Next season

[Rockford's Love Child]

The twenty four teams to compete in next season's National League have now been confirmed as follows:

Aldershot
Barrow
Boreham Wood
Braintree
Bromley
Chester
Dagenham
Dover
Eastleigh
Forest Green
Gateshead
Guiseley
Lincoln
Macclesfield
Maidstone
North Ferriby
Solihull
Southport
Sutton
Torquay
Tranmere
Woking
Wrexham
York

I think the league is slightly weaker than last season overall. I would imagine the main contenders for promotion will be:

Barrow - bankrolled and now managed by the experienced Paul Cox
Eastleigh - bankrolled
FGR - bankrolled
Lincoln - new investors and a promising new manager in Danny Cowley
Tranmere - God and Brabin willing
Wrexham - likely to improve in their second season under Mills

Of the rest, Dover could challenge again if they hold on to their best players. Torquay might also be a surprise package after finishing last season very strongly, and the success of Braintree last time around demonstrates that well-managed outsiders can prosper at this level.

Fortunately, there is no manager in the division of the calibre of Gary Johnson and if we have any ambition we should be targeting a title challenge.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

I think the league is slightly weaker than last season overall. I would imagine the main contenders for promotion will be:

Barrow - bankrolled and now managed by the experienced Paul Cox
Eastleigh - bankrolled
FGR - bankrolled
Lincoln - new investors and a promising new manager in Danny Cowley
Tranmere - God and Brabin willing
Wrexham - likely to improve in their second season under Mills

Of the rest, Dover could challenge again if they hold on to their best players. Torquay might also be a surprise package after finishing last season very strongly, and the success of Braintree last time around demonstrates that well-managed outsiders can prosper at this level.

Fortunately, there is no manager in the division of the calibre of Gary Johnson and if we have any ambition we should be targeting a title challenge.

I agree with your analysis. We are now certainly by far the biggest club in the league (on attendances at least) and even if our budget gets trimmed a little, it should be big enough for a good manager to build a formidable team. Most teams are either new to the division or have relatively new managers. We now have one of the most settled outfits in the NL. You are right to assert that we should be targeting automatic promotion next year.

 

[Boz]

Fortunately, there is no manager in the division of the calibre of Gary Johnson and if we have any ambition we should be targeting a title challenge.

John Still? No other manager has taken 3 different sides to promotion from this league and he's in a similar position to Johnson having been with Dagenham and Redbridge this time round long enough to assess strengths and weaknesses plus there's the increased parachute payment. I'd certainly place D&R into the contenders category.

Totally agree automatic promotion should be our primary objective for the season ahead.

Broadly agree the league is marginally weaker for next season. However the fact that Solihull won their league containing bankrolled Fylde and well-supported FCUM so comfortably suggests they'll be top half material. I'd agree with RLCs list above, with the addition of Dagenham and Redbridge, but until we see how the squads shape up, it is hard to gauge how strong we'll be relative to likely promotion rivals.

 

[Ian]

I think for all the shortcomings, we learnt a lot last season. We know how to play against these teams and I think we'll have a much better start than we did last season when the squad were 'gelling' for what seemed like an eternity.

But you're right, some of those teams will be tough and I think Wrexham are going to be much stronger next season.

It will be interesting to compare with last season in terms of squad strength, tactics and form. Will we continue our excellent away form?

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Forgot about John still. I was unsure whether he was staying at Dagenham, but yes they could be a threat despite their limited resources.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Ross Hannah signed for Barrow today, a player we would surely have been interested in ? Suggests The Bluebirds are really going for it........

 

[Sparky]

Blimey they must be throwing some cash around. I heard some L2 clubs were interested in him.

Him and Andy Cook could be a decent partnership next season if Cook stays.

You can't blame Sutton leaving if he opts to join them too

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Yes, Hannah and Cook have played together before at Grimsby so that could be the plan.

 

[drwhoman]

I am really keen to see who Gary signs. These other teams gearing up fills me with trepidation. This does not say much for my confidence in our Manager I know.

 

[Boz]

Barrow have a wealthy American backer and once Paul Cox took over, they went on an excellent run and weren't that far from making the play-offs. Hannah is a good signing, but he didn't make a great impression when we played Chester and would he have worked alongside Norwood?

