To Go Up

[Houso]

Could only add 10 options, so gone with the most likely.

Three choices allowed so include playoff winners.

 

[Houso]

And for what it's worth, I've gone...

Preston
Bournemouth
Notts County

Optimistic eh?

 

[SotonBlade]

MK Dons, Swindon and Notts County in that order.

Think we'll finish about 12th

 

[Bath Blade]

Looking at that list really shows how much weaker a division it's going to be this year compared to last year.

 

[Houso]

I'm not sure it does.

I think there's a lot more depth in the league this season and when you look at that list above, I'd guess that at least 6 of them have spent more than us this close season.

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

I've gone for Blades, MK Dons, Swindon (in that order).

I was tempted to go A N Other instead of Swindon.....fancy Colchester might do well.

 

[Kenilworth]

MKD - the stand out team in this division who have strengthened while others are weaker
Preston - especially if they land Beavon - they will be the Wendy of this new season
Swindon - there's always a plucky newcomer riding the crest of a wave.

I was considering County but they have such a dreadful record of falling away at the end of a season I suspect this will continue.

I think that Cov and Donny will struggle to maintain any promotion challenge. Too many changes and reliance on youth (same for us btw). Despite the impressive points total achieved last year it is fair to say that we are riding the crest of a slump so I expect we will be in the play off shake up by the time the fat lady is vibratoing again. And. of course, I am looking forward to the now traditional trip to the theatre of shattered dreams for yet another defeat in the POF, the emptiness of despair and the realisation that I have been fleeced once more by those nice people at the FA for the pleasure of gracing their over spec'd (but not for the normal fan), white elephant of a stadium.

 

[Houso]

You paint quite the picture Ken...

I don't see it with MK to tell the truth. I reckon they'll be playoffs at best.

Despite the battering they gave us at the end of the season (mostly due to what happened to Ched the day before), I think they flattered to deceive.

This post is gonna bite me in the arse come May isn't it?

 

[Revolution]

I cast my eye over the ins and outs in League 1 the other day and there are a fair number of decent players in the division, though perhaps they are spread out amongst a few more clubs than last season.

I don't know which of those teams will finish above us, but I assess things a different way - I do not currently see us scoring more than about 60 to 65 goals at most. This will not be enough for automatic promotion unless we concede less than a goal a game, which is not very likely. We may well make the playoffs, but as we are Sheffield United that is effectively worthless to us.

 

[davidpinder]

CRAWLEY, PRESTON, NOTTS COUNTY in that order i think we will finish a very poor 10th hope i am wrong. I think the playoffs will be contested between NOTTS COUNTY, SWINDON, CARLISLE AND MK DONS. I think the other 4 teams to finish above us will be DONNY, COVENTRY, BOURNEMOUTH AND COLCHESTER. I am also going to make a very optimistic prediction and that is ROTHERHAM to go up from League 2 and by October 2013 we will be the lowest placed team in South Yorkshire playing in the football league.

 

[Kenilworth]

I still think MKD will be the pace setters this season Houso since they have forward momentum form last season and they play good football plus they have the ability to destroy teams.

In contrast I feel that we have been slapped in the face with a slimy wet Halibut the size of this feller (see photo) and have lost pretty much all the momentum we had.

There are two main methods to get promoted from the third division. The Norwich/Southampton/Brighton way or the Wendy Passage that it appears Preston will take by bullying teams into submission.

I know we will be looking to play football again this year under DW but there will be several occasions where we will be out muscled by the opposition because a) the inexperience in the squad we have now means that we will not be good enough to keep the ball from them when we win possession and b) we will not be physical enough to withstand the pressure when the heat is turned up.

 

[Balham]

Isn't the preseason expectation level this season much the same as it was at this stage last season? I had us down for 12th (I think) last time round.

We're light on the flanks but I'd rather be light there than at centre half. We've got three young strikers with a point to prove; let's hope that one of them can find the goals we need.

 

[Kenilworth]

CRAWLEY, PRESTON, NOTTS COUNTY in that order i think we will finish a very poor 10th hope i am wrong. I think the playoffs will be contested between NOTTS COUNTY, SWINDON, CARLISLE AND MK DONS. I think the other 4 teams to finish above us will be DONNY, COVENTRY, BOURNEMOUTH AND COLCHESTER. I am also going to make a very optimistic prediction and that is ROTHERHAM to go up from League 2 and by October 2013 we will be the lowest placed team in South Yorkshire playing in the football league.

Surely that will be North Barnsley by then - even with the capture of the Mekon from under the snouts of the South Barnsley Massive?

 

[Revolution]

Isn't the preseason expectation level this season much the same as it was at this stage last season? I had us down for 12th (I think) last time round.

