League 1 Season 19/20 Predictions

[jaggyness]

Are all you league one fans forgetting that Falkirk will have Cammy Bell in goal? They'll win the league but I doubt it'll be as comfortable as some seem to think

[DG_RRFC]

Falkirk
Raith
Airdrie
Forfar
East fife
Clyde
Peterhead
Montrose
Dumbarton
Stranraer

[Crawford Baptie]

[baillieinleeds]

1. Falkirk - Looking through their starting 11, that's essentially an absolutely standard mid-table Championship looking side in every department. That should be more than enough to win the league. I know their squad's a bit thin but they'll also have the resources to strengthen in January if they need to. McKinnon has his detractors but he absolutely should be competent enough to win the title with the resource and talent advantage he has at his disposal.
2. Forfar Athletic - Had a very impressive end to last season. Lost some very decent players but largely look to have replaced them with similar or even better players. A decent mix of toughness with a handful of forward players who can do a lot of damage, not unlike Arbroath last season. An excellent League Cup campaign suggests they should be favourites to be 'best of the rest' behind Falkirk.
3. Raith Rovers - Difficult one to predict. They look like a fairly standard L1 squad with stand out players in Hendry and Vaughn. I think a lot will depend on how much of the season they get out of these two players. Both missed large parts of last season to injury. Keep them injury free and I'd be expecting Rovers to make the play off. Without these two players, I don't think much separates Raith from the general pack of teams in the middle of the league.
4. East Fife - Should have made the play-offs last year but for a disastrous end to the season. Kept largely the same squad with a few additions which I think have strengthened us. Murdoch and Higgins have returned after loans and look like much better players. And fantastic options up front and goals in the midfield mean we should carry a real goal threat. An excellent couple of results in the LC have convinced me to put us into that final play off spot, just ahead of Airdrie and Montrose.
5. Airdrie - The start of a new season sees the annual surge of optimism emanate from the Penny Cars. I think the squad has improved on last season. Eckersley, Fordyce and Gallagher seem like very good acquisitions. And I think Murray will have them drilled a bit better than previously. However, I'm not sure I see the same reasons to have them up challenging as others are. A number of their signings are a bit unknown in this division. If enough of them turn out to be good, then I'd expect them to finish higher but have them down as this years nearly men.
6. Montrose - Definitely lost the 'surprise' element of last year. An excellent first season after promotion and a steady strengthening of the squad over the summer, especially in Ballantyne and Waddell means the rest of the league should be expecting Montrose to push for the play offs this season. I think they'll fall a bit short this time round. Made it last season in large part due to their consistency - other challengers tended to be wildly erratic. I think the middle of the league will be stronger this season which could push Montrose down a few places.
7. Clyde - An underwhelming League Cup campaign may have put the confidence of last season's barn-storming finish at a bit of a peep. As usual with promoted teams, a bit of an unknown quantity. Certainly look to have goals in them, with Goodwillie leading the line. A self-confessed weakness at the back might not have been much of an issue when they were dominating most games last season but may haunt them in the numerous tight games against mid table opposition.
8. Peterhead - Largely the same squad, although this guy Dow might be a bit of a miss. You usually know what you get with McInally's Peterhead. Tough and experienced. A bit of an ageing squad though and not many players that stand out at this level. Should have enough to avoid relegation.
9. Stranraer - Another tough season ahead for Stranraer. Clearly the strategy is to bring back players that have done a job at Stair Park before in Robertson, Gallagher and Thomson. outside of these guys, their squad looks a little weak. I'd expect them to fight tooth and nail for survival and not be detached in the bottom two. Pretty decent showings, if not points total in the LC might suggest Farrell's got enough to keep them up though.
10. Dumbarton - Big things were expected last pre-season and it didn't pan out. It'd be sod's law if it turned out the exact opposite this season. A few decent signings aside, it looks like a fairly rag-tag squad assembled at the Rock. That might be good enough to see out L1 seasons where there's an obvious diddy cannon-fodder type side but it looks like a tough league this season and I don't see Dumbarton having the quality to compete. Although the 12 points they inevitably pick up from us should give them a real fighting chance.

Excellent assessment GordonEF. I think we’ll be further down the table with this squad. IMO the defence is worse than last seasons, we’ve lost a 30+ goal scorer too and replaced him with a 16 year old. We’ve had no news of any loans coming in. And McGlynn supremely happy with how the squad are shaping up. I have my doubts

[1870ToonBlue]

1. Falkirk
2. Forfar
3. East Fife
4. Raith
5. Stranraer
6. Airdrie
7. Peterhead
8. Clyde
9. Montrose
10. Dumbarton

I think this will be a tight league this season again in terms of 2 to 10 Falkirk could possibly runaway with it. Stranraer have been very good imo this pre season no where near the same team as last season so fingers crossed we can continue it into the season and kick on. Optimistic for 5th but I cant see us fighting relegation if we get off to a good start.

[7 Eleven]

1. Falkirk

2. Forfar

3. Raith

4. Airdrieonians 

5. Montrose

6. East Fife

7. Clyde

8. Peterhead

9. Stranraer

10. Dumbarton

I think places 2-4 the teams are interchangeable. Likewise for 5th and 6th. Same for 7 and 8th the  9th and 10th. Out with top spot it’s going to be another tight league this season. 

[DeanMck]

Falkirk 

forfar

raith 

airdrie 

montrose

east fife

clyde

peterhead

stranraer

Dumbarton

[SlipperyP]

just before KO here we go.

