Division One 2001-2002 Preview
August 2001
Team by team
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Bradford City
Ok, this is BfB nailing it's flag to the mast. We will go up and we will go up as champions. The strength of the club in the sea of similar that is Division One is three fold. Jim Jefferies is probably the best manager for the division. Vialli is good, but will find a culture shock at this level. Keegan has proven himself in Division One but water has flowed under his bridge since then and one doubts he will inspire the same wided eyed awe he did with his Newcastle players. JJ has a track record of getting good players to play like very good player and that is exactly what is needed in this Division.
Second we have a team with some quality, certainly as much as any other in the league, but more experience. The old heads have a couple of years in the Premiership to draw on. We have a squad that is stung by failure and, as shown towards the end of last year, capable of holing it's own against much better opposition.
And finally, most obviously but still in need of being said, we have the best player in the Division, by a mile. Benito Carbone.
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Coventry City
Not that Strachan is a good man manger or anything, in fact one could say that his performance with such talented players is near criminal, but for the good names that have gone he has replaced them with quality (Julian Joachim, Steve Guppy). As with City the Premiership experience will count for much. The standard of football that Cov and Bradford City have got used to playing at is significantly higher, something that will show this year.
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Manchester City
A play off place for Man City, probably followed by promotion at Wembley completing the treble of returning sides to the Premiership. Not really the Keegan factor or the Maine Road masses but rather the fact that after looking at the Division there are few with as many quality players.
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Birmingham City
Make no mistake, a decent manager and the Blues would be a real threat but Tricky Trevor is a millstone and fourth and a losing play off place will once again be the reward for a hard seasons toil.
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Watford
After suffering culture shock away at Crewe expect Vialli's Watford to be good, but beatable by anyone with enough determination. A respectable building year at Vicarage Road.
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Sheffield United
Following by some way after the top five will be one of a tight bunch of teams. Sheffield United built well last year and have the continuity but there is not much between them and Preston, Barnsley et al. Will lose in play offs.
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Preston North End
Slow start, decent finish after a good season last term. Could finish a place higher but would still lose in the play offs.
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West Brom
Will survive the (expected) sale of Lee Hughes and perform well, but lack the quality needed for a serious promotion push.
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Barnsley
The Premiership seems a long time ago at Oakwell as very good players were replaced by good ones and legs got older (Redfearn) or moved on (Ashley Ward). Bright new star replacements Gallen and Gorre guided Town down last year so do not expect fireworks from them.
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Wimbledon
Respectable mid table but the Dons must look out for the rising tide in the game that pushes clubs with more resources higher than them. From this position it will look like a long time since the Dons were in the top flight, let alone winning cups.
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Burnley
Limited resources will curtail Stan Ternant's efforts to get is beloved Burnley any higher but another season of building is no bad thing for a club that have faced relegation from the league so recently.
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Notthingham Forest
Pre-David Platt leaving one had a good feeling about Forest but as the new England u21 manager walked so a tide of troubles became apparent. No money, players going. Paul Hart will be happy with the finish, Forest fans will not be.
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Wolves
Season come, season go, but Wolves stay the same. Dave Jones seems like a nice fella but he does not have the power to poke the beast that is Wolves back into life. Think Keegan at Newcastle, that is the level of character the Black Country side need and unfortunately one does not seem to be on the horizon.
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Norwich City
Norwich are a cautionary tale of letting resources go unused. Nigel Worthington has some talent available to him, but the Canaries never seem to exploit it anymore.
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Sheffield Wednesday
With a Paul Jewell inspired relegation avoided Wednesday should be happy with this finish. They will not be. Put simply. Not enough good players to be any higher, too many to be that much lower.
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Portsmouth
Millions of pounds are being pumped into Portsmouth but it is going into the wrong places. Two manager Redknapp & Rix and 40 players tell the story. Expect nothing decent from the South Coast club but they will not be so close to relegation as they were last year.
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Crewe
Another year in the First Division is another victory for Dario Gradi's men.
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Walsall
Will have enough about them to stay in lower mid-table for most of the season with perhaps only the briefest flirtation with relegation.
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Milwall
Loss of striker Neil Harris for the season is a huge blow but they should have enough talent to stay up. If they do any better expect Mark McGee to go chancing more money.
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Grimsby Town
Lennie Lawrence's fishermen will struggle with the rising level of football and the increasing importance of resources in the game but should be safe, at least for this year.
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Rotherham
Everyone favourites to go down but the tight ground factor, the good team spirit factor and the lets stay up to annoy the hell out of them factor that did well for City in the Premiership will come into force.
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Gillingham
Not enough players good enough for the division. Relegation.
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Crystal Palace
Not a bad team but a frankly appalling manager in Steve Bruce will see Palace plumbing the depths once again. Relegation.
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Stockport
Stockport have taken their eye of the ball football wise. Expect everything to go wrong, a couple of managers and a low points tally. Us last year but without Stan Collymore (maybe)