The level of expectation is the same, I agree. The problem is that there is a strong argument that last year's squad was better than this one, and they didn't go up either.

 

[Houso]

I actually think we're stronger in a couple of areas and have more depth, but the loss of Ched's goals (despite not expecting them last season in quite such volume) will hit us harder than anything else.

 

[Worksop_Blade]

We'll be 12th with about 42 points on January 1st 2013, could make a late push for the Play Offs but there wouldn't be any point in that.

I reckon the away form will stump us this season.

1st MK Dons
2nd Preston
POF Swindon Town

Wilson gone by April and a 9th place finish for United.

 

[sheffielder]

Sheff Utd
Swindon
Preston

 

[sheffielder]

We'll be 12th with about 42 points on January 1st 2013, could make a late push for the Play Offs but there wouldn't be any point in that.

I reckon the away form will stump us this season.

1st MK Dons
2nd Preston
POF Swindon Town

Wilson gone by April and a 9th place finish for United.

Care to make a wager for charity?

make cheque payable to SUFC Football Club and not PLC

 

[mattbianco1]

CRAWLEY, PRESTON, NOTTS COUNTY in that order i think we will finish a very poor 10th hope i am wrong. I think the playoffs will be contested between NOTTS COUNTY, SWINDON, CARLISLE AND MK DONS. I think the other 4 teams to finish above us will be DONNY, COVENTRY, BOURNEMOUTH AND COLCHESTER. I am also going to make a very optimistic prediction and that is ROTHERHAM to go up from League 2 and by October 2013 we will be the lowest placed team in South Yorkshire playing in the football league.

See that's optimism.

 

[Kenilworth]

Isn't the preseason expectation level this season much the same as it was at this stage last season? I had us down for 12th (I think) last time round.

Yes but remember that many predictions then were calculating that there would be a continuation of the form that Ched had shown over the previous 2 seasons. Factor out 29 league goals from one player - add approx 10 in for an inferior replacement and you get 65-75 team goals a season. Not quite enough for the play offs IMO.

If Cofie and Blackman hit form then we might be OK but that's a big ask from an unproven youngster and a 22 year old that hasn't been able to hold down a first team place for a full season before.

 

[mattbianco1]

Interestingly. Most people who have published their choices don't have Utd to go up. However, the poll suggests most people think we will.

For the record, i think it's:

Sheff Utd
Preston
then Swindon/MK Dons (i voted Swindon)

 

[StarBlade]

Preston, MK Dons for the automatics, Bournemouth in the play-offs.

Hope I'm wrong!

 

[mattbianco1]

Yes but remember that many predictions then were calculating that there would be a continuation of the form that Ched had shown over the previous 2 seasons. Factor out 29 league goals from one player - add approx 10 in for an inferior replacement and you get 65-75 team goals a season. Not enough for the play offs IMO.

Weren't we like the third highest scorers in Europe? That's never going to happen again. So we don't hammer as many teams... We'll still beat them

 

[Worksop_Blade]

Care to make a wager for charity?

make cheque payable to SUFC Football Club and not PLC

I've paid that "charity" enough money over the years, they can swivel if they think they are getting more to fritter away on shite like Marcus Williams and Chris Porter.

If we've between 40 and 45 points on 1st January and finish 9th I'll give a Tenner to the Children's Hospital.

Foxy log it.

 

[Kenilworth]

Weren't we like the third highest scorers in Europe? That's never going to happen again. So we don't hammer as many teams... We'll still beat them

Yep - we had a good number of 3 goal hauls at home last year when we battered teams.
Just not convinced we will be that far ahead of any of them this term.
If we anticipate closer score lines this means that any slip up by any individual on the day could turn a narrow victory into a draw or a draw into a defeat. We only lost 3 home games last season. We will do very well not to lose more this if we are struggling to find the net when we are on top and exerting pressure on the opposition.

 

[metalblade]

MKD
Notts Co
Preston

 

[Maidenhead]

Yes but remember that many predictions then were calculating that there would be a continuation of the form that Ched had shown over the previous 2 seasons. Factor out 29 league goals from one player - add approx 10 in for an inferior replacement and you get 65-75 team goals a season. Not quite enough for the play offs IMO.

If Cofie and Blackman hit form then we might be OK but that's a big ask from an unproven youngster and a 22 year old that hasn't been able to hold down a first team place for a full season before.

That's pretty much what I thought when we signed Deane and Agana ;-)

 

[Kenilworth]

That's pretty much what I thought when we signed Deane and Agana ;-)

OOOOoooooohhhh I just hope you're right Maidenhead.

Revered in these parts those two gentlemen