Conference Premier 2010/11: Preview

The build-up to the 2010/11 season is well underway as Nobes looks ahead to the new season in Conference Premier.

Managers in the Championship might disagree with their counterparts in the Conference Premier. Both, in interviews throughout the season, regularly claim to be working in "the hardest division to get out of."

With one fewer promotion place, it's arguably those in the Non League that probably have the stronger case. The battle to reach the Football League - and a battle it is - is a gruelling one.

One which, at the end, guarantees just one team automatic promotion to League Two, with four teams left to fight it out in the end of season play-offs for the right to join them.

Before 2003, the task was even greater, with just one team every season making it into the exclusive 92 club. However, the introduction of the play-offs has served to create an even more competitive and exciting division.

It's also a Conference Premier which has an increasing look of being League Three in everything but name and official status. Over half of this season's membership have played in the Football League at some point or in some past incarnation.

Such a large number is testament to the fact that escaping from the division - particularly at the first time of asking - is far easier said than done.

Indeed, only four clubs have ever managed it - and only two, Shrewsbury and Carlisle, have achieved that feat since two-up two-down.

It's a timely warning to this year's relegated duo. Darlington are back at this level for the first time in 20 years, when Brian Little's side were able to bounce back to the Football League at the first time of asking.

The Quakers experienced huge financial difficulty during the summer of 2009 and came close to going to the wall. It left them ill-prepared for last season, and it was no surprise to see them toiling at the very foot of the division all term.

It's been a summer of upheaval for the North East club too. The sudden resignation of manager Simon Davey - who subsequently moved to Hereford - was followed by his replacement, assistant Ryan Kidd, also quitting.

Now with Mark Copper in charge, Darlo have a manager who has shown from his time at Kettering that he knows what is required to get a side challenging at the right end of the Conference.

If Darlington at least have experience on their side, this is a step into the unknown for Grimsby Town - also demoted from League Two last May.

Hands up if you're under pressure to succeed: Grimsby's Neil Woods

The Mariners suffered a disastrous campaign where, at one point, they went 25 games without winning. A remarkable late rally almost saved them, but the damage had already been done.

Few managers will be under greater pressure than Town boss Neil Woods, therefore. Grimsby will be expected to challenge at the top end right from the off. There will be excuses for any 'settling in' period on the Lincolnshire coast.

They would do well, however, to learn from the experiences of former Football League clubs also relegated to this level. Challenging at the first time of asking is by no means a formality.

The likes of York, Rushden & Diamonds, Wrexham, Mansfield, Kidderminster and Cambridge all struggled to make any impact on the top five during their first season in the Conference.

However, they are all clubs who will expect to be doing exactly that this term. York will be looking to bounce back from Wembley heartache against Oxford in last term's play-off final.

Rushden were also knocked out of the end of season lottery by the Oxen, at the semi final stage, they will hope to have gained positively from an unexpectedly good campaign last time.

For Wrexham and Cambridge, disappointing mid-table finishes must be improved upon this season - especially for the longevity of respective bosses Dean Saunders and Martin Ling.

They both finished well off the play-off pace last season, and more will be expected of them this term.

Kidderminster, too, with boss Steve Burr now settled into life at Aggborough after joining them mid-way through 2009/10, will hope to challenge for the Football League spot they lost in 2005.

For Mansfield, they will hope to last the course of the season this time. A strong challenge in the first half of the campaign petered out towards the end. David Holdsworth's men must show greater staying power.

Fortunately, none of the above sides will have to deal with the expectation of being favourites. That particular tag is on the shoulders of Luton Town.

Defeated in the play-offs last term, the Hatters will be expected to go one better this time around. With the experienced Richard Money overseeing arguably the strongest squads in the division, they are heavily tipped to take the title.

You won't be able to escape Steve Evans and Crawley in this year's Conference

They may face a challenge for top spot from big-spending Crawley Town though. The Sussex outfit have launched a summer spending spree that has blown their opponents out of the water.

With the colourful Steve Evans in charge - a man who has won the Conference title before - it will be fascinating to see whether their huge financial outlay translates into a tilt for the title in 2010/11.

New to the division this season are four clubs. Joining from the Conference North are Southport and Fleetwood Town, and from the South come Newport County and Bath City.

It will be interesting to watch how County, who ran away with their division last term, make the transition to the Premier. Fleetwood, too, have spent big money in recent years to reach this point. Will their progress continue?

For Southport and Bath, the aim will firmly be in trying to retain their position amongst Non League's elite for another year.

It will be the same goal for some of the division's smaller clubs, the likes of Tamworth, Gateshead, Hayes & Yeading, Eastbourne, Barrow, and Forest Green - once again reprieved due to another team's resignation.

