Quality in League One...

[drfcsteve]

...is almost non existant. Everyone bar one or two teams play hoof ball, the defences make huge mistakes every game, strikers can't finish gilt edge chances, and the general quality of football is a million miles away from the championship.

If we can keep hold of some of our key players I don't see why we can't have a relatively decent season next year.

[Mr1Croft]

The biggest difference for me is the gritty teams like Stevenage and Scunthorpe who just kick chunks out of the opposition. With most of our key players (such as Stock and Copps) getting injured frequently I am worried.
For me we need a Wellens or Wilson type player to sit in the midfield and take a couple of knocks.
I've been to a fair few league one games and tbh the football isn't that much different. Yes there is a lot of hoofball but the main difference is how many times teams just clear it for a throw rather than trying to counter.
The biggest factor (especially for us) is the sucess rate of an overseas player gaining a work permit is considerably lower.

[drfcsteve]

I've never really rated Keegan but maybe league one will be more his level and he could play an enforcer type role.

If we keep Brown I think he'll score for fun next season.

[Red wizard]

I've never really rated Keegan but maybe league one will be more his level and he could play an enforcer type role.

If we keep Brown I think he'll score for fun next season.

Good call on Keegan i would like to see him stay if the money is right. Brown will score but he wont score for fun. Never has.

[drfcsteve]

Maybe not, but look at Ched Evans, 9 goals last season in the championship, 35 and counting this year in league one.

[phil o sophical]

Quality or lack of it, we have got a real battle on our hands next season. We know the budget is going to be less than this season,we don't know how many of the current squad will stay or want to stay and "bigger "clubs than us have struggled to climb out of league one. One way or another it will be an interesting summer to see the squad we have for next season

[The Red Baron]

I've never really rated Keegan but maybe league one will be more his level and he could play an enforcer type role.

If we keep Brown I think he'll score for fun next season.

Good call on Keegan i would like to see him stay if the money is right. Brown will score but he wont score for fun. Never has.

Keegan would probably do well in League One but signing him on again would be a huge gamble given his injury record. We could have another Brooker/ Martin Woods on our hands.

[mutleyrover]

Quality in League One...
« on Today at 10:09:54 AM by drfcsteve »

...is almost non existant. Everyone bar one or two teams play hoof ball, the defences make huge mistakes every game, strikers can't finish gilt edge chances, and the general quality of football is a million miles away from the championship.

We should fit in well then!!

[Wellred]

The biggest difference for me is the gritty teams like Stevenage and Scunthorpe who just kick chunks out of the opposition. With most of our key players (such as Stock and Copps) getting injured frequently I am worried.
For me we need a Wellens or Wilson type player to sit in the midfield and take a couple of knocks.
I've been to a fair few league one games and tbh the football isn't that much different. Yes there is a lot of hoofball but the main difference is how many times teams just clear it for a throw rather than trying to counter.
The biggest factor (especially for us) is the sucess rate of an overseas player gaining a work permit is considerably lower.

A Wilson type player to sit in midfield and take a couple of knocks??

Wilson certainly sat in midfield but take a few knocks??? He never got close enough to anyone to get any knocks.

[Norfolk N Chance]

There are few things in our favor;-
1) Charlton, Sheff U and Weds all look like going up
2) Pompey/ Coventry will probably collapse
3) No decent teams in league

Even we a major rebuild we should be ok

[southwestexile]

and i should get an nice trip to Torquay

on that note, I hope Bristol go down with us

[Katesby]

Me too, I live in Bristol so hoping they lose from now on in!

[Bessie Red]

Quality or lack of it, we have got a real battle on our hands next season. We know the budget is going to be less than this season,we don't know how many of the current squad will stay or want to stay and "bigger "clubs than us have struggled to climb out of league one. One way or another it will be an interesting summer to see the squad we have for next season

I know a lot of us are saying that money will be tight next season however if you look at the gates in this seasons League One only the two Sheffield clubs Charlton, Huddersfield & Preston have reasonably big average attendances.
After these MK Dons have the next biggest average at 8200 & they're fourth in the league. It looks likely that along with Charlton one of the Sheffield clubs will be up automatically & either the other one Huddersfield or MK Dons will go up through the play offs.
Coming up from League Two  will be probably Swindon plus three from Shrewsbury. Torquay, Crawley, Southend, Cheltenham,Oxford or Crewe. Only Swindon & Oxford break 7000 average out of those.

My point is that we could have one of the top 5 or 6 average attendances in League One if we can hold onto our core support of say 6500 - 7000 & add an extra 1500 if we start well. Surely this would mean we would have one of the largest budgets available for playing staff in the league or am  I being thick? Obviously the budget could be increased substantially if the Marketing of the club improves following the removal of Mr Morris.

