National League Thread

[oafc1955]

Hopefully 2 automatic places next season!

[bigfatjoe1]

Two fantastic games today. They had everything. These play-off are even more brutal than the two-legged affairs. 

[OAFC_ULTRA]

11 minutes ago, kev1970 said:

They must be on a par with Rochdale fans after what happened in Royton last night by that scum.

Why what happend?

[kev1970]

Just now, OAFC_ULTRA said:

Why what happend?

They set on alot of people last night was 10 on 1 in coop car park absolutely scum hitting people in the back of the head what coward's they are.

[OAFC_ULTRA]

1 minute ago, kev1970 said:

They set on alot of people last night was 10 on 1 in coop car park absolutely scum hitting people in the back of the head what coward's they are.

Scum bags

[longtimeblue]

21 minutes ago, oafc1955 said:

Hopefully 2 automatic places next season!

 

Keep seeing this... Is there actually a chance of it happening?

[daniel]

6 minutes ago, longtimeblue said:

 

Keep seeing this... Is there actually a chance of it happening?

Mentions of it, but i’m sure league 2 clubs have to agree, and if thats the case they won’t vote in favour of that surely? Unless there is some other incentive etc. 

[longtimeblue]

18 minutes ago, daniel said:

Mentions of it, but i’m sure league 2 clubs have to agree, and if thats the case they won’t vote in favour of that surely? Unless there is some other incentive etc. 

 

You'd think it'd just be 24 teams for and 24 against if it was just the clubs voting. 18 months ago we'd have been well against it.

[GlossopLatic]

You would think it unlikely that 2 automatic places will be available next season it seems abit late in the day to make such a decision it might come into effect in the next couple if years though.

 

The fact 2nd and 3rd managed to get through to the final proves the advantage of the home advantage in the play off semis and arguably the NL play off system is fairer than the EFLs.

[Dave_Og]

1 hour ago, oafc1955 said:

Hopefully 2 automatic places next season!

Why arev EFL clubs going to vote for that?

[Dave_Og]

1 hour ago, longtimeblue said:

 

You'd think it'd just be 24 teams for and 24 against if it was just the clubs voting. 18 months ago we'd have been well against it.

NL clubs don't get a vote. The 72 members of the EFL do

[BP1960]

51 minutes ago, Dave_Og said:

NL clubs don't get a vote. The 72 members of the EFL do

 

And the EFL is getting a larger slice of the cake next season.

Interesting bit that IFollow will be replaced.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/breaking-efl-sky-sports-deal-29904598

Edited May 7, 2023 by BP1960

[Steve_R]

4 hours ago, GlossopLatic said:

You would think it unlikely that 2 automatic places will be available next season it seems abit late in the day to make such a decision it might come into effect in the next couple if years though.

 

The fact 2nd and 3rd managed to get through to the final proves the advantage of the home advantage in the play off semis and arguably the NL play off system is fairer than the EFLs.

More reason why we have to go flat out next year for the top spot and bullocks to this playoff talk 

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

From my observations the top 8-9 would definitely be able to hold their own in League Two and Notts County's performance levels to reach over 100 points and not be in an automatic position will only serve to strengthen the arguement for three up and three down. Watched both them and Chesterfield yesterday and even though Notts are favourites to win, I'd not be unsurprised if Chesterfield did so. It's an embarrassment for the league for a team to be so far ahead of the pack and not be rewarded for that due to a system that's still stuck in the past.

 

Crawley, Harrogate and Colchester stunk the place out at the bottom of the league and it seems a shame that a pretty well run club, who have performed really well over the season and would beat them more times than not, won't be playing at a level more befitting to their progress. It needs reform and I think it will come within a couple of seasons. How often have you seen (and I include us in that) a prety rotten club hang about at the bottom of that division and repeatedly stay up when, if it happened in L1 or the Championship they'd deservedly go down? It's an itch that needs fixing IMO.

[BP1960]

1 hour ago, Frankly Mr Shankly said:

From my observations the top 8-9 would definitely be able to hold their own in League Two and Notts County's performance levels to reach over 100 points and not be in an automatic position will only serve to strengthen the arguement for three up and three down. Watched both them and Chesterfield yesterday and even though Notts are favourites to win, I'd not be unsurprised if Chesterfield did so. It's an embarrassment for the league for a team to be so far ahead of the pack and not be rewarded for that due to a system that's still stuck in the past.