While watching their matches might be dull, it will nevertheless be intriguing to see how Histon - now under the controversial John Beck - do. The Cambridgeshire outfit have struggled financially, and came close to relegation last term.

Altrincham, after several relegation battles themselves, seem to have re-established themselves firmly in mid-table at this level. They will be hoping to continue that progress.

Kettering are another club who, after winning the Conference North in 2008, have shown they can compete with the big boys at this level. Rookie boss Lee Harper has a tricky job to keep them in the top half this term though.

Instead, the tag of dark horse will probably fall to AFC Wimbledon. With large support and under the shrewd guidance of Terry Brown, the Dons have the quality and momentum to challenge for the top five.

With the likes of Stevenage and Burton finally making the step-up to the Football League in recent years, Wimbledon would, again, be popular winners if they continue the trend of upsetting the title favourites.

While we can only speculate on who will emerge victorious come the end of the season, you can be sure they will make all aware of just how mammoth their task was.

Bouncing Back

Sides relegated from the Premier League traditionally find it difficult to bounce back at the first attempt. Nobes looks at the challenges facing this year's trio as they re-enter the Championship.

Burnley boss Brian Laws is hoping to take his club back up this season

You can excuse the fans of Hull, Burnley, and Portsmouth for not being the most optimistic of supporters ahead of the new season. All three clubs face individual challenges on their return to the second tier.

However, a speedy return to life in the Premier League is the common goal shared by the relegated trio. Unfortunately, a look at the statistics, and they will realise the mountain they are attempting to climb.

Indeed, the success, or lack of, shown by sides coming down into the Championship will act as a sobering thought - even more so than a fixture list including the likes of Scunthorpe and Doncaster.

In the last ten seasons, just eight of the thirty teams relegated from the Premier League have bounced back at the first attempt. Half of those promotions were achieved by just two clubs as well - Birmingham and West Brom - who have each managed it twice.

Despite the huge financial advantages Premier League teams hold above their closest challengers, when they find themselves down in the Championship, wealth suddenly doesn't count for all that much.

Even illustrious names such as West Ham and Blackburn failed to escape at the first time of asking from the arduous 46-game campaign presented in the second tier.

Observers will point to last season's success for Newcastle and West Brom - who both secured an immediate return to the top flight for 2010/11. However, this was very much an anomaly when looking at how relegated teams generally perform.

Why is it though that these teams, who generally have greater wealth and bigger, more expensively assembled and more talented squads, seem to flounder when they drop out of the big time?

Certainly it would be fair to say that relegation brings about the exodus of top players a relegated team at any level experiences.

Sometimes it's for financial reasons - needing to clear players off a wage bill that will be stretched with lower gates and less income. Sometimes players wish to leave for their own career - not willing to slum it in the lower leagues.

Whatever the motivation, it can leave the heart of a club ripped out - and in need of being replaced before the new campaign. Not an easy task for any manager, especially when he's unlikely to see much of the money accrued through sales to rebuild his team.

However, with the aid of parachute payments, the loss of key players can be kept down to a minimum - meaning the manager still has the core of a Premier League team to work with.

While still left with players of quality, though, the spotlight then falls on the mentality of the squad - and the man selecting the team.

West Brom's instant promotion is not a common sight for relegated teams

Relegation to a lower division brings with it a huge change in culture. Instead of going to the top clubs and shutting up shop - hoping to steal a point or maybe even nick a win - the onus is now on you.

A relegated club is now the scalp, the side who will be faced with having to break down a stubborn defence who park the bus in front of their goal when they come visit.

Suddenly the emphasis is not on avoiding defeat but actually striving to win games. It requires a completely different tactical and mental approach - one that can often lead to a relegated side getting off to a slow start.

They must also face up to the reality that now as a 'big cheese' in their new division, they will be the team everyone wants to beat and take the scalp of. Sides will work harder and give even more. It is another hurdle which must be overcome.

As is the hubris associated with ex-top flight teams. Winter afternoons on boggy pitches and evening matches at small away grounds in the cold and rain are not a Premier League footballer's idea of fun.

Even Newcastle, runaway winners of last term's Championship, found their players outbattled, outworked, and deservedly beaten at Scunthorpe in a midweek game.

For the Toon Army, it was a rare defeat but, for those whose attitude is consistently wrong, such results can become common place as they get used to life in the Championship.

Indeed, the psychological battle can often be the most difficult. The shedding of the losing mentality acquired in the previous season is the first hurdle to get over. Just like winning, losing football matches can become a habit.

Once that is negotiated, players must be able to deal with the huge expectations on their shoulders. When a club's very future depends on the finances gained by being in the Premier League, the pressure is suddenly even greater.

Time is of the essence. Getting back to the top flight as quickly as possible is all that matters - and the longer you fail to succeed, the harder it becomes.

