    Kevin McLeod Colchester free
    David Livermore Hull City free
    Adam Virgo Celtic free
    Colin Hawkins Chesterfield free

    OUT

    Sam Rents Crawley Town free
    Gary Butters Havant free
    Gary Hart, Paul Reid, Kerry Mayo (released)

    VERDICT

    Unlucky to miss out last season on the playoffs, and some astute signings have been made by new boss Mickey Adams. However goals may be hard to come by, and the reliance on 34 year old Nicky Forster to get them may lead them to struggle to match their performance last season.

    PREDICTION; Mid-table 14th


    BRISTOL ROVERS

    Last Season 16th
    Coach: Paul Trollope

    NOTABLE TRANSFERS IN

    Daryl Duffy £100,000 Swansea City
    Jeff Hughes free Crystal Palace

    The signing of Daryl Duffy from Swansea is an astute gamble, a player who threatened to become prolific while at Swansea could take the pressure off Ricky Lambert, but the lack of defenders may hurt in the end

    VERDICT: Small improvement 12th

    CARLISLE UNITED
    Last Season 4th (lost to Leeds in the Playoff Semi finals)
    Coach: John Ward

    NOTABLE TRANSFERS
    IN
    Ben Williams free Crewe
    Josh Gowling free Bournemouth

    OUT
    Kearon Westwood £500,000 Coventry City
    Stephen Hindmarch free Shrewsbury

    VERDICT:
    The loss of Westwood, arguably the best keeper in the league will be a big blow, and boardroom unrest may still threaten to derail a promising squad. If they can keep promising youngsters like Danny Graham and Gary Madine they could challenge for automatic promotion.

    PREDICTION 5th

    CHELTENHAM TOWN

    Last Season; 19th
    Coach: Keith Downing

    IN
    Alex Russell free Bristol City

    OUT
    Steven Gillespie £400,000 Colchester United
    Dean Sinclair loan expiry Charlton

    VERDICT:

    A small town club punching a division above their weight and the loss of top scorer Gillespie will hurt them. His goals kept them up last year.

    PREDICTION: Big struggle to hold their heads above water: 23rd

    COLCHESTER UNITED
    Last Season 24th (Championship)
    Coach: Geraint Williams

    INS
    Steven Gillespie £400,000 Cheltenham
    David Perkins undisclosed Rochdale
    Matt Heath free Leeds United
    Paul Reid free Barnsley
    Matt Lockwood free Nottingham Forest

    OUT
    Karl Duguid undisclosed Plymouth Argyle
    Kevin McLeod free Brighton
    Adam Virgo loan expired
    Izale McLeod loan expired
    Danny Granville free Leyton Orient
    Matt Connolly loan expired

    VERDICT:
    Stronger defence with Lockwood and Heath, but will struggle to replace talismanic captain Karl Duguid who is going to remain in the Championship with Plymouth. Steven Gillespie should feature in the scoring charts.

    PREDICTION: Playoff contenders 4th

    CREWE ALEXANDRA

    Last Season 20th
    Coach: Steve Holland

    INS

    Calvin Zola £400,000 Tranmere Rovers
    Joel Grant £130,000 Aldershot Town
    Steve Collis free Southend United
    Jake Livermore loan Tottenham Hotspur

    OUTS
    Ben Williams free Carlisle United
    Ryan Lowe free Chester City
    Steve Jones loan expiry

    VERDICT: Always a big job following in the footsteps of English footballs longest serving manager, Steve Holland's first season in charge saw them just avoid relegation. It remains to be seen whether Calvin Zola will get the goals to keep them up again, while promising striker and last seasons top scorer Nicky Maynard is likely to leave for a £2m fee to one of several Premier League clubs interested.

