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blueboy wrote:Unfortunately players like Rene have proven they're not upto the standard

I for one think 14 goals from a player "not up to the standard" and putting off a knee operation is not bad, especially given that he arrived on a free transfer.

And I think Westley is probably just trying to metaphorically put his arm around those players with his comments, don't think we can read too much into that.

We all know that we are a decent side but we're playing pretty much to our maximum at the moment. I think we'd give a few L1 teams a run for their money when we're at our best, no doubt about it. But it's that strength in depth that we don't currently have that would help us stay there if we went up.

blueboy wrote:Make no mistake about it there's a huge gap in class for the top 3/4 of L1. Yes Stevenage have done excellent but you also just need to look at Wycombe & Chesterfield almost certain for the drop and Bury in 15th to see it's not as easy as made it.

Unfortunately players like Rene have proven they're not upto the standard so a significant investment would be needed to stay up. If anyone thinks otherwise you'll be in for a huge shock next season.

Don't think I agree with that one bit!

Exactly what Ling said when he signed has bared fruit. Rene has never been settled anyway before this season and given him this stability (I believe) is the reason for his excellent form. I definitely think he can now step up to League 1 with no issues if this stability remains.

Rene's extremely brief loan spell at a doomed Bristol Rovers is obviously CLEAR proof he's not up to the standard. Laughable. He's one of our absolutely definitely good enough players for League 1 and in all honesty we don't have loads of them. He has a brilliant football brain, an excellent technical ability and he scores goals. If he was fitter I seriously thik he could play in the Championship. I've seen FAR worse players than him making a living in that league who don't have 20% the skillz that Rene has.

I thought Wycombe were shocking when we played them last year, we rinsed them 3-1 away and were lucky not to get beat 8-0 at Plainmoor, only Nikki Bull knows how they got away with 0-0 that day so I'm not surprised to see them struggle, their best player was a 37 year old who was never going to have the same impact at that level (similar to Hargreaves when we got out of BSP). Bury lost their manager and 2 or 3 key players, chesterfield lost their goalscorers from the year before. Lester due to age/injury in terms of he can't play 46 games anymore and Craig Davies went to Barnsley. So again it's easier to see why they have found it tougher.

i have no doubts IF we went up, we'd be more like a Bury than a Stevenage because we lack match winners and players with that extra bit of quality in the final third currently. We have a very honest, hard working team that is punching above it's weight along with 3/4s of an excellent defense and a brilliant goalkeeper. To do well in League 1 we need more than that but again we'll cross that bridge if and when we get to it.

without wishing to cast a negative over our progression, i fear more for us if we stay down than if we get promoted. I would like to think that the likes of Bobby, Ellis, Manse, Eunan, Rene................will all stay if we remain in league two, but i'm guessing if we don't' go up, there will be offers for at least those mentioned, if not more of our players. The good thing is they are all (?) on contract so we would in theory get some/decent money for them, but i'm certain they'd all stay next season IF we were promoted. I think we'll cope a league up with a few additions, and would far prefer to be in league one next year, and keep our better players.

Regiment wrote:without wishing to cast a negative over our progression, i fear more for us if we stay down than if we get promoted. I would like to think that the likes of Bobby, Ellis, Manse, Eunan, Rene................will all stay if we remain in league two, but i'm guessing if we don't' go up, there will be offers for at least those mentioned, if not more of our players. The good thing is they are all (?) on contract so we would in theory get some/decent money for them, but i'm certain they'd all stay next season IF we were promoted. I think we'll cope a league up with a few additions, and would far prefer to be in league one next year, and keep our better players.

Ellis is out of contract at the end of the season. I agree with what you have said though. If we don't go up maybe the board will see it as maximizing profit from players. If we have a poor season in D2 next season they will not be as profitible.

I think it would be a very important summer for us. In recent years we have always failed to build on the success and come straight back down, but this time would be different in that we are owned by a consortium who have invested into the infrastructure of the club. In 2004 we had a manager, Richard Hancox and that was it. We didn't even have a goalkeeper for the first 10 months of the season but still very nearly stayed up, so I'd back us to much more prepared this time around.

If we lose any players then hopefully we'll receive good fees and can replace them, which is something we haven't done for a very long time. At present I think we have the makings of a decent L1 side, but it would need work in the summer.

Hopefully this will be an interesting debate for the summer months, but I'm not going to tempt fate by doing it now.

League One can't be that good a division, if Exeter City can stay in it for so long.. =D

Gullscorer wrote:League One can't be that good a division, if Exeter City can stay in it for so long.. =D

Good point Gullsscorer. made me chuckle.

If and it is a big if, we are promoted, I think our is certainly better equipped than before to stay in league 1, but, I can't see how any of us can think thier is not a gulf between league 1 and league 2 .

Yes Stevenage have done very well, however so did Rochdale in thier first season,season 2 , and Dale are on the way back, Chesterfield are another prime example, won League 2 title last year, brand new staduim,went up on the creast of a wave, as thier fan's said goodbye to league 2 forever, and thier coming straight back down, along maybe with Wycombe another promoted team from last season, Bury have only just survived.

Their is a word of warning for Swindaon and whoever goes up with them, for us thier is no doubt our player budget in league 1 would be anything over than bottom 6, so it would take a large slice of luck, and some very good loan signings, anyhting less and I can only see a quick return to league 2.

It's such a hard one to call. Many clubs seem to do quite well in their 1st season up (Whichever division it is). Somehow, if they do survive, they get "found out" in their 2nd season. As "forever" said, Rochdale, have done it....looked good when they went up season before, but have been pretty dire this year. Shame about Chesterfield. They did look a very good side when they won promotion. Can't understand why they have stuggled this year.
Will be intresting to see how Stevenage fare next time out. Wycombe and possibly, if memory serves me right, Swindon & Cheltenham appear to be "Yo Yo" sides. They go up, they go down. It will be very intresting, especially if Crawley go up this year.

When you go up, there is obviously interest in your players.

If you are a small club like ourselves, it is harder to hold onto these players and they invariably get picked off by bigger clubs when their contracts run out.

It is then harder to replace those players on a like for like basis on our (what will still be a) league 2 budget. If we don't get it right, league 1 is undoubtably less forgiving, hence why so many team do ok then drop back.

This is why the youth team is so important and also why we won't be able to sustain league 1 football in the long term. Even with Exeter's excellent youth setup, they are coming back down the minute those youth players don't make the grade.

If we get up and hang on to everyone we will be fine. Danny will need to go as he is no way L1 level and we would seriously need to spice up our attack but apart from that we will be fine.