1. Falkirk

2. Forfar Athletic

3. Airdrie

4. East Fife

5. Clyde

6. Raith Rovers

7. Peterhead

8. Stranraer

9. Montrose

10. Dumbarton

[Gogs Grog]

1. Falkirk
2. Raith Rovers
3. Airdrie
4. Forfar
5. East Fife
6. Montrose
7. Clyde
8. Stranraer
9. Peterhead
10. Dumbarton

Think 3rd down to 9th are all a bit interchangeable but just see Dumbarton struggling reading their thread pre season.

[son hawk]

1. Forfar
2. Falkirk
3. Airdrieonians
4. Raith
5. East Fife
6. Clyde
7. Montrose
8. Stranraer
9. Peterhead
10. Dumbarton

[Angus of the Mo]

1/ Forfar

2/ Falkirk

3/ Raith

4/ Airdrie

5/ Montrose

6/ East Fife

7/ Dumbarton

8/ Stranraer

9/ Peterhead

10/ Clyde

 

[Angus of the Mo]

On 30/07/2019 at 14:18, Gordon EF said:

1. Falkirk - Looking through their starting 11, that's essentially an absolutely standard mid-table Championship looking side in every department. That should be more than enough to win the league. I know their squad's a bit thin but they'll also have the resources to strengthen in January if they need to. McKinnon has his detractors but he absolutely should be competent enough to win the title with the resource and talent advantage he has at his disposal.

2. Forfar Athletic - Had a very impressive end to last season. Lost some very decent players but largely look to have replaced them with similar or even better players. A decent mix of toughness with a handful of forward players who can do a lot of damage, not unlike Arbroath last season. An excellent League Cup campaign suggests they should be favourites to be 'best of the rest' behind Falkirk.

3. Raith Rovers - Difficult one to predict. They look like a fairly standard L1 squad with stand out players in Hendry and Vaughn. I think a lot will depend on how much of the season they get out of these two players. Both missed large parts of last season to injury. Keep them injury free and I'd be expecting Rovers to make the play off. Without these two players, I don't think much separates Raith from the general pack of teams in the middle of the league.

4. East Fife - Should have made the play-offs last year but for a disastrous end to the season. Kept largely the same squad with a few additions which I think have strengthened us. Murdoch and Higgins have returned after loans and look like much better players. And fantastic options up front and goals in the midfield mean we should carry a real goal threat. An excellent couple of results in the LC have convinced me to put us into that final play off spot, just ahead of Airdrie and Montrose.

5. Airdrie - The start of a new season sees the annual surge of optimism emanate from the Penny Cars. I think the squad has improved on last season. Eckersley, Fordyce and Gallagher seem like very good acquisitions. And I think Murray will have them drilled a bit better than previously. However, I'm not sure I see the same reasons to have them up challenging as others are. A number of their signings are a bit unknown in this division. If enough of them turn out to be good, then I'd expect them to finish higher but have them down as this years nearly men.

6. Montrose - Definitely lost the 'surprise' element of last year. An excellent first season after promotion and a steady strengthening of the squad over the summer, especially in Ballantyne and Waddell means the rest of the league should be expecting Montrose to push for the play offs this season. I think they'll fall a bit short this time round. Made it last season in large part due to their consistency - other challengers tended to be wildly erratic. I think the middle of the league will be stronger this season which could push Montrose down a few places.

7. Clyde - An underwhelming League Cup campaign may have put the confidence of last season's barn-storming finish at a bit of a peep. As usual with promoted teams, a bit of an unknown quantity. Certainly look to have goals in them, with Goodwillie leading the line. A self-confessed weakness at the back might not have been much of an issue when they were dominating most games last season but may haunt them in the numerous tight games against mid table opposition.

8. Peterhead - Largely the same squad, although this guy Dow might be a bit of a miss. You usually know what you get with McInally's Peterhead. Tough and experienced. A bit of an ageing squad though and not many players that stand out at this level. Should have enough to avoid relegation.

9. Stranraer - Another tough season ahead for Stranraer. Clearly the strategy is to bring back players that have done a job at Stair Park before in Robertson, Gallagher and Thomson. outside of these guys, their squad looks a little weak. I'd expect them to fight tooth and nail for survival and not be detached in the bottom two. Pretty decent showings, if not points total in the LC might suggest Farrell's got enough to keep them up though.

10. Dumbarton - Big things were expected last pre-season and it didn't pan out. It'd be sod's law if it turned out the exact opposite this season. A few decent signings aside, it looks like a fairly rag-tag squad assembled at the Rock. That might be good enough to see out L1 seasons where there's an obvious diddy cannon-fodder type side but it looks like a tough league this season and I don't see Dumbarton having the quality to compete. Although the 12 points they inevitably pick up from us should give them a real fighting chance.

That’s a great detailed assessment.

The bookies and the daily record got it completely wrong with their predictions last year, and league 1 is probably the hardest to predict in Scottish football. They said Brechin and Dumbarton and Raith were going to be top.

I would put Forfar, Falkirk and possibly Raith at the top, the rest is anyone’s guess. They are offering strange odds for Clyde and Peterhead, who I would doubt to finish in the top 4, but more inclined to be in the bottom 4.

Last season East Fife and Dumbarton seemed to be the most unpredictable, with periods of brilliance or throwing it away.

The rest is wide open.

[buchan30]

1. Falkirk
2. Raith
3. Forfar
4. East fife
5. Airdrie
6. Montrose
7. Clyde
8. Stranraer
9. Peterhead
10. Dumbarton

[baillieinleeds]

1, Falkirk
2-10 Meh.

[Dunning1874]

On 15/06/2019 at 18:31, NavyBlueArmy1876 said:

Looking forward to ourselves and Tisder giving Morton a jaunty wave as they pass us in the opposite direction at the end of the season 

Better luck next time.

[vikingTON]

Even a failed mercenary like Tidser will wave past them when it's Kelty's turn to beat them to the seaside league crown in 2022/23. The gift that just keeps on giving to Scottish football.