Is the quality of League 1 better or worse than last season?

Imho. Worse.

 

Our good results are also heavily linked to good quality players and a healthy budget for the division.

 

I compared each of the teams in their current league positions against those in the equivalent league positions in last season's final league table. I've been at every minute of every Reds game over the two seasons so have first-hand knowledge of all of them (bar this season's Bolton but they certainly ain't as good as last season's Barnsley). I got a result of 17 times where last season's team was superior (in most cases quite comfortably and including the whole top 7), 4 of about the same and 3 where I'd got this season's team as better.

The 'this season' 3 were Wigan who are in a false (but not wrong) position because of their deductions, Charlton who have a bunch of decent players but are managed by Michael Appleton and Fleetwood, largely because Forest Green were one of the worst teams I've ever seen at this level.

I don't remember going to any game last season and coming away saying 'the standard of that was poor' whereas I've said it more often than not this season. I don't want, nor have I ever called for, Collins to go and I couldn't care less that standards are down so much because the fact that they're far, far worse represents/represented a real opportunity for us. More fool us if we don't take advantage.

 

As another who watched every minute of last season and all of this so far, I reckon Morecambe away last season was as poor as poor gets. Two appalling sides (on the day) in a game decided by a long throw that bounced three times before it was knocked in. Fleetwood and Shrewsbury away were of a similarly poor standard, but an early goal and a last minute winner gloss over that. The Lincoln home defeat was a grim watch. There were others no doubt.

I don't have the time nor inclination, but I remember reading many posts from many people on here last season berating the standard of the league.

I don't think the division is any stronger or weaker this season. Seems more competitive though, and thus perhaps, harder? Even more so when you factor in the loss of a head coach, captain, two others in the back three, both keepers and other regulars.

What a great job everyone is doing with all that considered.

 

It feels like some commenting it is worse is not actually to do with the strength of the league and more to do with their agenda. Aside from a few teams it was poor last year. It’s basically the same this year. We aren’t as good either but that’s not the fault of the manager.

 

On your first paragraph I just don't agree with you and I think you are trying to fit an argument to a narrative. If you take the Lincoln home game for example I thought that House and Diamond up front for them were fabulous and a joy to watch. You can't just say the game was grim because we didn't play well and the opposition had players who were too good for us! Lincoln's defending that day was also top notch. There is no doubting the quality of players like Diamond and Exeter's Stansfield last season. Anyway, the argument that an odd game or two were poor last season kind of proves my point in that the contrast this season is that it's been more often than not.

I'm not going into the other things you've written because they are at best tangential and I never engage with something like 'many posts on here' - that's just a stylistic deployment that almost anyone can use. What percentage is many? How can you prove that percentage? I always go back to the famous 'BBS said Carlton Morris was rubbish when he signed' line when actually a post-by-post review of the thread proved overwhelmingly people who commented welcomed him favourably and maybe only three or four of the usual suspects didn't. It also amuses me that the 'we lost Thomas and Isted' or 'we didn't lose Thomas and Isted as they were never ours' line gets trotted out interchangeably depending on the issue. Players come and go all the time in the modern game and it's up to the well-paid people at the club to identify suitable replacements. Our defensive downgrades, I'd agree, are the main reason for our particular decrease in quality.

You're perfectly entitled to your view on whether the league is stronger or weaker. I have no axe to grind and as I've said, better for us if it is weaker but it's absolutely full of teams that are not as good as last season. I'd go as far as to say that had we recruited even moderately at centre-back we'd have gone through this season unbeaten to date and that's mostly without having the league's best midfield player last season at our disposal! As it is we've only lost to teams in the top 8 as they have been the only ones capable of turning our frailties to their advantage - another example of the decline in quality in depth.

Given the opportunity this season presents and the potential abyss of seven of our first-choice contracted and loan players departing at the end of it I'll leave it until the end of May to decide whether 'everyone' has done a good job at owner and, particularly, executive level.

 

Nice graphic that dispels some myths.

 

I think the worst teams from last season are worse than the worst teams this season & that the better teams this season aren’t as good as the best sides last seasons. So overall pretty similar

 

I've an Indian takeaway about to be delivered. mmmm...

 

I'm not trying to fit anything to a narrative. You gave an opinion - suggesting not once did you think the standard was poor last season - I gave a handful of examples that were, in my opinion, poor. That Lincoln game was grim. They scored with their only effort on target, we barely troubled them, it was poor. Just as the return was at their place now I come to think of it. Like I say, the Shrewsbury, Fleetwood - and especially Morecambe - games were a dire watch. Result irrelevant. And there have been a fair few this season too. Of course - as you point out - there's individual performances within some of those poor games. I felt Alfie McCalmont was superb the other night for Carlisle for example. But I strongly disagree (at this point of the season) that there's been some huge gulf in quality, compared to the first 26 games of last season. I can only assume hindsight, revisionism or just the passage of time has people thinking we played like the Dutch from the 70s last term in a quality division. I sat through a seven-game run of: Fleetwood (A), Exeter (H), Bolton (A), Morecambe (A), Lincoln (H), FGR (H) and Shrewsbury (A); bang average performances/games to watch at best, earning mixed results.

Most of the other bits I mentioned in an effort to add context to yours (and others') argument that we aren't as good this season. Even if we are three points better off with less defeats, more goals scored, a better goal difference and having come from behind to win three separate matches. And yes, I get it - it's because the quality is lower

We all want the same thing, I'm always convinced of that. Let's hope everyone is agreed in May, that it's been a great season.

 

That's one of the best posts I've ever read on this site.

 

I think the one of the major reasons some (including me) are saying the Division is weaker than last year is a) we are generally awful to watch this year and b) generally we weren't awful to watch last year. It doesn't need too much "statistical analysis '.
If you then add the fact that our Legue position is amazingly high, then ergo, the League must be weaker. That all coupled with the 'fact' that loads of players have been underperforming and the atmosphere at Oakwell is like a Kier Starmer birthday party, means it's all a bit flat.
However like Mr Whitey I live in hope it may improve.
Forgive the intemperance of my comments I'must returneing to Darlington having had a ***** weekend with a final nightmare rail journey through the storms.Good night.