Views From Opposite Ends - Wilder's Return

Sheffield United returned to take part in the 1st Round of the FA Cup for the first time in 14 seasons on Saturday. Familiar faces were amongst the visitors, with Oxford United managed by former Blades full back Chris Wilder and legendary Blades keeper Alan Hodgkinson also on the U's coaching staff.

 

It is fair to say that, apart from the return of two Lane favourites, the draw did little to encourage a disgruntled Bramall Lane faithful to come down. With prices of £10 adults and £3 concessions, a crowd of just under 8,000 must be seen as a disappointment. Especially with a healthy Oxford contingent of around 1,500 to 1,800.

 

Following the success of similar articles last season, it is a pleasure to welcome Matt Bruce, Editor of Oxford United blog "The Boys From Up The Hill" to offer a view on the the match and the Blades from an Oxford persective, whilst I cast an eye over the U's performance and a comfortable victory for the Blades.

A View from the U's

Despite pre-match optimism, Oxford were incapable of making the match a contest. Chris Wilder appeared to have done his old club a favour with his baffling team selection, leaving talismanic striker James Constable on the bench and choosing to play right back Andy Whing in central defence, leaving centre back Harry Worley on the sidelines.In doing so, he further weakened an Oxford side that has been left decimated by injuries and suspension. A weak team selection was compounded further by the decision to change from the usual 4-3-3 infavour of an unfamiliar 4-4-2 formation, and a feeling of dread was hanging over the away end before the match had kicked off.

Oxford fans were right to be worried and Sheffield United dominated the match, and the early stages in particular. I was surprised by how direct the Blades were, and it was disheartening to see Oxford's makeshift defence thrown into chaos by the simple ball over the top or into the channels. Cresswell and Evans proved too much to handle and picked their way through the defence with ease. Oxford, usually comfortable when in possession of the ball, were way too prone to silly mistakes and squandered possession cheaply, which usually resulted in the ball being pumped back up field for more pressure on the Oxford goal.

The match became more competitive after the half time changes (the aforementioned Constable and Worley taking their rightful paces on the pitch) and for a brief while it looked like we would get back into the game. But Sheffield United were very effective at slowing the match down, and after the substitution of our playmaker, Peter Leven, any Oxford threat was over, the match fizzled out and it was no real surprise when the third went in.

It was a strange atmosphere; with an empty Kop end and the ground only a quarter full it almost felt like a pre-season friendly. The only time the noise levels in the ground rose above this was when fans began trading insults across the divide. The turgid football on display didn't exactly help matters and it felt that any noise from the fans was created was in spite of events on the pitch, rather than because of them.

Sheffield United weren't pretty to watch but they got the job done, which must have come as a relief to Blades fans after defeat to Bradford in the JPT. The Oxford midfield was given very little time on the ball as Sheffield pressed effectively and were tenacious in the tackle. In a match as uncompetitive as this one it is difficult to judge the Sheffield United side, but it seems difficult to believe they conceded four at home to Exeter, because the defence looked assured and were rarely troubled this time around.

It was sad that the match was spoiled by Wilder's baffling decisions and the Blades fans that turned up today will have left with a low opinion of Wilder's Oxford, which is a shame as they are usually so much better than that. The overwhelming emotion in the Oxford camp is disappointment – not particularly with the defeat, but with the nature of it. Sheffield United barely had to get out of second gear and were by far the better side.

Massed ranks of Oxford supprt

 

A View from the Blades

I arrived at Bramall Lane expecting a very tight game and went home surprised at how little competition Oxford supplied for much of the match, content with the result and a little disappointed with aspects of United's performance.

In a match devoid of any atmosphere apart from the unswerving support of Oxford's fans, it was a very strange afternoon. Sat in John Street I was amazed at the number of fans around me who failed to get to their feet when we scored. Apathy rules at Bramall Lane at the minute and that appeared to stretch to our top wage earner pre-match. After the teams had come out, all of United's players went through a number of shuttle runs and warm-ups, with two exceptions. Goalkeeper Steve Simonsen I could understand, but Ched Evans? It appears, with the benefit of hindsight, he didn't need it.