Which bring us onto this season's three clubs hoping their stay in the Championship is short and sweet.

However, it says a lot for their prospects that some pundits fancy the chances of promoted clubs Norwich and Leeds more than those of Portsmouth, Hull, and Burnley.

The first two face battles off the pitch, as well as on it, as they begin to come to terms with the overspending during their respective Premier League tenures. Balancing the books and making sure the club is stable off the field of play will be just as important as results on it.

New Pompey boss Steve Cotterill has Championship experience with Burnley

It perhaps makes both of their needs to reclaim their Premier League place even more important. Pompey and Hull are also joined in the fact they begin the campaign with new managers.

On the South Coast, Avram Grant's resignation and subsequent departure to West Ham opened the door for Steve Cotterill to make a return to the second tier of English football.

The 46-year-old had been out of the game since leaving Burnley in 2007 before re-surfacing last February to take over at League Two Notts County.

A sensational run at the end of season saw him capture the title at Meadow Lane and capture the attention of clubs up and down the country - one of the reasons for him leaving subsequently Notts.

Now he faces arguably his most difficult managerial challenge at a club who have been shedding players off their inflated wage bill for almost two years.

Portsmouth's financial mismanagement saw the club forced to operate under a transfer embargo last season as they became the first ever top flight club to enter administration on their way to the drop.

Cotterill must now steady the good ship Pompey. The straight-talking Westcountry man has a reputation for making sides organised and difficult to beat.

His no-frills approach is probably exactly what the Fratton Park outfit require at this moment in time. It might not always be pretty, but few sides will work harder than Portsmouth - a fact sure to be appreciated by some of England's most passionate supporters.

During his time at Burnley, he helped tighten up a notoriously leaky backline at Turf Moor and took the Clarets to three respectable mid table finishes. The re-building job at Pompey may require a similar performance this term.

The same can be said on the banks of the Humber. The future always looked bleak for Hull when their two year sojourn facing the country's finest came to an end in May.

Chairman Adam Pearson - no relation to his new manager, Nigel - had been sending out warnings about the club's financial future should relegation be forthcoming after he returned to the club at the start of 2010.

The desperation with which they have appeared to act in attempts to off-load Jimmy Bullard is an indication of the the club's urgency to cut its cloth accordingly after demotion.

In many ways, the signing of Bullard was a microcosm of everything that went wrong at the KC Stadium when the Premier League champagne went to their heads.

Nigel Pearson has taken on the challenge at relegated Hull City

Paying £5 million for a player with such a dubious injury record was folly to say the least. His astronomical wages, too, reflect poorly on former chairman Paul Duffen and ex-boss Phil Brown.

In his 18 months in East Yorkshire, the 31-year-old has made just 15 appearances due to injury. His refusal to lower his wage demands also scuppered a loan move to Celtic - something he should be ashamed of.

Fortunately, in Nigel Pearson, the Tigers have appointed a manager of great standing who has proven his ability in guiding Leicester to the League One title in 2009 then narrowly missing out in the play-offs last season with the Foxes.

If he can get the best out of a squad heavy in industry, if not inspiration, then City - finances permitting - could surprise many this term.

The third of the relegated trio, Burnley, are perhaps the most interesting case going into the 2010/11 season. The Clarets lasted just a single season amongst the big boys before their all too predictable swift return.

They are probably in the strongest position of the three relegated clubs to challenge though. The majority of the squad which won promotion in 2009 has been kept - as have the smart additions they made while in the Premier League.

Chairman Barry Kilby was determined not to 'risk the farm' in his approach to life in the top flight. Relegation only to come back stronger always seemed to be part of the Clarets's master plan.

While financially stable and boasting a good squad, though, the Lancashire club's hopes of challenging appear to rest on whether manager Brian Laws has the ability to make the best use of his resources.

He was a surprise appointment to replace Bolton-bound Owen Coyle in January. He had only just been dismissed by Sheffield Wednesday after a disastrous run saw them slump into the Championship's bottom three.

A few weeks later and he had another relegation fight on his hands - only this time in the top flight. However, Burnley lost 15 of their 18 games under Laws as they lost their battle against the drop.

Most worrying was a squad that Coyle had managed to coax every last drop out of suddenly seemed to have lost something under his successor. Kilby resisted the calls for a quick dismissal - and Laws survived.

Ultimately, not preventing relegation to the Championship is not a sackable offence for Laws. However, if Burnley fail to figure at the right end this season, he is unlikely to be afforded such backing from his Chairman again.

For Messrs Cotterill, Pearson, and Laws, it will be a lot more than just history weighing them down this season.

Pre Season Friendlies

Love them or loathe them, it's that time of the year again. Clubs are getting stuck into their pre-season friendly campaigns, giving Turls and Nobes the perfect opportunity to discuss such warm-up games.

