"I don’t want to offend people" - Worrying Stockport County trend identified | OneFootball

FLW's resident Stockport County expert has offered his biggest complaint of the side

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

There is always room for improvement in football, and despite Stockport County’s impressive return to League One, it has been claimed there is one area of concern.

Sat fourth in the third tier after promotion from League Two last term, Stockport have an outside chance of securing a top-two finish – and with it, Championship football for next season.

However, a worrying trend in County’s season has been identified.

Stockport County’s inability to break teams down could cost them

Few Stockport fans could have predicted a battle for automatic promotion this season after lifting the League Two title last season.

With 11 games remaining of their League One campaign, Stockport are within touching distance of the top two.

However, all three sides above them in the league table enjoy a game in hand, on top of the current points gap.

Football League World's resident Stockport fan pundit, James Cropper, had few complaints about his side’s 2024/25 campaign to date.

However, James’ sole issue is Stockport’s struggles against so-called “lesser teams”. In recent weeks Stockport have dropped points against Bristol Rovers and Cambridge United, causing concern for James.

He explained to FLW: “There aren’t many, but the club’s biggest issue from a footballing standpoint is definitely the fact that we do tend to struggle against the lesser teams in the division.

“I don’t want to offend people, but I feel like we always up our game when it comes to playing the Birminghams, the Boltons - especially the Boltons – even the Wrexhams.

“But I think when we’re playing the lesser sides, especially the ones that sit back and allow us to keep the ball, we just look devoid of ideas.

“Especially in that Cambridge game, a couple of weeks ago.

“Neil Harris set Cambridge up perfectly to beat us, he found our weakness, and they sat back the entirety of the game, got two good chances and scored them both, and then just sat back.

“Again, against Bristol Rovers, it's like we need to finish them off.

“Because Bristol Rovers have just lost at home to Rotherham, who are quite possibly the worst side I've ever seen in League One.”

Life is good at Stockport County despite minor quibble

Stockport fans have gotten used to winning since the return of former player Dave Challinor as manager in November 2021.

After lifting the National League title and ending an 11-year absence from the EFL in his first season in charge, Challinor recorded a fourth-placed finish in Stockport’s first season back in League Two.

The following year Stockport improved further, lifting the fourth-tier title to earn a spot in League One for the first time since 2009.

James continued: “I mean there's not much to complain about right now – we're fourth in the league after just coming up from League Two.

“But I definitely say from a footballing standpoint is we’re not good enough if we’re going to be charging for automatics.

“If you want to be charging for automatic promotion, we have to be beating those sides more regularly than we are doing.

“So that’s my complaint, but there isn't really any more anything to really complain about at the minute.”