Whereas central defenders Andrew Whing and Jake Wright could cope manfully with Richard Cresswell, they struggled to cope with the movement of Evans. He led the line well and was United's biggest attacking threat, linking to good effect with Quinn and Williamson in the wide positions. He could have had a hat-trick within the first 25 minutes, but for a borderline offside decision. Despite conceding two goals, U's keeper Clarke had a great half, keeping Williamson and Evans amongst others at bay. 

Ched Evan's free kick hits the back of the net - 2-0

Whilst they struggled a bit at the back, they had great difficulty making progress further forward. Peter Leven, who I expected to offer an outlet, was quiet and ex-Owl Paul McLaren was keen to get on the ball but offered little impetus from his passing until he was eventualy substitued. In fact the central midfield was a mess, with ball retention from both sides non-existent. Poor first touches and mis-placed passes ruled.   

Matt's comment regarding United pressing effectively is interesting. I was disappointed in Danny Wilson's team selection; Michael Doyle selected in a workman-like midfield alongside Nick Montgomery. Kevin McDonald seemingly being punished for not maintaining his man of the 1st half performance against Bradford, whilst Doyle was awful throughout. McDonald would have had a field day on Saturday.

Up front I was surprised to see James Constable not selected, I assumed a fitness issue. Even the Blades programme had selected him as the Oxford star man. Middlesboro loanee Franks was barely noticable and Dean Smalley was kept well in check by Harry Maguire. Smalley's ineffectiveness was surprising. Chesterfield fans were keen to see him stay at the B2Net after his loan spell last season and I can only assume Oxford offered decent wages to attract him. With one JPT goal to his name I am guessing Chesterfield, despite their problems, got the better part of the deal.   

With such a poor first half performance, where it could have easily been three or four nil , it was no surprise to see Wilder change things. The freeing up of right back Batt into a more advanced role and the introduction of Constable were key to Oxford having their best spell of the game, but apart from a header saved by Simonsen I didn't feel they offered a threat for the increased amounts of possession.

Constable offered a more physical battle, maybe too physical at times, and it was a good test for Maguire. It would have been interesting to see how well Oxford would have performed if he had been on from the start. The rare times Batt got forward in the first half, you sensed the expectation level rising amongst the away support and he certainly gave Marcus Williams problems in the second half. In fact if Oxford had really got at United's full backs from the start they may have had more joy.

In the end it was a bad decision from the otherwise imressive keeper that gifted the Blades a third and that really was game over. Oxford continued to try and press, but despite the obligatory (self-inflicted) hairy moment, which is par for the course watching the Blades these days it was a comfortable final period.

In writing a piece about Wilder's time at Bramall Lane for The Boys From Up The Hill I referred to the fact that many Blades fans considered Wilder a potential Blades manager of the future. He did little to state his case at Bramall Lane. He perhaps should be given credit for recognising it wasn't working and making the changes, but by then it was all over and from what Matt says it was only reverting to their usual formation anyway. Wilder made the decision to change shape before the match and it didn't work.

I am sure Oxford are better than that performance, I know we are, and I wish we could be more clinical when dominating games like this. The Oxford fans sung we'll play you next year, I genuinely hope they are promoted, but also hope we aren't playing them. Hopefully a clean sheet and three goals can help jump start our stalling season.  

Danny Wilson's Half Term Report

If you were looking for a managerial appointment greeted with apathy, derision and not a great deal of expectation, than you could look no further than Danny Wilson's appointment as Sheffield United manager in the Summer.

Protesting in the car park, grumbling on the radio, muttering in their armchairs at home; it was hard to find a United supporter happy with the appointment of Wilson. Be it for his Wednesday connections, his recent success (or lack of) in management, the perception he was owner Kevin McCabe's holiday buddy and - for some - the fact that he wasn't Roberto Di Matteo.

Despite a successful start to the season, I tried to reign in expectations. I decided that the time to make a decent initial judgement on his performance was the end of October. Fixtures against Charlton Athletic, Preston North End, MK Dons, Huddersfield Town and the other Sheffield team would go a long way to assessing Wilson's impact on the club. So how does he rate in his half term report?

