I think the difference with Birmingham is that they aren't really in crisis, went down with 50 points, and only got relegated because of the Wayne Rooney experiment. It would be one of the greatest fumbles of all time if they didn't go right back up.
As far as L1 promoted sides, Wrexham and Stockport have serious money, so definitely appear more competitive on the surface.
I am sure some clubs will prove to be paper tigers, though.
Not sure about Wrexham mind. Wouldn't be surprised if Phil Parkinson doesn't last the season
Huddersfield would be my tip to finish runners-up to Birmingham. They signed Herbie Kane over the summer who I think was the best opposition player we faced last season, along with the winger Portsmouth had on loan from Norwich, Kamara
Ironically, there is an argument that a strong division may actually help us - if everyone takes points off everyone, the total to get into the playoffs could be lower. Whereas a top-heavy division of six strong teams could lap the field.
The question for me this season is whether we can be better than the sum of our parts. This was GA's greatest achievement and I appreciate he is a really tough act to follow regarding this, but if we want to get anything near the play-offs, MB somehow has to get us to do this on a regular basis.
If he can, we should have a pretty decent season, but if he can't I think we will be looking at mid-table longingly by March.
That’s a good point. There were a few teams last season clearly better than the rest, whereas this year about half the division can hope to end up on the top six.
The wrong end of the league is stronger too. It was obvious from about October last year that Fleetwood, Carlisle and Port Vale were doomed. You’d only put Crawley in that category this season.
Big clubs (self appointed largely) will always moan that everyone thinks is a cup final to play against them and that’s why they don’t run away with the league so easily. We will see how Birmingham do but I’m guessing after their spending they won’t have much patience.
If Birmingham don't piss the league this season with the crazy money they have spent..... they will have an awful lot of egg on their faces..... I have zero bad blood towards Birmingham.... but I wouldn't be losing any sleep if they balls it up!
Maybe ML is watching them with keen interest and will be weighing up some big spending next season if it does however pay off for them? Getting into the championship then steadying things there for a few seasons may be on his mind. Bigger money coming in from sponsors, TV, gates etc etc....
Indeed @frequentstander any football fan who believes his club has a right to "belong" at any level is, in my opinion, deluded.
A football club earns the opportunity to play in a certain league each season. What happens during that season determines the opportunity for the following season.
Not to mention that fans of a club of Derby's size who say they "belong" in the Championship are implicitly admitting that they do not belong in the Premier League!
He'll probably be worth $6 billion or more next season. I doubt sellout crowds and any sponsorship deals will add much to that. He's 48 years old and has all the time in the world to let the youth of Kazakhstan get him a promotion or two.
Birmingham this year is like a massive souped up version of that mad Barry Fry Birmingham season in 94/95 where they just repeatedly kept adding to their squad, and ended up with 50 players or so
Looking at the records, they actually fielded 41 players that season
They won the league that year, but criminally had the likes of De Souza as a bit part player.
Miguel De Souza, what an icon of a player. I remember when he came in, just when we needed a freshen up with Regis & Garner up front, and scored in his first few games. Then cruelly got an injury.
I didn't check the link, but assume it's where he told De Souza and agent he wouldn't "effin get that", when he was after something like 850/950 per year and it was edited to suggest Fry was a negotiation expert offering 450/550 etc
Comments
I think the difference with Birmingham is that they aren't really in crisis, went down with 50 points, and only got relegated because of the Wayne Rooney experiment. It would be one of the greatest fumbles of all time if they didn't go right back up.
As far as L1 promoted sides, Wrexham and Stockport have serious money, so definitely appear more competitive on the surface.
I am sure some clubs will prove to be paper tigers, though.
Birmingham have assembled a ridiculous squad. I think they will get 100+ points this season
Not sure about Wrexham mind. Wouldn't be surprised if Phil Parkinson doesn't last the season
Huddersfield would be my tip to finish runners-up to Birmingham. They signed Herbie Kane over the summer who I think was the best opposition player we faced last season, along with the winger Portsmouth had on loan from Norwich, Kamara
Ironically, there is an argument that a strong division may actually help us - if everyone takes points off everyone, the total to get into the playoffs could be lower. Whereas a top-heavy division of six strong teams could lap the field.
For a change I am extremely confident that we won't be 3-0 down by 3:15 pm on Saturday.
I am a little less confident that we won't be by 5:45 pm though....
The question for me this season is whether we can be better than the sum of our parts. This was GA's greatest achievement and I appreciate he is a really tough act to follow regarding this, but if we want to get anything near the play-offs, MB somehow has to get us to do this on a regular basis.
If he can, we should have a pretty decent season, but if he can't I think we will be looking at mid-table longingly by March.
That’s a good point. There were a few teams last season clearly better than the rest, whereas this year about half the division can hope to end up on the top six.
The wrong end of the league is stronger too. It was obvious from about October last year that Fleetwood, Carlisle and Port Vale were doomed. You’d only put Crawley in that category this season.
Think we could get in the playoffs.
Last season all three relegated sides were basket cases. Not comparable this season.
Big clubs (self appointed largely) will always moan that everyone thinks is a cup final to play against them and that’s why they don’t run away with the league so easily. We will see how Birmingham do but I’m guessing after their spending they won’t have much patience.
If Birmingham don't piss the league this season with the crazy money they have spent..... they will have an awful lot of egg on their faces..... I have zero bad blood towards Birmingham.... but I wouldn't be losing any sleep if they balls it up!
Maybe ML is watching them with keen interest and will be weighing up some big spending next season if it does however pay off for them? Getting into the championship then steadying things there for a few seasons may be on his mind. Bigger money coming in from sponsors, TV, gates etc etc....
Derby fans being Derby fans.
Indeed @frequentstander any football fan who believes his club has a right to "belong" at any level is, in my opinion, deluded.
A football club earns the opportunity to play in a certain league each season. What happens during that season determines the opportunity for the following season.
Not to mention that fans of a club of Derby's size who say they "belong" in the Championship are implicitly admitting that they do not belong in the Premier League!
He'll probably be worth $6 billion or more next season. I doubt sellout crowds and any sponsorship deals will add much to that. He's 48 years old and has all the time in the world to let the youth of Kazakhstan get him a promotion or two.
Opta supercomputer has us in 9th place....
https://theanalyst.com/2024/08/league-one-2024-25-opta-predictions/
Birmingham this year is like a massive souped up version of that mad Barry Fry Birmingham season in 94/95 where they just repeatedly kept adding to their squad, and ended up with 50 players or so
Looking at the records, they actually fielded 41 players that season
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994%E2%80%9395_Birmingham_City_F.C._season.
They won the league that year, but criminally had the likes of De Souza as a bit part player.
Miguel De Souza, what an icon of a player. I remember when he came in, just when we needed a freshen up with Regis & Garner up front, and scored in his first few games. Then cruelly got an injury.
That win at St Andrews lives long in the memory.
I remember thinking that we’d really made the big time that night.
The transfer did at least give us this criminally good bit of classic archive.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4Nbc5zNr5o
I didn't check the link, but assume it's where he told De Souza and agent he wouldn't "effin get that", when he was after something like 850/950 per year and it was edited to suggest Fry was a negotiation expert offering 450/550 etc