    PREDICTION: Struggle again. 21st

    HARTLEPOOL UNITED
    Last Season 15th
    Coach: Danny Wilson

    INS
    Alan Power free Nottingham Forest
    Ritchie Jones free Yeovil Town

    VERDICT: A good promotion season last time around, but lack of activity so far gives cause for concern. Goals may be an issue again

    PREDICTION: Stalling 17th

    HEREFORD UNITED
    Last Season 3rd (League Two)
    Coach: Graham Turner

    VERDICT
    With transfers relying on young players coming in on loan and small support its hard to see Hereford doing much more than tread water

    PREDICTION 18th

    HUDDERSFIELD TOWN
    Last Season 10th
    Coach: Stan Ternant

    INS
    Chris Lucketti free Southampton
    Jim Goodwin free Scunthorpe Utd
    Keigan Parker free Blackpool

    OUTS
    Danny Schofield free Yeovil Town
    Frank Sinclair free Lincoln City
    Chris Brandon free Bradford City
    Robert Page free Chesterfield

    VERDICT: With the club under a new chairman and due to cheap season tickets, good crowds expected Huddersfield may spring a surprise and challenge for the Playoffs. Lucketti will bring experience to a young team while Keigan Parker has a good goalscoring record

    PREDICTION: Could be a surprised 8th

    LEEDS UNITED

    Last Season 5th (deducted 15 points)
    Coach: Gary McAllister

    INS
    Enoch Showunmi free Bristol City
    Alan Sheehan free (fee to be decided by tribunal) Leicester City
    Andy Robinson free Swansea City

    OUT
    Leon Constantine free Northampton Town
    Matt Heath free Colchester Utd
    Darren Kenton, Alan Thompson, Tore Andre Flo (released)

    VERDICT
    Leeds have been ambitious in the market this season, however they have been frustrated in bids for Kevin Phillips, Andy Cole and others, but are set to announce the signing of Jay Bothroyd from Wolves and at least two others. More importantly the spine of the team has been held together with top scorer Jermaine Beckford and promising midfielder Jonny Howson being retained.

    PREDICTION: Bookies favourites 1st

    LEICESTER CITY

    Last Season: 22nd (Championship)
    Coach: Nigel Pearson

    INS
    Aleksander Tunchev £800,000 CSKA Sofia
    Michael Morrison undisc Cambridge Utd
    Lloyd Dyer free MK Dons
    Nicky Adams free Bury
    Kerrea Gilbert loan Arsenal
    Paul Dickov free agent (yet to be confirmed)

    OUT
    Iain Hume £1.2m Barnsley
    Alan Sheehan free Leeds United (fee to be decided by tribunal)

    VERDICT: Shock relegation last season and new manager. A season of rebuilding and squad reduction, which is still ongoing. It would be a failure if they didn't bounce back up at the 1st attempt with the backing of Milan Mandaric.

    PREDICTION: Leicesters experience vs Leeds' promising youth for the title Bookies have them 2nd.

    --------

    Rest of league to follow later......
     
  2. act smiley

    act smiley Member

    Feb 8, 2005
    Cardiff
    Club:
    Leicester City FC
    Disagree on calling our squad experinced - its a randomly mashed together combination of Pearson's signing of promising youngsters, plus those who we've had all along like Ashley Chambers, Mattock (though no doubt will move to a Premiership team's reserves at some point) and Gradel, plus the experienced, highly-paid wasters from last season like Clemence, Oakley and Howard, the just plain past-it like Hayles and N'Gotty, and the never-were's who we can't shift I'M LOOKING AT YOU SERGIO HELLINGS. Oh, and the captain of a Champions League team in the prime of his career, just to make things a bit more confusing. I honestly have no idea how this is going to play out.

    I'd agree that Leeds would have to be the favourites, on the back of a strong season, but we're either at least as good, or far worse and its really tough to tell which.

    Oh and you missed:
    McAuley to Ipswich, £1.1m.
    Stearman to Wolves, £1.6m
     
  3. RichardL

    RichardL BigSoccer Supporter

    May 2, 2001
    Berkshire
    Club:
    Reading FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    Wouldn't it be better to wait a couple of weeks so you'll have more of an idea of squad line-ups? I'd imagine a fair bit of business will be done between now and then.
     
  4. munsonbulldog

    munsonbulldog Member

    Jul 23, 2008
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    New Zealand
    I think Bristol Rovers will place better than 12th.
     
  5. RavishingRobRude

    RavishingRobRude New Member

    Oct 19, 2008
    On The Couch
    northampton town via the playoffs.....come on!!!!!
     
  6. RavishingRobRude

    RavishingRobRude New Member

    Oct 19, 2008
    On The Couch
    :D haha
     
  7. munsonbulldog

    munsonbulldog Member

    Jul 23, 2008
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    New Zealand
    Careful mate I have been cautioned for less than that on this site lol:D
     

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