Down to the wire...

Following last night’s defeat to Torquay, the Bees find themselves back in the drop-zone with two games remaining. I used the league predictor on the BBC website to see where I think we’d finish and this is what my guesses reveal:

*I’d like to point out I was correct last season, with us finishing 22^nd and Hereford joining Macclesfield in the Conference.

Our rivals in the relegation dog fight:

24^th Aldershot

Played 44, Won 10, Drawn 15, Lost 19

Goal difference -17 ~ Current points 45

Last 5 games: L L D W D

Final fixtures: Dagenham & Redbridge (h) and Rotherham (a)

* Win for Dagenham & Redbridge would guarantee safety, Rotherham will want an automatic promotion finish (if available).

23^rd Barnet

Played 44, Won 12, Drawn 12, Lost 20

Goal difference -11, Current points 48

Last 5 games: L L W D D

Final fixtures: Wycombe (h) and Northampton (a)

* Wycombe have nothing to play for, Northampton will want an automatic promotion finish (if available).

22^nd AFC Wimbledon

Played 44, Won 13, Drawn 10, Lost 21

Goal difference -23, Current points 49

Last 5 games: D L L L W

Final fixtures: Gillingham (a) and Fleetwood (h)

* Gillingham already promoted but can be crowned Champions, Fleetwood could mathematically still make the play-offs.

21^st York

Played 44, Won 10, Drawn 19, Lost 15

Goal difference -12, Current points 49

Last 5 games: W D W D L

Final fixtures: Southend (h) and Dagenham & Redbridge (a)

* Southend could mathematically make the play-offs, Dagenham & Redbridge could be safe by then.

20^th Torquay

Played 44, Won 12, Drawn 13, Lost 19

Goal difference -9, Current points 49

Last 5 games: W L L L W

Final fixtures: Morecambe (a) and Bristol Rovers (h)

* Morecambe have nothing to play for, Bristol Rovers have nothing to play for.

19^th Accrington

Played 44, Won 13, Drawn 12, Lost 19

Goal difference -15, Current points 51

Last 5 games: W D D W L

Final fixtures: Bristol Rovers (a) and Oxford (h)

* Bristol Rovers have nothing to play for, Oxford have nothing to play for.

18^th Dagenham & Redbridge

Played 44, Won 13, Drawn 12, Lost 19

Goal difference -5, Current points 51

Last 5 games: L W L D L

Final fixtures: Aldershot (a) and York (h)

* Aldershot need maximum points to avoid relegation, York could possibly still be relegated.

Of those teams, I’d suggest that Aldershot have the worst final two fixtures with both opponents needing points for differing reasons. A win for Dagenham in their penultimate game would most likely see them safe and while Rotherham are guaranteed at least a play-off place, they will want the final automatic promotion spot if possible.

The easiest fixtures belong to Torquay and Accrington who face teams with nothing to play for. While their opponents won’t want to finish the campaign with defeats, there are more important games both weekends.

My final two predictions:

Barnet 1-1 Wycombe

Northampton 2-1 Barnet

Two minutes with… Dagenham & Redbridge

With a busy Easter period in terms of matches, Dagenham & Redbridge were the visitors to Underhill on Good Friday. Daggers’ fan Nick gives his views in this instalment of ‘two minutes with...’

Pre-match

Had you been to Underhill before?

Yes, I came last season when we drew 2-2 in the midweek match. Mickey Spillane and Scott Doe were the goalscorers for us that day.

How did you get to the game?

We left on the District Line from Barking before changing onto the Northern Line at Embankment. When there we had a quick pint in the Old Red Lion before heading into the ground.

 

The match

Whereabouts in the ground did you sit/stand?

We were stood on the East Terrace which we were allocated alongside the Barnet fans. Despite not being associated with the one game a seasoners who turn up for an imaginary tear up at Barnet, we stood at the back towards the netted segregation line where the atmosphere was. You could say we sat as well, although most of the time one of the Barnet stewards gave us a glare to tell us to get off of the railing. He gave up in the second half though!