 

Crawley, Harrogate and Colchester stunk the place out at the bottom of the league and it seems a shame that a pretty well run club, who have performed really well over the season and would beat them more times than not, won't be playing at a level more befitting to their progress. It needs reform and I think it will come within a couple of seasons. How often have you seen (and I include us in that) a prety rotten club hang about at the bottom of that division and repeatedly stay up when, if it happened in L1 or the Championship they'd deservedly go down? It's an itch that needs fixing IMO.

 

Although in 1959 the system prevented us going down.

If we'd have dropped into non league it's unlikely we'd have signed Bobby Johnstone and the whole course of history would probably have been different. 

I agree though 3 up and down needs to be adopted.

Edited May 8, 2023 by BP1960

[GlossopLatic]

10 hours ago, Steve_R said:

More reason why we have to go flat out next year for the top spot and bullocks to this playoff talk 

 

Expectation Management amongst the fanbase is important here, Hear me out.

 

This where what is said in the dressing room and what is said in public are and always should be too very different things. Inside the club Expectation will be to atleast try and win every game and go for the title. But putting that out there publicly between now and August will actually do us more harm than good as we will just be adding unnecessary pressure to ourselves.

 

Right now Barring Chesterfield or Notts County the Expectation at our club for next season will be higher than any other club in the division. That will come with its own problems. If we are at the top of the division teams are going to come to Boundary Park with the intention of sticking men behind the ball frustrating us and getting the Boundary Park crowd on the home teams back. That will be the teamtalk for alot of teams coming here next season. Also alot can happen between now and next May we could make 2 or 3 really good signings and a couple of them could go down injured in August having done their cruciates and not be seen until Easter. Some sides that might not look much now might emerge considerably stronger than we anticipate, signings which look good on paper don't work out the way we hoped.

 

To win the league next season not only are we going to have to do everything right over the next 12 months but we are going to have to hope other things go our way too. Notts County scored in enough points this season to win everyone of the last 44 National League/Conference titles they still might not go up. It is actually more likely we will be in the play offs than go up automatically next season 

 

The players will have to understand and live with that expectation of being one of the teams who are seen as a scalp, Im sure our fans will understand that we are there to be shot at next season too. But if I was David Unsworth right now I wouldn't be thumping my chest shouting we are going to win the league in the media. Wisely he isn't doing this.

Edited May 8, 2023 by GlossopLatic

[Dave_Og]

3 hours ago, Frankly Mr Shankly said:

From my observations the top 8-9 would definitely be able to hold their own in League Two and Notts County's performance levels to reach over 100 points and not be in an automatic position will only serve to strengthen the arguement for three up and three down. Watched both them and Chesterfield yesterday and even though Notts are favourites to win, I'd not be unsurprised if Chesterfield did so. It's an embarrassment for the league for a team to be so far ahead of the pack and not be rewarded for that due to a system that's still stuck in the past.

 

Crawley, Harrogate and Colchester stunk the place out at the bottom of the league and it seems a shame that a pretty well run club, who have performed really well over the season and would beat them more times than not, won't be playing at a level more befitting to their progress. It needs reform and I think it will come within a couple of seasons. How often have you seen (and I include us in that) a prety rotten club hang about at the bottom of that division and repeatedly stay up when, if it happened in L1 or the Championship they'd deservedly go down? It's an itch that needs fixing IMO.

Not sure it's stuck in the past. It's only six years since the current system was introduced.

[Magic Mikey]

To have a division with four up two down and the division below to be two up four down is ludicrous. There can't be any justification for it other than self preservation in the higher division (admittedly we'd be just as guilty as anyone else of that). 

[Steve_R]

3 hours ago, GlossopLatic said:

 

Expectation Management amongst the fanbase is important here, Hear me out.

 

This where what is said in the dressing room and what is said in public are and always should be too very different things. Inside the club Expectation will be to atleast try and win every game and go for the title. But putting that out there publicly between now and August will actually do us more harm than good as we will just be adding unnecessary pressure to ourselves.