[WBDRFC]

Quality or lack of it, we have got a real battle on our hands next season. We know the budget is going to be less than this season,we don't know how many of the current squad will stay or want to stay and "bigger "clubs than us have struggled to climb out of league one. One way or another it will be an interesting summer to see the squad we have for next season

I know a lot of us are saying that money will be tight next season however if you look at the gates in this seasons League One only the two Sheffield clubs Charlton, Huddersfield & Preston have reasonably big average attendances.
After these MK Dons have the next biggest average at 8200 & they're fourth in the league. It looks likely that along with Charlton one of the Sheffield clubs will be up automatically & either the other one Huddersfield or MK Dons will go up through the play offs.
Coming up from League Two  will be probably Swindon plus three from Shrewsbury. Torquay, Crawley, Southend, Cheltenham,Oxford or Crewe. Only Swindon & Oxford break 7000 average out of those.

My point is that we could have one of the top 5 or 6 average attendances in League One if we can hold onto our core support of say 6500 - 7000 & add an extra 1500 if we start well. Surely this would mean we would have one of the largest budgets available for playing staff in the league or am  I being thick? Obviously the budget could be increased substantially if the Marketing of the club improves following the removal of Mr Morris.

Budgets are not necessarily based on attendances. Budgets are based on cash available. If some of the other clubs have investors who are putting in millions then they will have more money to spend than clubs that rely solely on their matchday and TV income. Unfortunately it looks like we'll be relying solely on our income.

[Bessie Red]

Quality or lack of it, we have got a real battle on our hands next season. We know the budget is going to be less than this season,we don't know how many of the current squad will stay or want to stay and "bigger "clubs than us have struggled to climb out of league one. One way or another it will be an interesting summer to see the squad we have for next season

I know a lot of us are saying that money will be tight next season however if you look at the gates in this seasons League One only the two Sheffield clubs Charlton, Huddersfield & Preston have reasonably big average attendances.
After these MK Dons have the next biggest average at 8200 & they're fourth in the league. It looks likely that along with Charlton one of the Sheffield clubs will be up automatically & either the other one Huddersfield or MK Dons will go up through the play offs.
Coming up from League Two  will be probably Swindon plus three from Shrewsbury. Torquay, Crawley, Southend, Cheltenham,Oxford or Crewe. Only Swindon & Oxford break 7000 average out of those.

My point is that we could have one of the top 5 or 6 average attendances in League One if we can hold onto our core support of say 6500 - 7000 & add an extra 1500 if we start well. Surely this would mean we would have one of the largest budgets available for playing staff in the league or am  I being thick? Obviously the budget could be increased substantially if the Marketing of the club improves following the removal of Mr Morris.

Budgets are not necessarily based on attendances. Budgets are based on cash available. If some of the other clubs have investors who are putting in millions then they will have more money to spend than clubs that rely solely on their matchday and TV income. Unfortunately it looks like we'll be relying solely on our income.

I hear what you are saying however are there that many big investors at League One clubs pumping millions into them, I don't know.

Also I read somewhere recently that League One players were on average 1400 quid a week (73K a year). So say we had 20 players on say 2000k a week (100k a year) thats 2 million a year. Gate receipts at say 20 quid /person average x 7500 x 23 = 3.5 million a year. Obviously this is a quick calculation but it does look as though we could have above average players for the League we are in on gate receipts alone if we kept are core fan base on board.

Get JR to throw another million in (its so easy to say isn't it!!) & hey we are play off contenders if the right players are available & willing to come.

[roverstillidie91]

We could do with having a run in some of the cups. Getting a money spinning away tie or something. For the JPT Trophy if we get a home tie we need to charge like £5 each or something to try and generate a good atmosphere for it and maximise income somehow. Surely we wont be operating CAT A for most games as i dont think we will get thr attendance we are seeking for them prices.

[sedwardsdrfc]

our current player havent got the balls for a fight and thats what they will get keeping our current players is probably the worst thing we could do.

[Akinfenwa]

Recent history is against the smaller clubs relegated from the Championship having a good first season in League One. The only 'smaller' clubs that ended up getting in the playoffs are Scunthorpe and Peterborough. Scunthorpe had Nigel Adkins as manager and just sneaked in towards the end and Peterborough are bankrolled and could therefore keep most of their better players.

Bold = Average attendances of >8000.

