Is League One really that much stronger than League Two?

We dropped like a stone through League One, two seasons ago and after giving all of League Two more than half a season start on us, flew past nearly all of them to get automatic promotion!

Names and faces have changed a great deal for us in those two seasons but what is the gap in standard in general for the clubs in the lower two tiers of the league?

It looks like we will probably start with much the same players we stormed League Two with, so just because we are in a league one step higher now, is there really that much difference in quality between the two?

The PL is clearly a step up from the Championship and the Championship a step up from Leauge One but is there really that much of a gulf between L1 and L2?

IF there isn't, and we do strengthen the squad, then is it realistic that we could achieve a back to back promotion next season, after all we won't need to waste half a season for the players to get to know Evatts system of playing nor will we be lumbered with a lame duck keeper either!

I'm I being realistic or optimistic about our chances, I mean the likes of Burton, Wimbledon, MK Dons, Gillingham, Accrington, etc aren't to be feared, nor anyone who comes up with us, nor indeed Wycombe, Rotherham or Sheffield Wednesday who fell from the Championship, Christ even the likes of Oxford and Lincoln have made it to the play-offs - so surely similar at least would seem achievable to us based on our performances of the second half of last season and believing that League One isn't really too much different in quality than League Two was last season.

Well what do you all think?

Last time in league 1 should be discounted really, we started with kids for the first few months then KH came in and had to assemble a squad overnight practically.

I think with a few additions we should be comfortable in league 1 next season, i don't think we'll be in the promotion race but not in the relegation battle either.

There are similarities between the two leagues in terms of physicality and athleticism but I reckon the quality is just that little bit higher in league one and there are less "weak links" making it more difficult at both ends of the pitch. Doyle for example noticeably dropped in his goal tally in L1 and then bounced back when he played in L2.
Watching us play this season, we had plenty of possession but could have done much better if we hadn't given it away so much in the final third and we struggled to play an incisive final pass - it will be even more difficult in L1.
We won't really know where we stand until the season gets under way but I do know we'll need to be tidier in possession and more incisive in front of goal if we're going to make progress.

I don’t consider there’s much difference between the majority of clubs in L1 and those in L2. I still believe Hill failed miserably in his season in charge and I think Phoenix coming in didn’t help, but given where the relegated teams finished, we didn’t have to do anything special to have finished above them, especially when you see how quickly we pulled back from a bad start this year. When you look at the team we had after the kids were replaced, we actually had a pretty good squad, certainly before January with the likes of Murphy, Verlinden and Bridcutt but we just were awful.

I don’t expect anything like that under IE and when he strengthens, I think play offs is the least we should be expecting. In order to win games though, you need goalscorers and although I think Doyle could do ok, he won’t unless he gets better service. There’s no question we need another quality striker, preferably more physical but we need to add goals from other positions. I think when he fully shakes of his injuries and has a full pre season, Sarce will be a much better player and with DP back and fit, he should also wade in with a few. We hardly got anything from set pieces, so that’s something we certainly must improve on. all in all, I’m very confident we’ll do well and I’m looking forward to giving a kicking to the likes of Accy who we succumbed so tamely to last time. No Sluffy, I don’t think L1 is very much better than L2 and I have no doubts that if Parky could get us out with his rubbish, IE certainly can.

Never mind League 1, some of the football I saw last season was of National League standard.

Well whatever standard it is we will be playing Sunderland next season which in terms of crowds will be good for the rest of the league (Covid permitting!).

Lincoln City withstood Sunderland's gutsy fightback to reach the League One play-off final in a breathtaking second leg at the Stadium of Light. -

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Ex Wanderer Liam Birdcutt is now on his way to Wembley with Lincoln!

The fact Sunderland cannot get out of this division offers a clue, first of all there are notably bigger clubs in league 1, we had top billing in div 2 this time around we share the limelight with at least 5 others, so straight away that means the quality is higher.

If they are of a simalar quality then we would be one of the favourites to win the league with the exact same squad that did so well since January, We all know that the club will bring in a higher quality player to do the job in this division. So for me no matter what level of football you play if you move upwards then you should expect the higher division to be harder with more quality.  I fully expect at least a pop at the play offs but only because i trust IE to bring in players capable of achieving that.