 

Right now Barring Chesterfield or Notts County the Expectation at our club for next season will be higher than any other club in the division. That will come with its own problems. If we are at the top of the division teams are going to come to Boundary Park with the intention of sticking men behind the ball frustrating us and getting the Boundary Park crowd on the home teams back. That will be the teamtalk for alot of teams coming here next season. Also alot can happen between now and next May we could make 2 or 3 really good signings and a couple of them could go down injured in August having done their cruciates and not be seen until Easter. Some sides that might not look much now might emerge considerably stronger than we anticipate, signings which look good on paper don't work out the way we hoped.

 

To win the league next season not only are we going to have to do everything right over the next 12 months but we are going to have to hope other things go our way too. Notts County scored in enough points this season to win everyone of the last 44 National League/Conference titles they still might not go up. It is actually more likely we will be in the play offs than go up automatically next season 

 

The players will have to understand and live with that expectation of being one of the teams who are seen as a scalp, Im sure our fans will understand that we are there to be shot at next season too. But if I was David Unsworth right now I wouldn't be thumping my chest shouting we are going to win the league in the media. Wisely he isn't doing this.

All of what you say makes perfect sense, but Unsworth doesn’t have to say we’re going to win the league, but that the aim is to try to win it.

Maybe it’s just me but I hate talk of the playoffs at any time. Throughout the season teams are judged on how they are doing by how many points they are behind the last play off space. Teams in the bottom half of the table are judged on ‘only x amount of points’ off the playoffs, instead being say 14th and possibly way behind where they should or expect to be.

Personally I’d scrap them and go back to automatic promotion. I know it’ll never happen, but let’s face it, if only two go up anyway you shouldn’t be anywhere near having a chance if you finish seventh.

[TheBigDog]

3 hours ago, GlossopLatic said:

 

Expectation Management amongst the fanbase is important here, Hear me out.

 

This where what is said in the dressing room and what is said in public are and always should be too very different things. Inside the club Expectation will be to atleast try and win every game and go for the title. But putting that out there publicly between now and August will actually do us more harm than good as we will just be adding unnecessary pressure to ourselves.

 

Right now Barring Chesterfield or Notts County the Expectation at our club for next season will be higher than any other club in the division. That will come with its own problems. If we are at the top of the division teams are going to come to Boundary Park with the intention of sticking men behind the ball frustrating us and getting the Boundary Park crowd on the home teams back. That will be the teamtalk for alot of teams coming here next season. Also alot can happen between now and next May we could make 2 or 3 really good signings and a couple of them could go down injured in August having done their cruciates and not be seen until Easter. Some sides that might not look much now might emerge considerably stronger than we anticipate, signings which look good on paper don't work out the way we hoped.

 

To win the league next season not only are we going to have to do everything right over the next 12 months but we are going to have to hope other things go our way too. Notts County scored in enough points this season to win everyone of the last 44 National League/Conference titles they still might not go up. It is actually more likely we will be in the play offs than go up automatically next season 

 

The players will have to understand and live with that expectation of being one of the teams who are seen as a scalp, Im sure our fans will understand that we are there to be shot at next season too. But if I was David Unsworth right now I wouldn't be thumping my chest shouting we are going to win the league in the media. Wisely he isn't doing this.

I think that our expectations as a club will be that we are competing at the very top end of the league and that we will be very difficult to beat at home and very competitive  away from home.

I don’t see Unsworth or any senior management/director bragging to the media - it’s simply not our way.

 

As for the talk in the dressing room, it will be around aims not expectations in my view. ‘We can win this’ rather than ‘We will win this’ .

 

Whatever happens in the close season, my expectation is that it’s going to be a good season and I want to be along for the ride

[Worcester Owl]

1 hour ago, Steve_R said:

All of what you say makes perfect sense, but Unsworth doesn’t have to say we’re going to win the league, but that the aim is to try to win it.

Maybe it’s just me but I hate talk of the playoffs at any time. Throughout the season teams are judged on how they are doing by how many points they are behind the last play off space. Teams in the bottom half of the table are judged on ‘only x amount of points’ off the playoffs, instead being say 14th and possibly way behind where they should or expect to be.

Personally I’d scrap them and go back to automatic promotion. I know it’ll never happen, but let’s face it, if only two go up anyway you shouldn’t be anywhere near having a chance if you finish seventh.