2012 - Current
Sheff United - 2nd
Scunthorpe - 16th
Preston - 14th

2011
Sheff Wednesday - 15th
Plymouth - 23rd (R)
Peterborough - 4th (P)

2010
Norwich - 1st (P)
Southampton - 7th
Charlton - 4th

2009
Leicester - 1st (P)
Colchester - 12th
Scunthorpe - 6th (P)

2008
Southend - 6th
Luton - 24th (R)
Leeds - 5th

2007
Crewe - 13th
Millwall - 10th
Brighton - 18th

I don't think it will be as easy as some people think. We don't have much to go on at the minute but I think that we can be very happy if we finish in the top half next season. To me, that would represent a good season of re-stabilising the club.

[RoversAlias]

I think these stats are ambiguous at best.

I agree 100% that a top half finish would be pleasing and that we need to re-stabilise the club well. The ambition to talk of promotion from John Ryan and Dean Saunders is excellent however as it shows we aren't content to go back to "our level" and stay there for the next 20 years like some clubs.

[WBDRFC]

Quality or lack of it, we have got a real battle on our hands next season. We know the budget is going to be less than this season,we don't know how many of the current squad will stay or want to stay and "bigger "clubs than us have struggled to climb out of league one. One way or another it will be an interesting summer to see the squad we have for next season

I know a lot of us are saying that money will be tight next season however if you look at the gates in this seasons League One only the two Sheffield clubs Charlton, Huddersfield & Preston have reasonably big average attendances.
After these MK Dons have the next biggest average at 8200 & they're fourth in the league. It looks likely that along with Charlton one of the Sheffield clubs will be up automatically & either the other one Huddersfield or MK Dons will go up through the play offs.
Coming up from League Two  will be probably Swindon plus three from Shrewsbury. Torquay, Crawley, Southend, Cheltenham,Oxford or Crewe. Only Swindon & Oxford break 7000 average out of those.

My point is that we could have one of the top 5 or 6 average attendances in League One if we can hold onto our core support of say 6500 - 7000 & add an extra 1500 if we start well. Surely this would mean we would have one of the largest budgets available for playing staff in the league or am  I being thick? Obviously the budget could be increased substantially if the Marketing of the club improves following the removal of Mr Morris.

Budgets are not necessarily based on attendances. Budgets are based on cash available. If some of the other clubs have investors who are putting in millions then they will have more money to spend than clubs that rely solely on their matchday and TV income. Unfortunately it looks like we'll be relying solely on our income.

I hear what you are saying however are there that many big investors at League One clubs pumping millions into them, I don't know.

Also I read somewhere recently that League One players were on average 1400 quid a week (73K a year). So say we had 20 players on say 2000k a week (100k a year) thats 2 million a year. Gate receipts at say 20 quid /person average x 7500 x 23 = 3.5 million a year. Obviously this is a quick calculation but it does look as though we could have above average players for the League we are in on gate receipts alone if we kept are core fan base on board.

Get JR to throw another million in (its so easy to say isn't it!!) & hey we are play off contenders if the right players are available & willing to come.

The wage bill will be a lot higher than that. We're going to have a reserve team next year, so that doubles the number of players needed. Plus there are the coaching, support, retail and admin staff. Rovers had 101 staff members in 2010, and only about 30-35 of them were players.

Next year League 1 clubs can only spend a maximum of 55% of their income on wages. So we are limited to what we can spend by Football League rules. If our income is £3.5 million next season, the wages cannot exceed £1.92 million.

Also, there is VAT included in ticket prices, so a £20 ticket is £16.67 in Rovers pockets. But there is TV income on top of gate revenue - not a huge amount in League 1, but every penny counts.

[sedwardsdrfc]

players from under 18 can play in reserves so do players on the bench at the weekend and players recovering from injury it knowhere near doubles the players needed 

[RoversAlias]

Double the players needed? So every squad with a reserve team has 50 players in it does it? Don't be so ridiculous WB.

[WBDRFC]

Double the players needed? So every squad with a reserve team has 50 players in it does it? Don't be so ridiculous WB.

Did I say 50 players? No.
BessieRed said 20 players. I said double that. 20 x 2 = 40.
We had 35 players last season, without a reserve team or Under 21 team. I don't 40 is ridiculous.

Under 21's have to be paid from somewhere.

[WBDRFC]

players from under 18 can play in reserves so do players on the bench at the weekend and players recovering from injury it knowhere near doubles the players needed 

And if the first team, youth team or Under 21 team are playing the same day what do we do?

[The L J Monk]

For me, anything above 21st will be a good season. Something similar to Scunthorpe's performance this year is what I expect of us next season.

[Thinwhiteduke]

For me, anything above 21st will be a good season. Something similar to Scunthorpe's performance this year is what I expect of us next season.

If we beat a second relegation with Saunders at the helm I will be amazed and it will indeed be a good season.

Any half reasonably manager Id expect around mid table providing the existing nucleus of the squad are still around.