Transfer market dealings (C+)

Supporters knew deep down that Wilson would have little room to manoeuvre in the transfer market, unless one or more of the high paid senior players were moved on. Yet, by the end of the transfer window, all of those players remained and it was young striking prospect Jordan Slew who had moved on, to fill one of the many empty seats in the Ewood Park stands.

Wilson had little influence over the Slew sale and although the saving on salary, part of the Blades strategy to meet self-sustainability rules, was minimal, the £1m up front fee brought welcome financial succour. Fans were split on the sale;  some describing it as another example of the Blades selling young talent too soon, others saw it as a good deal for an 18 year old with raw promise, but no guarantee of future development.

With Slew's deal finalising late, in the final minutes of the window, Wilson had to act quick. His attempts to sign Rangers pair John Fleck and Kyle Hutton were ultimately thwarted by red tape and faulty fax machines, however it is difficult to see where those signings would have fitted in with the existing squad.

With his initial signings in the Summer, Wilson focused on the wide areas which most fans would agree was an area for investment. To be honest we just wanted to see proper out and out wingers, especially following the departures of Jamie Ward and Mark Yeates. Too often we had seen central midfielders shuffled out wide to limited effect.

Nathaniel Mendez-Laing arrived on loan from Wolves, following a promising loan spell at Peterborough last season, and ex-Liverpool youngster Ryan Flynn arrived from Falkirk. Unfortunately, despite brief appearances, neither have shown enough to warrant a continued run in the team. Flynn lacks pace to go past a man and looks particularly lightweight and easy to knock off of the ball. Mendez-Laing gained popularity with the fans; more through a deftness of touch on his keyboard (with his interaction on twitter) than for a deftness of touch on the ball. For me he hasn't used his obvious pace and strength enough.

Both are young and maybe need time, Mendez-Laing is currently out injured which will set him back further. However what we needed were wide players who could come in and make an impact. Sadly, neither have and until the arrival of Matty Philips we have returned to playing Stephen Quinn and Lee Williamson out wide.

Left back has been a problem position and with Andy Taylor, the only contracted left back in the summer, out until late in the year with a long term injury, Wilson acted quickly to tie up one of his former Swindon players Lescinel Jean Francois. The Haitian impressed in early games, but does have a tendency to daydream, losing awareness of his position at times. Suspension and injury has since seen Reading loanee Marcus Williams slotting in reasonably comfortably at left back, until a poor performance against Exeter.

Ex Burnley midfielder Kevin MacDonald, impressed in pre-season friendlies and the free agent was brought in, impressing on his league debut against Brentford. Performances since have been patchy at times but, given the dearth of central midfield 'footballers' we have currently on the books, he will remain a first team fixture.

Striker Chris Porter joined as damaged goods. Promising goal to game ratios at Oldham and in Scotland were followed by an injury-ravaged spell at Derby where Nigel Clough's parting comments suggested a player beset by mental problems as much as physical ones. Whilst  4 goals in 10 starts, in a rotating strike pool might appear okay, Porter is an extremely frustrating striker. With limited work rate, he is very much a box-finisher. That is fine if you create lots of clear cut chances, which we don't, and if he scores 25 goals a season, which he wont. 

The arrival of Matty Philips and Billy Clarke on loan from Blackpool have given new impetus to the Blades attacking performance. Comfortable interchanging positions out wide and down the middle, they are clearly better than League One standard. Clarke is particularly noticeable when dropping deep to be a catalyst for Blades attacks that he then finds himself on the end of. But for the arrival of these two; Wilson's grading on transfers would be much lower. The question is can we keep them beyond a month? If not, who can he find as adequate replacements.

Overall, Wilson has plugged obvious gaps but we lack depth in certain areas - for example there is little defensive cover across the back four until three players return from long term injuries picked up last season. We are left with a surfeit of midfielders, particulaly when you look at last season's "Development Squad" where players such as David McAllister and Erik Tonne have impressed when used in the first eleven but, along with Danny Philliskirk, struggle to make the matchday squad.  Wilson is certainly hampered by an inability to move on the high wage earners to free up money and squad places, but also the ridiculous decision by the Football League to revise the limit on substitutes back to five. 