What did you make of the game?

It was poor from start to finish really. In the first half I think Barnet edged it without creating too many clear cut opportunities, Jake Hyde’s marginally offside effort being the one I remember clearly. We were definitely the better side in the second half and were unlucky not to take the lead through Elito’s rasping strike. Despite our heavier forward presence in the second half, I’d still say a point apiece was the fair outcome.

Who (from either side) do you think deserved to be man of the match?

No one really stands out in my mind from either side. If I had to pick I’d probably say our centre half Scott Doe who made a number of superb last ditch challenges to deny the Barnet forwards. Although you could argue that for his one world class stop to deny Elito, Graham Stack deserves the award.

 

Post-match

Was the score line a fair reflection on the game?

I’d say it was fair, yes. Despite playing better in the second half as I alluded to earlier, I don’t think we created enough to warrant the three points. The closest we came was from a 30 yard strike which tells its own story really – both sides really lacked going forward.

Who do you play next, and how do you think you’ll get on?

Next up for us is Exeter away on Saturday at St James’ Park, a ground that we traditionally never do well at. Taking into account our poor form and the fact we’ve never won at Exeter, I can only see a defeat which will drag us even further into the relegation mire.

 

Ratings

Cost of match day ticket – £13 for me which I thought was reasonable for a concession in the terrace. Certainly a lot better than some grounds in this league –––8/10

Purchases made at ground – I didn’t buy anything in the ground, although I’m informed the programme was of decent quality. The food looked nice enough but again the Barnet caterers ran out of stock before the start of the second half which marks it down somewhat ––– 7/10

View – Apart from the several poles that restricted our view of part of the goals at either end, it was ok. Being a terraced stand which is somewhat old fashioned, it’s to be expected. Although I wasn’t too pleased with the three rather large gentlemen who decided to stand in front of me at the end of the first half ––– 5/10

Quality of football – It wasn’t a particularly good match, played on a tough surface with both sides giving very little away. It was gritty but with flashes of quality throughout ––– 6/10

Overall experience – Taking everything into account, including the fact it’s the last time we’ll ever visit Underhill, I think it was pretty decent. The atmosphere was largely good, the pub before hand was filled with Daggers supporters and I’m more than happy to take a point from the match ––– 7/10

 

Total ––– 33/50

 

You can follow Nick on Twitter @NickMurphyDRFC and be sure to check out his blog for Dagenham match reports and more, ‘The Daggers Scale’.

Fans’ season preview 2012/13 – part two

Burton Albion

Adam – @adambafcdrew

17^th in League Two – “Disappointing, stressful, forgetful”

We haven't lost any key players this summer. With Gary Rowett having been given the Burton job permanently not long after the season finished, he's been bringing his own players and staff in. And I was incredibly impressed when he signed up Zander Diamond in defence. Over the last three seasons Burton have had problems with a leaky defence, and I think Diamond seems like a big leader who can play a big part in sorting that. And he's still in his late 20s. Marcus Holness who we've signed from Rochdale seems decent too, despite being built like an overweight Sunday League player.

I am feeling confident we will be in a comfortable mid table position with the squad Rowett's building. It would be extremely disappointed if we find ourselves battling relegation for the third season running. Last season, we flirted with the playoffs a fair bit in the first half of the season, which shows what we are capable of; but then went on that shocking run and nosedived down the league which was depressing. I hope that kind of thing doesn't happen again. I think we'll finish in the top 14 of what is now a very tough league with some big clubs in.

There's a fair few good games I’m looking forward to, despite so many long midweek away games. I'm looking forward to these three the most – a weekender in Torquay when we play them on September 22nd will be brilliant, with many other Brewers staying over; Rotherham away on opening day will be a great occasion because it's the first league game at their new stadium and Gillingham at home on the final day because it’s the date of my dad’s birthday.

