League One Odds Sure to Provide Season Surprises
By Mark Ridgway
July 12 2011
As the new season fast approaches, Mark Ridgway takes a look at the odds for the teams in League One for 2011/12, a lot which will probably have been proved inaccurate by next May......
Pre-season at last, where fans will be looking for indications for how well their team will do in the coming season. Most teams are well under way with transfers but will aim to continue to strengthen throughout the coming few weeks, before the big kick off.
Bookies have already produced their odds for each team in League One, their figures being predictable, but as always there will be a number of shocks, as things don’t always go to plan.
Last season for example, who would have expected the likes of Exeter, Leyton Orient and Bournemouth to be pushing for the play offs, whilst Charlton and Sheffield Wednesday finished in the bottom half. Similarly the previous seasons play off final losers Swindon Town finished bottom, and Plymouth who had been in The Championship the previous season, were also relegated (albeit not helped by administration in Plymouth's case).
Unsurprisingly Huddersfield have been named as the early season favourites, after losing last season’s Play Off Final to Peterborough. The Terriers had gone unbeaten in 2011 until that point, but have lost key players like Anthony Pilkington and Lee Peltier, and they will need to be replaced with genuine quality.
Second favourites are Sheffield Wednesday, after a strong finish to last season they are favoured to continue that form into the new campaign.
Preston are the first relegated side to appear in the list, despite losing defenders Billy Jones and Sean St. Ledger over the summer. The club are likely to keep hold of key man Iain Hume and much will rely around him, in a younger North End side.
Sheffield United and Scunthorpe are both tipped to finish in the top 6 after the pair were relegated last season along with Preston and United have managed to maintain most of last season’s squad so far. The Iron on the other hand have lost key men, such as goalkeeper Joe Murphy and defender David Mirfin, and are battling to keep hold of midfielder Michael O’Connor, who is being tracked by Peterborough.
Charlton Athletic are again tipped to be in contention despite a disappointing second half to the last campaign, however they’ve meant business in the close season. The club have brought in key players from their League One rivals such as Exeter’s Matt Taylor, Oldham’s Dale Stephens, Preston’s Paul Hayes and Danny Hollands from Bournemouth.
Also backed to challenge are last season’s playoff semi final losers Bournemouth and MK Dons, from then on the likes of Brentford, Leyton Orient, Chesterfield, Colchester, Notts County and Carlisle are all backed to push for promotion.
At the bottom, last season’s strugglers Walsall, Yeovil and Tranmere are predicted to finish below the dotted line this campaign, with Hartlepool backed to join them. Struggling seasons are predicted also for Oldham, and newly promoted Wycombe and Stevenage.
Lastly Bury, Rochdale and Exeter are favourites for mid-table mediocrity, but only time will tell.
Thankfully nobody can predict the future, and we’re bound to have an unpredictable season as ever this year, with ‘big name status’ not guaranteeing promotion in this league, and at the same time anyone can make a push for promotion to the Championship.
Whose year will it be this year?
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On the same basis I think the below the dotted line teams have a high chance of being among the strugglers.We just have to hope that Rovers are one of the exceptions.
The article refers to mid table mediocrity. Why is mid table mediocre? I would be very happy if we finished mid table and it would be amark of progress not mediocrity
First division market is obviously smaller than premiership, and as such just as improtant a factor will the the fan base (ie number of supporters looking to invest cash on the possibility of their team getting the title).
Realistically few tranmere fans will expect or bet on this - so the bookies might offer 500-1 and we would still get a better return from a half time pint.
Incidentally, I have a season ticket, and the last time I invested on the rovers was 1989 £5 each way at 25-1 (so judge the accuracy of the odds that year!)
Which dotted line are we talking about?
Chester probably fielded 7-8 first teamers from last season, with the remainder being new signings, so more cohesion, more playing experience and apparently Tranmere didn't use some players including Fon Willaims to rest them, owing to one or two niggles.
Tranmere lost the same fixture last season, but however the home game against Forest was 2-0 and Forest fielded some big names including Earnshaw, Blackstock, Camp and about 4 other established first teamers.
To me this result means jack squat, it's a technical exericse to see what the trialists do mainly, then you bang in a modicum of experience with first team players and that's your team, plus you can use the friendlies to faff about with different tactical set-ups.
Last season I think the line-up for Heswall was Moore, Bakayogo, Collister and 8 newbies and the side shaded I think a 2-0 and that was Collister's first pro outing I think.
I'd have been slightly more bothered if the scoreline had been 3-0 to Chester, but with a 1-0 scoreline I'm not.
One fairly meaningless friendly, to mainly assess trialists against a promoted form team, in an away scenario as well and already doom mongers are raining on Tranmere from a great height.
I can't say I'm surpised.
Then I ate his Liver.......... with some baked beans and a can of coke.
2nd half, Coughlin, Taylor, Kay, Robbo, Welsh, Weir, Wainwright plus 4 trialists including David Raven played.
Then I ate his Liver.......... with some baked beans and a can of coke.
Quote:Matt34
How did Chester get the goal?
A cracking strike by ex-Wrexham player Wes Baines although it was deflected and came from a terrible pass by John Welsh!
Quote:must be the panic dotted line.i guess p atience is not to be expected if we lose even one game.i hopeles gleaned something useful to calm the nervesHoots Mon
Chester 1 Tranmere 0
Which dotted line are we talking about?
Chin up guys! The "friendly season" has only just started!