Style of play (B)

One consistent throughout last season was that which ever of the four managers was in charge, the standard of football was terrible. Wilson was clearly tasked to change that and comments from Swindon Town and Bristol City bloggers pre-season gave me confidence that he was capable of achieving that. However, changing the style of play and getting the results required to get the fan onside is not so easy to achieve.

One pleasing feature is that we attempt to bring the ball out of defence a lot of the time. This can provide some hairy moments and you can't help feeling that unless we get it wide, or to a striker coming deep we will just end up playing it around the defence and midfield, patiently waiting for the opposition to crack and lacking the creativity to achieve that ourselves.

Wilson seems to like attacking full backs which is great when you are going forward. There is nothing like a galloping full back overlapping and delivering a great cross or finding himself attacking at the back post to get the crowd on their feet. However, this has made us susceptible on the counter attack and many is the time that Matt Lowton or Williams /Jean-Francois have been caught out of position, further exposing an already frail defence.

As pretty as the football is we lack proper physical strength. Even the big players that we have; Maguire, Collins, MacDonald and Cresswell have a tendency to be knocked off the ball too easily and with a physically weak spine it is no surprise that we struggled against the direct, physical style of Wednesday and Huddersfield. The latter being surprisingly direct, but effective playing off Alan Lee and Lee Novak. Two players who we failed to handle all match.

Tactics and substitutions (C+)

Wilson has generally applied a fluid system, looking like 4-4-2 on paper but adaptable to 4-5-1 and 4-3-3 during a game. The recent game vs Exeter City saw us playing with what appeared to be a 4-2-1-3 in more attacking phases with Stephen Quinn playing in the hole. Wilson has made no secret of the fact that he rotates his strikers and tactics according to the opposition.

Generally, this variation has worked well and to reasonable success and 4th place in the league confirms that, yet it ought to be so much better. It is true that player error has played a massive part in us dropping vital points (6 points dropped in the last five minutes of matches, over three consecutive weekends), but to pass each instance off as unfortunate and unavoidable misses the point. It happens too frequently to be dismissed as unfortunate one-offs and seems to bely a more fundamental problem of organisation, communication and understanding. 

It doesn't appear something that Wilson is acknowledging or tackling. Then again, how do you tackle the problem if you lack a leader in your back four and don't have a vocal organiser? In the absence of Chris Morgan and Jonny Ertl there is no leader and no-one is available to give Maguire a rest. We are relying on a 17 year old goalkeeper, as we cannot trust one of our highest paid and most experienced players to do his job in goal. If there are no funds for Wilson to act, then fair enough, but at the minute he appears impotent or reluctant to act. Which is it?

One final point around the anxiety when protecting leads relates to Wilson's substitutions. At times they have removed the impetus we had when taking the lead, probably causing us to sit deeper, invite teams on and anxiety spreads from stands to pitch. Interestingly neutral supporters I know who attended the matches against MK Dons and Exeter both commented how the fans' anxiety transferred to the players. The problem being that in both games you could question the need to make a change, nevermind the choice of players interchanged. The negativity increased as the crowd became more pensive.

Top 8 clashes (C)

Of the teams around us, the only team we are yet to play is Notts County. Against the other six our record is

P6 (5 Home/1 Away) W2 D2 L2  GF 11 GA 11

With such a bias towards home games you have to hope for a better outcome than that.

Looking at it in more detail, the two victories have come at home to Brentford (2-0) and MK Dons (2-1). Draws with Wednesday at home and Tranmere away, saw us letting slip leads. Throwing away a two goal lead in the final 10 minutes against Wednesday being particularly painful.

The two defeats, both at home, to Huddersfield (3-0) and Charlton (2-0) were again full of naivete at the back and mistakes. To be honest we were looking the better side against Charlton until lacklustre marking and a horrific defensive error cost us two goals in two minutes and there was no way back. Huddersfield was a closer match than the margin of defeat suggested, but again we are failing to pick up the points required at home. 

Dealing with the media (B+)

I think fans appreciate Danny's honest, straight-forward approach when discussing performances. Too often in the past we have been treated like idiots as managers try to tell us how well we have played and how unlucky we have been, much to the derision of supporters who viewed the performance as unacceptable and lacklustre.