100%.

Play-offs undermine the entire point of a league, as we found out in 86/87 and as Notts County hopefully will not experience this time. As you say, they'll never be scrapped now, it's all about money. Before somebody says how exciting play-offs are/can be, so are plenty of games across a league season. If you want one-off dramas, there's the League Cup and FA Cup.

[League one forever]

2 hours ago, Steve_R said:

All of what you say makes perfect sense, but Unsworth doesn’t have to say we’re going to win the league, but that the aim is to try to win it.

Maybe it’s just me but I hate talk of the playoffs at any time. Throughout the season teams are judged on how they are doing by how many points they are behind the last play off space. Teams in the bottom half of the table are judged on ‘only x amount of points’ off the playoffs, instead being say 14th and possibly way behind where they should or expect to be.

Personally I’d scrap them and go back to automatic promotion. I know it’ll never happen, but let’s face it, if only two go up anyway you shouldn’t be anywhere near having a chance if you finish seventh.

The league would be dead for many clubs for a large amount of the season without the playoffs. They exist to increase competition and interest. How many times has club been poor, and made a late run into playoffs. From desperation to elation in the same season. I’d hate to lose them. 

[Dave_Og]

4 minutes ago, League one forever said:

The league would be dead for many clubs for a large amount of the season without the playoffs. They exist to increase competition and interest. How many times has club been poor, and made a late run into playoffs. From desperation to elation in the same season. I’d hate to lose them. 

Agreed, they're certainly not all about money 

[GlossopLatic]

2 hours ago, Steve_R said:

All of what you say makes perfect sense, but Unsworth doesn’t have to say we’re going to win the league, but that the aim is to try to win it.

Maybe it’s just me but I hate talk of the playoffs at any time. Throughout the season teams are judged on how they are doing by how many points they are behind the last play off space. Teams in the bottom half of the table are judged on ‘only x amount of points’ off the playoffs, instead being say 14th and possibly way behind where they should or expect to be.

Personally I’d scrap them and go back to automatic promotion. I know it’ll never happen, but let’s face it, if only two go up anyway you shouldn’t be anywhere near having a chance if you finish seventh.

 

Even he says something along the lines of we are aiming to win the league but we can't guarantee anything in football that will easily turn into a rod for his own back. People will unfortunately interpret that as a promise of winning the league that's what people are like. They twist everything a manager says at the best of times. 

 

44 minutes ago, Worcester Owl said:

100%.

Play-offs undermine the entire point of a league, as we found out in 86/87 and as Notts County hopefully will not experience this time. As you say, they'll never be scrapped now, it's all about money. Before somebody says how exciting play-offs are/can be, so are plenty of games across a league season. If you want one-off dramas, there's the League Cup and FA Cup.

 

You do not get anywhere near the level of excitement in either the league or FA cup that you do in the play offs it simply doesn't happen.

 

They aren't always fair infact they rarely are but getting rid of them would be disatourous for football outside the premier league you would really struggle to get the interest levels up.

 

They are probably the best thing to happen to football in the last 40 years.

[Steve_R]

28 minutes ago, GlossopLatic said:

 

Even he says something along the lines of we are aiming to win the league but we can't guarantee anything in football that will easily turn into a rod for his own back. People will unfortunately interpret that as a promise of winning the league that's what people are like. They twist everything a manager says at the best of times. 

 

 

You do not get anywhere near the level of excitement in either the league or FA cup that you do in the play offs it simply doesn't happen.

 

They aren't always fair infact they rarely are but getting rid of them would be disatourous for football outside the premier league you would really struggle to get the interest levels up.

 

They are probably the best thing to happen to football in the last 40 years.

Unsworth might as well not open his gob then. If he can’t emphasise the ambition to go up automatically without worrying people will twist his words then we might as well give up.

I accept the playoffs are here to stay, but they’re not right. It’s more the fact that it lowers peoples ambition that irks me though. Instead of aiming for automatic promotion the playoffs is the new bar, which usually means the last playoff place.
There’s no success in getting in the playoffs unless you win them. We need to aim as high as possible, and if we can’t win the league finish second or third. The best chance you have of winning the playoffs if you end up in there is to be the best team in them, but it seems like nowadays 7th is the holy grail.