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With a week to go most teams have finished their squads, whats everyone's thoughts on the top 7 and bottom 2 and where do you place Torquay in all of it?

For me I'm going for.

1. Northampton
2. Crawley - unfortunately.
3. Bristol Rovers

4. Oxford
5. Port Vale
6. Shrewsbury
7. Rotherham

8. Aldershot
9. Gillingham
10. Swindon
11. Torquay
12. Bradford
13. Crewe
14. Dagenham
15. Southend
16. Burton
17. Barnet
18. Wimbledon
19. Plymouth
20. Accrington
21. Macclesfield
22. Morecambe

23. Cheltenham
24. Hereford

I've changed my mind on the bottom 2. Originally gone for Morecambe and MAcclesfield but i'll give them 22nd and 21st respectively. I hope those 2 do go because they are miles away, rubbish northern clubs that nobody cares about. Argyle looke destined to struggle, Accrington have lost just about all of their talented players, but I've gone for Hereford and Cheltenham. Both teams were abysmal last season in the games I saw, Cheltenham have lost thier goalscorer Thomas and Hereford's best player is at Reading. Think both will definitely be in the bottom 5. Again I expect both of their managers will be gone by December time.

Other points of note, Bradford flatter to decieve and despite Branno going there I'm not impressed by their signings. Gambling on a lad from non league to replicate all his goals, doubtful. Jackson won't be in charge this time next season. My main surprise packages I think will be Northampton and Aldershot. The cobblers have an excellent manager who got rid of tons of dead wood, has added good players for this level and in Bayo and Harrad that looks like goals to me. Harrad for me is a decent shout for top scorer. Aldershot finished last season really strongly and they have a winner as a manager. They've made some solid signings in my opinion, again not really lost anybody and I think they will do what we did in finishing the previous season strong and start well this campaign. Just outside the playoffs I've gone for Gills and Swindon. Gillingham signed Birchall and now he's done for half the season. They'll still beat teams but not enough to make the playoffs. Swindon is the one which could go either way, this Italian experiement will either flourish and they'll go up or flop in a heap and cost them loads of money. I'm going for the latter. I just can't see a bunch of Italian lower league players enjoying League 2 matches at Accrington too much.

In the playoffs I'm going for Oxford, P Vale, Shrewsbury and Rotherham. Starting with the Millers, they've kept the spine of their team that went close last year, Andy Scott is a good manager they've made a couple of additions and I see them battling with teams 8-12 for that 7th spot especially as Le Fondre guarantees 20 goals every year. Shrewsbury will be there or thereabouts they always are, not really lost anybody other than Harrold who is terrible anyway and in Marvin Morgan have a much better replacement. Port Vale were flying till Adams left now he's back there again they'll be a hard side to beat and I expect them to be in the top 7 all season this time. Oxford have signed 9 players to what was a reasonable team last year, good manager and they've got goalscorers in their ranks, Constable and Craddock.

Top 3, already mentioned Northampton they are my surprise pick a bit like Chesterfield. Came from nowhere to win the league, I just think they've got the pieces in place now to do a lot better and I couldn't bring myself to pick Crawley. Onto the football anti christs, with the cash at their disposal I fully expect them to buy cheat and steal their way to an automatic promotion spot. Bristol Rovers make up the 3, they are the best prepared of the relegated sides, one usually bounces straight back and I think in the main they've signed decent players for the level. a lot of change so it could back fire but I expect them to do well.

Torquay I have put in the middle but I hope for us to maybe contest the last playoff spot, somewhere around 11th seems about right for us and would be a very good season. 11th place, beat Rovers and crawley at least once and I'd be happy.

now lets see how completely wrong I and all of us get this.

1. Crawley - unfortunately.
2. Shrewsbury
3. Oxford

4. Bristol Rovers (p)
5. Gillingham
6. Dagenham
7. Rotherham

8. Swindon
9. Torquay
10. Port Vale
11. Northampton
12. Bradford
13. Crewe
14. Aldershot
15. Southend
16. Burton
17. Barnet
18. Cheltenham
19. Plymouth
20. Accrington
21. Macclesfield
22. Morecambe

23. Wimdledon
24. Hereford

To be honest Ian ,i dissargee with you on Northampton ,whilst they have improved there squad and will be a much stronger outfit this season,i do not think they have done anywhere near enough to make the jump to the top 3.