Whilst lacking the bluntness shown by Micky Adams, who often let his emotions and frustrations take over, you see a considered and thought through opinion. He doesn't try to mask inadequacies and neither will he make promises he knows he cannot keep. Whilst other managers in the division seem to want to provide soundbites for attention, Wilson quietly goes about his business in a positive and approachable manner.

Dealing with the fans (A)

As with his dealings with the media, Wilson and, to be fair, the club have been quite savvy in their dealings with the fans. With fans interest groups now having a forum with directors and senior management, supporter forums taking place which Wilson has attended, the club has made significant improvements in re-connecting with a disenfranchised fanbase.

It says a lot about Wilson that he was willing to meet with the car park protesters baying for his blood on his appointment and has continued to interact since. Certainly the club's improved social media prescence helps, with Wilson's press conference comments shared with the fans as it happens. You hear a lot more from Wilson than previous managers. Or maybe you hear less in quantity, but more in terms of pertinent comment.

There will be those who will never accept Wilson. There are those who are just waiting for a significant slip-up. I for one think he could do little more at the moment in terms of fan engagement, without distracting him from his primary task. 

Overall (C+)

This may seem a harsh mark for a manager whose team is sitting 4th in the table and 4 points clear of 7th. Expectations were not high at the start of the season and I expected us to finish in the top half, but outside the play offs. Despite having what must be the highest wage bill in the division, most supporters expected at least two or three senior players to move on. Combined with the disruption caused by new players being integrated and the imposition of a new style of play this would mean a season of consolidation. With those expensive players largely in situ, I can only assume potential suitors are deterred by prohibitive salaries, I think 4th is where we should expect to be.

The drop in standard from the Championship has been notable and it is only our own failings that have stopped us achieving a higher position. There is still plenty for Wilson to work on and where we end up this season will largely depend on what he has to work with in terms of a squad come the end of January and an ability to wheel and deal in the loan market to provide adequate cover when required.

Wilson's time at Swindon turned sour when some of his better players were sold on. He needs to ensure the same doesn't happen at Bramall Lane.

Charting the 2011/12 Season in Football - Number 3

Charting the Season in Football returns, with the latest graphical commentary focusing on the egos at Sheffield Wednesday, the Madness of Mario Balotelli, Manchester City optimism, Ian Holloway's selection dilemmas, boring, long-running sagas, Stuart Pearce's Olympic selection conundrum, the controversy surrounding the EPPP proposals and Robbie Savage on Strictly Come Dancing.

Remember - Just double click on a graph/chart to increase to full size.

Previous in this series can be found here:

2011/12 Season - Part 1 

2011/12 Season - Part 2

Eddie Windass - Can you see where I am coming from??

Another Yorkshire Boycott

Tuesday night sees a Yorkshire Derby at Bramall Lane. One of the biggest matches of the season, as last season's play off finalists (and pre-season favourites for promotion) Huddersfield Town take on the Blades. With the Blades top of the league and the Terriers in 5th it wouldn't be out of the ordinary to expect a crowd of around 25,000. The Town support numbered near 5,000 across the city at Hillsborough last year, but it is unlikely to be repeated in S2.

Empty seats in the Bramall Lane Stand - more of the same when Huddersfield visit

An internet forum campaign for away fans to boycott the match, because of ticket prices charged by the Blades, has gathered momentum. Originating on Huddersfield's fan website Down at the Mac, it has now been picked up by fans of other clubs and also the Football Supporters' Federation.

The match is one of four this season for which the Blades are charging Category A prices. That means an away seat in either the Bramall Lane Lower or Upper tier will cost Town fans £28.50, which they rightly claim is an extremely high price for a League One match. As I mentioned on A United View a couple of weeks ago, I attended an entertaining Premier League game between Bolton Wanderers and Manchester City at the Reebok Stadium for fifty pence less. I also attended a Europa League game between Anderlecht and Bursaspor in the best seats for €24.