I am really keen to see who Gary signs. These other teams gearing up fills me with trepidation. This does not say much for my confidence in our Manager I know.

GBs signings last season were a mixed bag. Think we do need to make a marquee signing, either a forward to play alongside Norwood or a creative player with some pace and we need to avoid a repeat of last season's shedload of trialists in pre-season friendlies approach. I've little confidence in Brabin either DWM

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

The football Cox's teams play is abysmal by all accounts, but he won the league at Mansfield and, even if he does not have the very best squad in the division, I would not be surprised if he took Barrow up next season.

I read a comment by an NL supporter recently stating that you don't necessarily need the very top budget to be successful at this level, just a competitive budget and the top manager. Looking at the performance of Cheltenham and Barnet in the last two seasons that makes a lot of sense.

 

[drwhoman]

I agree RLC. What nags at me is that any prospective striker who does his homework will know that Gary likes 4-5-1 (i.e. Norwood if fit). Not a big inducement. For Gary's tactical style he needs at least one energetic box to box man to support Norwood and another wide man to compliment Mekki plus a new left back of course. We do not need more holding midfielders assuming SJ goes round again.

 

[Boz]

There was some suggestion the way Brabin recruited last season that he was initially looking at 3-5-2. Whether that's workable at this level is debatable. It's hard to find players who can combine the defensive and attacking attributes needed for the wing-back role.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I would take those comments with a pinch of salt to be honest. I think Brabin's approach is more to sign a shedload of players and then try and shoehorn them into a formation (generally 4-5-1), rather than the other way round.

In all seriousness, I agree that we have to bring in a second striker and / or a more creative midfielder to turn the home fortunes around. Despite Brabin's comments after the Grimsby game, I hope that he and Palios have discussed this.

 

[drwhoman]

I see Robbie Weir has been given a free by Burton! Maybe we were able to be a bit more picky three years ago!

 

[Sparky]

I wondered if the ex rovers bunch at Burton would be playing in the championship next season. Weir was on the bench for the 2nd half of their season so no real surprise. He'll get snapped up by another L1 club or L2 as has good experience at that level in a promotion winning team.

Shane Sherriff also released - has played more than Weir but is now 33 and maybe they think they need better defenders for the championship.

Lucas Akins offered a new contract. No surprise as a good age and hit form at the right time as he was banging them in at the end of the season.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

The new season's fixtures are out today. We start in just over a month. August is the busiest month of the league season with seven games in 24 days! We start with a long trip to Bromley followed by home games with Barrow and Eastleigh, who could be among our main rivals. However, overall it should not be a difficult month, as we then meet three teams from the bottom half of the league and one promoted side. By the bank holiday weekend, we should have a good idea of how we are faring.

I notice we have a lot of midweek fixtures and many involve long distances, making it difficult for away fans. I know getting 46 fixtures scheduled must be difficult, but surely some of these trips could have been scheduled at the weekend.

 

[Sparky]

Yes BBTC the excitement will now start building and those first 2 home games will be an early test for us. Looking at the other matches that month, they are arguably all winnable so we could be top by the end of August !!

Nice to be at home on Boxing Day but unfortunately away last game of the season

 

[Boz]

At first glance, a reasonable set of fixtures. Glad the opening game is away,as can't make it then two homes against potential promotion rivals, should show if we've ended last season's PP hoodoo. After the trip to Wrexham, the end of season run-in doesn't look too bad, shame the last game is the other side of the country and at a relatively small ground, frustration for the SWA trying to get tickets if much depends on the outcome. Excepting York, the midweek aways are either a fair trek or out of the way. No imagination with the festive fixture, Macc again, though at least we're home on Boxing Day.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

An interesting set of fixtures. Bromley away is a slightly underwhelming opening game, but very winnable. I agree with Boz that the Macc fixtures over Christmas are disappointing. However, Southport away on August Bank Holiday weekend is a standout. After the two early tests against Barrow and Eastleigh, the first month does not look too bad for us and gives us an opportunity to get some momentum.

Seeing the opposing team names in black and white, my overall impression is that anything less than an automatic promotion challenge would be a failure this season with the resources we have at our disposal.

A couple of the midweek aways look enticing, York and North Ferriby (for the connoisseur) in particular.