I have gone for creepy,its simple they will not be far off by January and whatever they need to make the jump they will just go out and buy it,Shrewsbury missed out by a point and have brought well cans ee them going one better,and Oxford who were not that far from the play-off's have brought well,aswell.

Dont want any of our gashead member's to be offended,i have put you in fourth because of the fact you have 12 new players,if they gel you will do very well,however this league is stronger than a lot think,i see play-off's and promotion,as Buckle after 3 play-off campaign's should know what he is doing by now.

After watching us in pre-season,i think we will fair very well,a lot could depend on injuries and suspension's,on pre-season evidence,we will do alot better than many of our fellow league 2 fan's think as our squad look's more balanced,and in some area's stronger than last term,think we will miss out on the play-off's as the league itself look's stronger.

As for the bottom two,this looks harder to predict than mnay a season,i have left Hereford there,and added Wimbledon,i think the wombles could be the first team ever to go straight back down,however Plymouth if they do not sort thenselves out soon and 2-3 others could come close aswell.

If Crawley, Bristol Rovers and Northampton do go up, I will cry. 3 clubs I hate (well I don't hate Bristol Rovers I just couldn't bare Buckle's smug face at the end of the season).

Champs: Crawley (unfortunately)
2nd: Rotherham
3rd: Shrewsbury
4th: Northampton
5th: Oxford
6th: Rovers (p)
7th: Gillingham
...
11th: TUFC
...
23rd: Burton
24th: Morecambe

1. Gillingham
2. Crawley
3. Shrewsbury

4. Oxford
5. Rotherham
6. Bristol Rovers
7. Swindon

8. Northampton
9. Torquay
10. Port Vale
11. Southend
12. Cheltenham
13. Bradford
14. Crewe
15. AFC W
16. Accrington
17. Aldershot
18. Dagenham
19. Barnet
20. Morecambe
21. Macclesfield
22. Burton

23. Hereford
24. Plymouth

There's a poll on the Guardian website asking you to pick the winner.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/poll ... league-two" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I voted for TUFC! I just think it'd be hilarious if we all went there and voted for us.

1. Rotherham
2. Shrewsbury
3. Crawley
4. Port Vale
5. Bristol Rovers
6. Gillingham
7. Bradford
---------------
16. Torquay
--------------
23. Macclesfield
24. Barnet

Swindon to have a nightmare of a season just staving off the conference on the last day!

1 Shrewsbury
2 Rotherham
3 Port Vale
4 Crawley Town
5 Bristol R
6 Bradford
7 Crewe
8 Oxford Utd
9 Torquay
10 Gillingham
11 Southend
12 Dag & Red
13 Northampton
14 Accrington Stanley
15 Aldershot
16 Burton Albion
17 Cheltenham
18 Morecambe
19 Plymouth
20 Swindon
21 AFC Wimbledon
22 Hereford
23 Macclesfield
24 Barnet

1. Rotherham
2. Southend
3. Shrewsbury

4. Oxford
5. Gillingham
6. Bristol Rovers
7. Northampton

8. Torquay
9. Swindon
10. Crewe
11. Port vale
12. Dagenham
13. Crawley
14. Wimbledon
15. Hereford
16. Bradford
17. Aldershot
18. Plymouth
19. Barnet
20. Morecambe
21. Macclesfield
22. Burton

23. Accrington
24. Cheltenham

I'm finding this pretty hard - between most teams it's much of muchness.

Northampton won't do particularly well based on their current squad - improved midfield and up front, but their defence is poor and nowhere near the standard of defence needed to be promoted from this division. While their front line is decent for this level, they will struggle to counter the number of goals they're likely to concede the other end for a lot of games.

I'll put Hereford in 24th - their squad doesn't look particularly good in any position and their pre-season seems to have been woeful - losing by 2 or 3 goals to sides in the lower end of the BSP and few, if any goals.

23rd Macclesfield. I don't usually predict Macc to go down like most seem to have in previous seasons. Few seem to be tipping them to go down this year (Burton, Hereford, Barnet, Cheltenham all seem more popular predictions) and I think sods law will dictate this will be their year, as it's the first year I can think of were they have dodged under the relegation prediction radar. Plus, Macc are now the longest resident of L2. We lost the longest in Rochdale and Darlington 2 seasons a go and the next longest serving L2 team - Lincoln - last year. I reckon this could continue for a third season - no team are unrelegatable - as we were once the unrelegatable L2 team ourselves.