To be fair, the price is high and the Blades have already lost revenue this season as a result of pricing policies, but not necessarily from away support. A True Blades are at the Lane promotion launched last spring was used to push season ticket sales at the expense of match-day customers. Season ticket holders, quite rightly, felt anger at the number of one off match promotions the Blades had offered last season, in a desperate attempt to fill the ground and back the team to safety. A friend of mine came close to renewing and one didn't on the basis that, “the club want your money earlier and earlier, yet with a couple of matches missed through work commitments might as well have turned up and paid on the day.” They weren't the only ones to feel that way.

True Blades are at the Lane aimed to remove the frustrations of season ticket holders by defining the season ticket prices (give or take the same as last season) and providing a guaranteed saving against heavily inflated match-day prices for football in a division below.

In my eyes, my season ticket still offers great value, it works out at around £13 per game and relegation was never going to stop me attending. However with increases for new season ticket holders, flat renewal prices and higher match day prices alongside relegation and an unpopular managerial appointment, it has inevitably led to season ticket sales falling and walk-up supporters being deterred by the prices. Interestingly enough, the brains trust behind the ticketing for this season and the man who put his name to the letters telling them that only True Blades are at the Lane (the rest of you..... aren’t), Steve Lewis, recently left his role of Head of Commercial after just eight months.

So if I have an issue with the pricing at Bramall Lane, why have I an issue with the Huddersfield protest? Because it pointing the finger at United, they are ignoring their own club’s pricing policy and the relative prices elsewhere. They are the equivalent of the Three Wise Monkeys where The Terriers are concerned, Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil.

It is interesting that, throughout the campaign, Huddersfield don't appear to be making any public statement on the matter. Maybe this is because they appear to offer the same categorisation of games and not dissimilar pricing themselves. At the Galpharm Stadium, the Category A prices range from £23 to £28. The Family Stand is opposite the away stand and charges £23 in the lower tier and £25 for the upper tier. Not a significant price differential to what United are charging.

Part of the issue appears to be that Huddersfield fans saw that Bury fans paid £14 for the same seats a couple of weeks ago, but that was one of 4 Category C games United have a season. Funnily enough, Huddersfield have Category C games, they charge a minimum of £19 for them and you can bet your bottom dollar when the Blades visit we will not be a Category C match, nor a Category B one.

The big issue is pricing in general across the game and establishing a tipping point, beyond which it is determined that a price is too high for that division or for the facilities and quality of experience on offer. For instance, although Huddersfield fans complain about paying a couple of pounds more than the equivalent seats in the opposite end, it is worth noting that the Bramall Lane Stand is opposite our Kop, which doesn't have indoor concourses, covered food outlets and under cover toilet facilities. It also has bloody great pillars in the way of our view. Added to which the upper tier of the away end has one of the best views in the ground.

Can comparisons of equivalent home ends be a valid comparison? I think United were basing the price on what home fans are charged in the corner adjacent to the away end and also what they are charged for the upper tier of the Bramall Lane stand when it is not given over to away support. In principle that basis is not unreasonable, although the base price may be to start with.

How does the price, view facilities at Bramall Lane compare with what Terriers' fans got for £20 at Rochdale, £25 at Hartlepool, £23 at Oldham and what they will get for upcoming games at Brentford (£21 seats, £20 to stand!) and MK Dons (£25)? It is also worth noting that at most of these grounds, the under 16 price is broadly similar to the £14 charged by United as well.

One other factor to throw into the mix is the cost of travel to these grounds. Will those fans be happy spending much more money going to watch the Terriers at Hartlepool, Brentford and MK? To my mind, away support is about more than a match ticket alone. I used to base my trip on what I can afford, if the coach, ticket food etc was out of my budget I wouldn't go. I can't help feeling that the complainants here were not regular away match goers and were just looking for an excuse not to go. The excuse, in this case a seat costing a whole £3.50 more than one at the Galpharm, was convenient enough to make them do it.

I am not denying there is a problem and that fans across the leagues need to find a voice to rise up and defend themselves from exploitation. If they feel a protest involving not supporting their team is the way to do it so be it. But throwing brickbats at United seems a rather futile way of dealing with a bigger and more widespread problem. Will United change their pricing policy for away fans? Probably not. Will other clubs sit up and take notice? Probably not.