Away matches at quaint grounds - the very essence of pre season friendlies

Turls: I've been to a few pre-season friendlies, but none of them stick in my mind.

I remember seeing a vastly overweight Nigel Spink in one game but, other than that, they tend to be forgettable encounters between a Non League team and a 'big' club's youth team.

Nobes: I have to say, I have only ever been to one pre-season friendly. It was a 1-1 draw with Ipswich in 2006 - and we ended the season being relegated. So I swore myself I'd never make that mistake again!

I don't think I'd ever want to go again though. It's a very strange atmosphere with all the fans mixed together in the same stand. I just couldn't get myself excited about what I was watching, too.

Turls: I don't mind going to them because it's normally a good chance to see the next generation of talent and also allows you to look at your club's new signings.

Nobes: The one benefit I'd say about them is it's nice to be able to watch a game and not worry too much about the score. You are able to relax and watch a game - possibly even in the nice weather.

I can wait until the first game of the season to see new players though. I'm not in that much of a rush.

Turls: Oh, I can understand why few people do attend. They are glorified knockabouts that are just aimed at bringing in a little bit of money in.

Nobes: Oh yes, for financial reasons, they're definitely worth clubs staging. Particularly if you clubs can coax a few people to come and watch the reserve team of a bigger club.

Turls: I reckon most managers just use it as a a way of bringing new players up to speed with their style of football and it also allows players to increase their much-coveted 'match fitness.'

They are a good opportunity for a manager to test out a new formation, but I'd rather see new players getting the chance to play alongside their team mates in a match situation.

Nobes: I think it's always nice to be able to try out new formations, but I'd prefer it if the manager actually used the games to find the right balance and partnerships across the team.

If he's brought in a lot of new players then they are going to need time to form an understanding. Particularly down the spine of the team. You want your centre halves and keeper to understand one another and communicate well.

You also need your two forwards to be on the same wavelength, so one knows where the ball is likely to be headed, where to make the runs to get onto the end of flicks on. All that kind of stuff. Pre-season is perfect for honing that.

Turls: Yep, there's only so much you can do the training ground. Obviously, if you've sold a few key players and brought in some different faces than the formation might need to be changed, so it does provide a good opportunity to see how your team plays in each system.

Nobes: That's if your team actually even plays at home. These days even the smaller teams go on tours abroad and only play friendlies on home soil away to Non League sides.

Training in sunnier climes abroad - a typical sight during pre-season

Turls: Both have their good points though. Going on a summer tour is a perfect chance for players to bond and develop an understanding off the pitch - which should help on the pitch.

Problems occur when you've got a troublemaker or two in your ranks. When Dennis Wise decided to cause problems for the Leicester staff it got their season off the worst possible start - and they hadn't even begun their matches.

I much prefer clubs to play local teams because it allows the fans to get to see the new signings, formation, or even manager if they want to. It also promotes a better feeling in the community.

Nobes: I do like it when a big club sometimes purchases a player from a smaller club that they arrange a pre-season friendly between the two teams as part of the deal.

I remember that happening after Liverpool signed Jack Hobbs from Lincoln and they brought a team, albeit a weakened one, to Sincil Bank. It was a nice occasion for the club and the player who made it happened.

Turls: Indeed, in football, the little man is being ushered away from the party and, if the big teams continue to ignore the plight of these teams, then the likes of Dunkirk FC would well find themselves sipping a cola in the shed while everyone else gets rummed up.

I think pre-season is a vital ingredient of football though. A good pre-season can give the team a vital boost, but a boost nevertheless. Winning breeds a winning mentality.

Brian Clough said that his most important victory was when his Forest side won the Coronation Cup in 1977.

Why? Because it gave the team their first taste of success. And when you taste success you want more and more. It's addictive. Like crack. Or Irn Bru.

Nobes: I think you'd certainly prefer a good pre-season results wise than a bad one. It does boost confidence and that can be such a crucial ingredient in the game.

You don't want to go into the new campaign off the back of a run of defeats and, if you're a new signing, wondering whether you've made a mistake signing for your new club and whether you're in for a long season of struggle.

Turls: A bad pre-season isn't the end of the world though. The key is to get the players playing well together. If you don't get the best results, it doesn't matter too much - as long as you're having periods where your key players are 'clicking'.

Nobes: Could you also argue that a bad pre-season maybe, and welcomingly, dampens expectations though?

Turls: Expectations? Nonsense. I am yet to meet a fan who has thought that because of a successful pre-season that they now fancy their team to have a good year.

It's a warm-up and anyone who has half a footballing brain knows that. If you don't know that, then maybe you should look into accounting.

Nobes: True, and I'm sure that teams have been relegated off the back of a good pre-season and promoted despite a bad one. You can always rely on football fans to read too much into them though!