Basil, is 'unrelegatable' an actual real word? If its not it bloody well should be! Get in patented now mate!

I think its shaping up to me an interesting season in L2 this time around.

A number of clubs who under-achieved last season have made some good acquisitions and look likely to get themselves back up amongst the front runners - I'm looking primarily at Oxford, Northampton and Bradford here. Bristol Rovers will be up there - although I wouldn't like to say whether it'll be top 3, top 7 or top 10, a lot will depend on how the group of players gel. A side like Swindon, well I don't think even their fans know where they will end up. A bit of a random mix of foreign players and live-wire but inexperienced manager could be spectacularly successful or dismal.

Crawley I expect to see up there in the top 3, probably with Shrewsbury and Rotherham - I like the look of the way Shrewsbury have strengthened their side, and Rotherham were very impressive against us on the last day which suggests they have a good core of players.

There is an pretty close mix of sides ranging from lower-playoffs to lower mid-table, and this is where I see us amongst. There are a few other sides undergoing something of a transition. Port vale and Gillingham are big enough sides but haven't massively improved their squad. Gillingham will perhaps challenge for a top 7 place but Vale I'm not so sure about - wafer thin up front and very few additions from a side which slumped badly last season. Crewe have lost the goals of Donaldson and not really strengthed either, but you'd expect them to hold steady in the middle ground along with Southend, who have had a much easier summer this time around and have kept together a solid nucleus of players. AFC Wimbledon I expect to be comfortably around lower mid-table, although a lot will depend on how their young squad of non-league graduates fare in L2. Dagenham have lost key players in Vincelot and Green, but have some quality retained from the last couple of seasons up front like Nurse and Scott, and you can always be sure that John Still with have a London-based Non-league player tucked away somewhere to burst onto the scene

As for sides who could surprise, I'd say that Morecambe could pop up at the right end of the table if they get Jevons and Carlton firing - they have a few decent names in that squad. Cheltenham could also make a big step up - I'd expect to see Daryl Duffy do alright at this level. And Barnet have made some nice signings as well, Dean Brill in goal, Danny Senda (if they keep him fit) as well as retaining Izale McLeod. As for going the other way, I think Aldershot may be in for a struggle. Any side that signs up Anthony Pulis, thinking he can bring something to the party, must be in a dire situation.

Down at the bottom end, Accrington have lost pretty much all their star performers from last season - Gornell, Ryan, McConville, Edwards to name a few - and not really replaced them with any recognised quality aside from Danny Coid. However we say this every year, and a lot depends on what Coleman can work his magic on. Macclesfield are another side who are tipped to perennially struggle - had they not lost Bencherif and Barnett I'd have had them down to surprise, but their success will depend on how their replacements fit in. I can also see Hereford struggling. A lot may depend on whether Frenchman Yoann Arquin has a similar impact as Manset did last season. And finally Plymouth, I think they face a bit of a struggle partly in the sense that nobody is still really sure whats happening regarding ownership. They have signed a couple of half decent players (if Feeney and Kandol deals go through for example) but almost every signing is something of a risk, somebody who the jury is out on. Frenchmen, kids and bit part players at this level don't make for a strong looking squad, particularly one thrown together so late in the day.

I think that covers everyone?!

EDIT - whoops, forgot Burton!!!! A couple of weeks ago I'd have said struggle, but having signed Danny Blanchett, Ross Atkins and a strike partnership of Calvin Zola and Justin Richards - supplied with bullets from Maghoma, Palmer or Cleveland Taylor - they could well spring a surprise, and Saturday could be quite a test.

Why do we keep on about Northampton's front line? Shaud Harrad had a couple of decent years in the Conference, came up to L2 and fell on his arse. Fatty Fatwa is hardly prolific, notching 1 in 4 in a VERY good Gillingham side last year.
The remainder of their strikers might chip in 5 or 6 each, but nothing to make a fuss about. Jake Robinson, lovely player, but he's not much of a goad threat.

I reckon we'll score more than they will this year. Full prediction to follow.

Matt.

Jeff wrote:EDIT - whoops, forgot Burton!!!! A couple of weeks ago I'd have said struggle, but having signed Danny Blanchett, Ross Atkins and a strike partnership of Calvin Zola and Justin Richards - supplied with bullets from Maghoma, Palmer or Cleveland Taylor - they could well spring a surprise, and Saturday could be quite a test.

I was about to say you've forgot Burton Jeff . Nice summary though, I agree with pretty much all of that.