A couple of weeks ago the Huddersfield supporters seem to think otherwise. Neil Waine, a regular poster on the Down at The Mac forum was happy to complain to the Huddersfield Examiner;

“I know friends that will still go because they don’t want to miss it. They’re playing on fans’ loyalties. I think there’ll be a lot of empty seats at Bramall Lane. I think this will backfire at the Blades because they will lose revenue.”

Assessing the situation now suggests that the campaign can only be seen as a partial success. Over a thousand fans are expected at Bramall Lane, far more than the organisers of the boycott would have hoped for. Maybe the pull of the game was enough to withstand the price increases, maybe these fans realised that there are better ways to fight this than a flawed and mis-informed campaign based on one match.

We are already seeing the prices of tickets reach exorbitant levels in the Premier League and that price inflation is now affecting other divisions, but aside from price reductions at QPR (where fan power had to be allied with a change of ownership for it to happen) is there anything fans can do apart from stay away? If they do stay away does it really matter to the clubs?

It would be great for the football league to get involved and agree a price limit for away fans in each division, but while ever it is an unregulated free market clubs can charge what they want and bare the consequences either way. In fact, you could argue that football clubs are being placed in a position now where the extra costs of policing and stewarding a decent sized away support might actually deter them from offering attractive ticket prices.

This is an issue affecting supporters of a majority of clubs and it needs a unified approach from organisations such as the FSF to confront the authorities and say enough is enough. I am not sure that arbitrarily picking on one club, especially when they are not acting in a significantly different way from both the norm and the club of the complainants, is the way to go about it.

Sun, Sea, Sand, Beer and Football League Predictions

Two weeks on a family holiday in Lanzarote has been a fabulous wind down, prior to the new football season starting. Although in reality, with the Euro U21 Championships, CONCACAF Gold Cup, Copa America and the World Cups for Women and Men's U17 and U20, football has never really gone away. Unless you are Henry Winter, who bemoaned the wait for Premier League action in a tweet a couple of weeks ago, quickly backtracking when the "Little England" nature of his words were thrown back at him.

Two weeks in the sun, with little internet access and the remnants of the tabloid press to read, highlighted the fascination with the Premier League and dragged out stories of overpaid millionaires filling their pages. I have just about had my fill of Nasri,Tevez, Fabregas and Barton as much as I have had my fill of all inclusive buffets.  

So two weeks after the return of Scottish football (someone asked me, in all seriousness, if Scottish football had kicked off early to help them prepare for Euro 2012 next Summer); English football - well, excluding the bit that Henry is licking his lips in anticipation of - returns. For my team, but not for me it is a trip to Boundary Park as our League One experience kicks off, after a 22 year absence from the third tier.

I have returned to a plethora of season previews and predictions. Some of which I have contributed to. If you pick up this month's When Saturday Comes or World Soccer magazines, I have provided the Blades previews. I would also encourage you to view online (or download) the excellent Football League preview from The 72 and The Two Unfortunates which you can find here. It's more than a match for some of the more mainstream previews available and very professionally done (and it is free!). I again answered their questions on the Blades.

But what about my views on the wider Football League. Last week, pint of Tropical in one hand, pen in the other, I jotted down my thoughts on who would be where at the end of next season, unprejudiced by the season reviews I am yet to properly peruse and here they are. Don't go putting any money on them....I haven't!:

Championship:

Promoted:

Leicester City

West Ham United

It is hard to see past these two teams. If anything the weight of expectation may be there only downfall.

Leicester have made some astute signings in the Summer, to complement a squad that perhaps should have delivered more last season.  Lee Peltier is more than capable of making the step up, whilst Neil Danns, Sean St Ledger and Matt Mills have been consistently strong at this level. A potential centre back pairing of Mills and St Ledger would be the dream of any club in the Championship. Throw in the Premier League experience of Johnson, Pantsil, Konchesky and Nugent and the strength in depth should see them home.

West Ham have a good manger in Allardyce. A manager who has taken a club out of this division before, albeit some time ago. It pains me to say it, but he is the right man to galvanise the Hammers and his quartet of ex-Bolton signings demonstrate a knowledge of what is required to get out of this division. The stand out signing is Kevin Nolan, a regular scorer from midfield in the top division and the driving force behind Newcastle's title two seasons ago.