I believe that there isn't too much difference between the two leagues, however, more a case of L1 having more of the accomplished players. A good organised team can make up for some teams with better individual players, so, really, it will often come down to tactics as much as the quality of the players.

wessy wrote:The fact Sunderland cannot get out of this division offers a clue, first of all there are notably bigger clubs in league 1, we had top billing in div 2 this time around we share the limelight with at least 5 others, so straight away that means the quality is higher.

If they are of a simalar quality then we would be one of the favourites to win the league with the exact same squad that did so well since January, We all know that the club will bring in a higher quality player to do the job in this division. So for me no matter what level of football you play if you move upwards then you should expect the higher division to be harder with more quality.  I fully expect at least a pop at the play offs but only because i trust IE to bring in players capable of achieving that.

Your logic is good Wessy but there are more factors to consider than just those you have.

For instance money talks and generally speaking the more you have the better players you can afford.

In Sunderland's case (and ours previously) the club hasn't had the money - so couldn't bring in the quality of players they required to get out of the division - and that's why they are in the division they are in.  Their best player may well be Charlie Wyke (who Parkinson wanted to buy for Bolton) and he's been there for two seasons now - my point being that he's not seen to be a Championship quality otherwise he would have been sold (think Gary Madine and how clubs like Cardiff could take a punt on lower league players and not worry too much if they didn't work out).

Another point is you only have to be better than four other clubs to stay in that division - the quality of the division might even be worse than the one below but it doesn't matter you can only play those other 23 clubs in your group.

Another is that some clubs rely on key players and if they get hurt or sold they are no longer the same team - so they might be a decent club last season but an ordinary (or even bad) one for this season.

Yet another is how has Covid effected club financies?  Some clubs may need to release or sell players in other seasons they may have held on to, making them that much more weaker than they would wish for the season ahead.

Common sense does make you think that a higher division will obviously mean a better standard - there's a gulf between the Premier and the Championship for instance - but I don't think the difference is anything like as pronounced between League 1 and 2.

Obviously we will have to wait and see what players we end up bringing in but I reckon that a tilt at promotion isn't out of the question if we can play as we did the second half of last season.  Lincoln finished 16th in 2019/20 yet are in the play-off final this - and I don't believe they significantly strenthend their team between seasons and Southend were with us in L1 in 2019/20 dropped like a stone right out of L2 this season - my point being that neither thing should have happened if you just judged teams on their league positions one year and what you would expect them to achieve in the next season.

I'm hopeful anyway - then again I usually am!

It seems remarkable Sluffy, that Sunderland supporters, despite Wyke 31 goals haul this season, want him out. It seems they think a deal with Middlesbrough is pretty much done and in fact they’re calling for almost a total clear out. Well we know what that does and how difficult it is for a completely new squad to be recruited, especially without being able to pay huge fees and wages. I suppose at least their ownership has been resolved and so they can shelve their previous off field problems but even then, there isn’t much love for Lee Johnson, who they see as having bottled it towards the end of the season. I think they’ll still be a tough proposition next season but I don’t see an outstanding team outside of them that we need to be particularly worried about, so like you, if IE can bring in the quality players we need in the well known positions needing strengthening, I think we will be challenging right from the off.

Seems as good as place as any to post the tweet below from Cheltenham's local sports reporter -

Touch of class from Bolton Wanderers chairman Sharon Brittan with this congratulatory message for her Cheltenham Town counterpart, Andy Wilcox [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

— Jon Palmer (@JonPalmerSport) [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Sluffy wrote:Seems as good as place as any to post the tweet below from Cheltenham's local sports reporter -

Touch of class from Bolton Wanderers chairman Sharon Brittan with this congratulatory message for her Cheltenham Town counterpart, Andy Wilcox [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

— Jon Palmer (@JonPalmerSport) [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Jon Palmer got to see this PDQ, didn't he?

I can't help wondering if Sharon's received any congrats from Cousin Vinny or any other League 2 chairman and whether she's shared them with Iles of the Beeno.