May 16 2006

The Football League

For the definitive review of every Championship team during the season, read the Saint's verdict.

Stoke City

Final Placing: 13th

Last Season: 12th

Manager: Johan Boskamp

One to watch:

My Prediction: 11th

How will we do? : 6/6

How did we do? : 6/6

What I said: “I cant see Stoke troubling many this season, but this will be a season of transition, so it’s a case of watch this space come March, as they will start to come good”

Stoke fans will possibly see this season as one that was wasted. A new manager, coaches and some exciting new players in August, ended up with the club parting ways with Johan Boskamp as he heads to Belgium to probably take up a post with Beveren, players who never really gelled and in some cases, moved on such as Martin Kolar and with another mid-table finish, Stoke fans will just be thinking “what was all that about”.

It was not a run of the mill season however, even if it ended with mid-table safety for the 3rd season running. The constant bickering between the owners, John Rudge, Boskamp and Jan De Koning, at one time or another, took away from anything that was trying to be achieved on the pitch.

Their season was a 50/50 experience. There were some great away performances such as the victories at Brighton (1-5 – every Palace fan loved that), Ipswich (1-4) and Sheffied Wednesday (0-2) and also some convincing home performances too, Brighton (3-0), Norwich (3-1) and Crewe (2-0). But for every good win, there was an equally poor defeat. Stoke just lost too many games at home, 11 in all and any team looking to be in the top half of the season just cannot do that. It was not just defeats, but proper beatings as Cardiff, Watford, and Hull all ran up 3 goal victories, we should have done the same, had Micheal Hughes not missed a last minute sitter. They did have a better away record, but with a negative goal difference, the problem was either in defence or attack.

A check on the statistics bears out that while they managed to score 54 goals, conceding 63 is the real issue. Steve Simonsen, Micheal Duberry and Carl Hoefkens are all good players, so how have they conceded so many? Up front, Sam Bangoura managed 9, Paul Gallacher got 11 and Mamady Sidibe hit 6, so it is clear that without a regular goalscorer, Stoke will not advance any higher than 11th.

We had no trouble against them whatsoever, a clinical 2-0 home victory and an easy 3-1 win away showed that there was a gap between those in the playoffs, and those in midtable. It will be an interesting summer at the Britannia Stadium, to see what the clubs Icelandic owners are going to try next to push Stoke on to the next level. There might be more coming in, than going out though.

Plymouth Argyle

Final Placing: 14th

Last Season: 17th

Manager: Bobby Williamson

One to watch: Taribo West

My Prediction: 14th

How will we do? : 4/6

How did we do? : 3/6

What I said: “I see Plymouth doing better than last season and while they wont make too many in-roads to the top half of the division, they will be a useful side who on their day, will be a handful, especially at home”

It is nice when you are right, especially given my record so far! Plymouth has gone to their highest position in years. It was done with a very good home record, but it was away that let them down as they only managed 3 wins on the road.

Stars of their season were Paul Wotton, who top-scored with 8 goals, Nick Chadwick who managed 6, while in goal Romain Larrieu was an ever present. Flops were Taribo West, who played just 4 games, Nuno Mendes who managed half that and Bojan Djordjic of whom much was expected but delivered very little in his 9 full starts, netting just the one goal.

However Williamson did unearth a real gem in Akos Buszacky who ran the midfield and netted 4 times also. His runs, set plays and vision set up countless chances for his team mates and all that was good about Plymouth this season came through him. The Hungarian stood out like a beacon as Plymouth excelled. It is worth remembering that just 4 seasons ago, this was a team that plied its trade in League 2.

They never really hit any headlines this season, as they quietly went about their business. Defeats to Barnet in the Carling Cup and to Wolves in the FA Cup meant that there was no cup runs this year, but in the league they never hit more than 3 all season in any one game (and they only managed this feat three times) so if they are going to progress next season, they need a goalscorer, or maybe 2 as Micky Evans had now brough the curtain down on his career at Home Park.

Our games against them this season were probably best forgotten. A Darren Ward header gave us a 1-0 home win, as we struggled to find our feet after relegation while the away game was a disgrace, conceding after 13 seconds and right on the final whistle.

There will no doubt be change, as players like Lilian Nalis and Vincent Pericard came in to boost a side and should they remain permenantly, will augment a squad that is slowly undergoing change with their season upon season improvement. Graham Coughlan leaving before the season began almost went unnoticed.

If Plymouth can add goalscorers and maybe a defender to shore up the defence, there is no reason why they cannot do even better next term. Heady days at Home Park, Plymouth are improving every year. Pilgrims’ fans have much to be positive about.

Ipswich Town

Final Placing: 15th

Last Season: 3rd (play-off semi-finalists)

Manager: Joe Royle

One to watch: Sam Parkin

My Prediction: 9th

How will we do? : 4/6

How did we do? : 4/6

What I said: “Ipswich are not the side that they were. If Joe Royle is honest, his side was the one that choked last season and he knows that last season was their last best chance to get promotion. We will beat them at home and get a draw at Portman Road, or vice versa, as we do well there traditionally. Unless Joe can get the players in to replace the ones that he has lost, which I don’t think that he has, I can’t see a playoff place this season for Town.”

It was the reality of 2 failed playoff appearances that bit hard in the close season and Joe Royle, working with financial restrictions, could not replace the quality that he lost. His replacements did not match their predecessors and Town fans will be more than upset at their final placing as they have been used to better things.

Where they excelled up front, is left a damp squib of a forward line. Nicky Forster does not have the powers he once had at this level, while Sam Parkin could not replicate his scoring prowess in the lower divisions and hit 5 all season.

In goal, there is much reason for optimism as Lewis Price and Shane Supple have shown that there is life after Kelvin Davis. Fabian Wilnis and Jason De Vos were reliable in defence and with Jimmy Juan and Darren Currie providing the inspiration in midfield, but with Juan going back to Monaco after his loan period expired, they will miss him. Royle did manage to add Alan Lee and Ricardo Fuller (loan) during the seasons progression and Lee will point to a more postive future, his 4 goals in 12 games a sign of better things to come.

Of which there has to be a lot of better things to come. An embarrassing exit to Yeovil in the Carling Cup and a 3rd round FA Cup defeat to Portsmouth ended any cup ambitions, while at home they managed only 8 wins, almost the same as they did away (6). They lost 9 matches by a single goal and this is the statistic that really sums up their entire season, that they were just short of the quality needed to pick up draws or victories. Not good enough all round for the Tractor Boys, who still had Norwich lording it over them again at the seasons end. Royle will have to cut out the dead wood and unearth some more stars if they are going to rise any higher next season.