Play Offs:

Ipswich - good manager in Jewell, good signings in Chopra, Jay Emmanuel Thomas and Bowyer and I am not sure Wickham is that much of a miss.

Leeds - loss of Bradley Johnson is a blow, but I can see them in the play off push. Well-drilled and organised by Grayson.

Birmingham - Assuming the financial meltdown at St Andrews is not imminent I can't see them below the Top 6.

Brighton & Hove Albion - There is always one side who kick-on from a prior year promotion and the Seagulls are just that club for me. The move away from the Withdean to the Amex will be a massive boost and will add to the momentum.

Relegation:
Doncaster Rovers
Crystal Palace
Coventry City


Doncaster slipped away last season and if the season had run on for a couple of more weeks they would have been at real risk of being dragged into the relegation scrap. I cannot foresee anything other than a relegation scrap this season. With the townspeople still not supporting their club and fans starting to turn on Sean O'Driscoll at times last season,when results didn't result from attractive football I can see a club stretched this season. O'Driscoll, never the most effervescent character, sounded like he had lost his mojo in the latter part of last season. He will need to get it back.


Palace seem to be perennially close to the drop and I think this is the year they will finally succumb. The loss of Danns is a big blow and I am not sure the positive impact of Dougie Freedman's appointment will carry over into this season.


Coventry are a club with big problems and if those financial issues lead to administration I cannot see any way back. Administration aside, I think they will struggle badly this season.
League One:


League One:

Promoted:
Preston North End
Charlton Athletic


PNE have a good coach in Phil Brown, although that remains a matter of some debate for many - including their fans -  and retain a strong squad for League One. Of the three relegated clubs, I see them in the best position to bounce back.

Charlton have failed to live up to expectations for the last few seasons and, despite his hero status as a player, many question Chris Powell's managerial capabilities. However, astute signings for League One means I can see them having a successful season.


Play Offs:

Huddersfield Town - A good young manager and generally retained a good squad. Even though quality has left, quality has come in. The signing of Anton Robinson stands out for me. Will push for automatic.


Scunthorpe United have lost several players, but they have bounced back before and have an experienced lower league manager in Alan Knill. Knowing how to get out of League One will help them immensely.


Chesterfield - similar to the Brighton prediction, I see a club with momentum potentially pushing for the play offs, maybe more successfully than Rochdale last season. How they cope with the loss of Craig Davies and Dean Smalley will be key.



Relegation:

Rochdale - the loss of Keith Hill and several players, some of whom have followed him to Barnsley, will hit hard. Sadly I can see a club sliding back after a great season last season.
Tranmere Rovers - Inexperienced manager, leaky defence, a struggle to survive.

Bury - not sure they have enough about them, although if they do survive it will be down to Ryan Lowe maintaining his goalscoring record

Stevenage Borough - could be considered lucky to have made it up and will soon be found out at the higher level. Hopefully the crudity of their play will be recognised by officials.


League Two


Promoted:
Swindon Town
Bristol Rovers
Rotherham United

Swindon, even without the appointment of Di Canio as manager, would have been favourites to get an immediate return to League One. If anything, his appointment makes their task a little bit harder. I still cannot see beyond them though.

Bristol Rovers have a good young manager in Paul Buckle who brought success to Torquay United last season, before his controversial move and they retain a good squad for League Two.

Many Rotherham fans will not foresee a season of success and a lot will depend on how quickly they settle after a Summer where Andy Scott has brought in a large number of players. They still have Adam Le Fondre and even if he were to leave, it should leave Scott a decent kitty to fund replacement(s).
Play Offs:

Accrington Stanley - long serving manger, a team who knows what he wants and a good last season to build upon 

Oxford United - this is the season for Oxford to kick on under an impressive young manager, could well push for automatic

Gillingham - A young and hungry squad who will be well organised under Andy Hessenthaler

Dagenham & Redbridge - the loss of  of the widely coveted Danny Green is a blow, but I can see a strong attempt to bounce back

Relegation:

Barnet - yet another season of struggle at Underhill and I don't think the goals of McLeod and Kabba will be enough.

Macclesfield Town - this is the year that the club with small gates and small ambitions finally succumb.