Cheltenham Town

James – @whyalwaysjimbo

6^th in League Two – “Pride, Heartbreak, Wembley”

Summerfield has gone to Shrewsbury, we've bought Deering in from Barnet but not sure how well he could play a central midfield role-in a midfield two with Pack or Penn, see him more as an attacking midfielder maybe at the top of a diamond.

I think we should expect play-offs at a minimum. We've only lost one player we didn't want to lose, the others (Low, Lewis and Smikle) were all released and were really squad players. However the league is very strong-so I'd be happy with a play off place as long as we make it count this time.

I’m mostly looking forward to the ones local to me because of where I live; Northampton for example. I’m also looking forward to York because a lot of my family live there and other games where I'd get to see my favourite twitter followers, such as Barnet away.

Chesterfield

Ryan – @ryandickens_cfc

22^nd in League One – “Disappointing, underperformed, unbelievable”

The club released ten player including our longest serving at the time, Derek Niven and a key player in Gregor Robertson who was a good defender for us but struggled a lot with injury over the past few seasons. So far during the summer break we have made five signings and we have promoted three youngsters from the youth team. To replace defenders Gregor Robertson and Simon Ford we have brought in Sam Hird from Doncaster Rovers who will be our new captain for the new season and Terrell Forbes, former Leyton Orient defender to improve our defence overall. We’ve also signed former Scunthorpe midfielder Sam Togwell who is very experienced and will prove to be an important asset within the team. The most exciting signing that Chesterfield has made this summer for me has to be Marc Richards from Port Vale who is a proven goal scorer at League Two level scoring 15+ goals for Port Vale in previous seasons. Richard O’Donnell is a goalkeeper which we have signed from Sheffield Wednesday who will challenge current Goalkeeper Tommy Lee for a place in the starting line-up.

After the disappointment of not being able to stay a League One club the fans expect a strong season ending in promotion come next May. I predict that Chesterfield will finish 5th and hopefully we can achieve promotion through the playoffs. The fans expect to bounce straight back to League One at the first time of asking however League Two is looking very strong next season and this will be a very difficult ask.

I am looking forward to Plymouth away because it is a new ground for me and it should be a very good day out, perhaps even make a weekend of it if the weather is nice. Rotherham away is also a match I am looking forward to most because it is a brand new stadium and Rotherham is close to Chesterfield therefore we will take a lot of fans and hopefully create a very loud atmosphere. Finally I am also looking forward to Fleetwood away which is scheduled to be our last away match of the season. This will be a very tough match as both teams should be at the top end of the table still pushing for promotion if nothing has been decided by this point. A weekend in Blackpool is also too good to turn down.

Dagenham + Redbridge

Nick – @NickDRFCMurphy

(The Daggers Scale)

19^th in League Two – “Disappointing and injury-ravaged”

We've lost a wealth of experience in Mark Arber, Peter Gain and Jon Nurse along with Damien McCrory – however that was necessary in order to stay sustainable. The acquisition of Gavin Hoyte looks to be a good one from what I've seen so far though, he's a very quick and energetic player. I expect the likes of Mickey Spillane, Billy Bingham and Brian Woodall/Dwight Gayle to perform well in the coming season, they're young and will be looking to build on their last campaigns.

I'd be more than happy with a mid table season to be quite honest, although I can realistically see us pushing towards a play-off place should everything come together and we avoid a mass of injuries this year. I'd take a punt at a nice mediocre 10th at this current stage.

I'm quite looking forward to Barnet and Southend as they're two of the more local games. For a new ground though I'm quite excited about visiting Bootham Crescent as it seems quite old fashioned – I like a ground with a bit of personality to it!

Exeter City

Rodney – @roddersecfc

23^rd in League One – “Not good enough”

We’ve lost several players with our player of the year, Troy Archibald-Henville being sold to Swindon. Others we lost include: Daniel Nardiello, David noble, James Dunne and Richard Duffy who all took better offers at other clubs. Despite losing these players we look to have signed some adequate replacements – Kevin Mmankwaah, an experienced right back. We’ve also signed defenders: Craig Woodman and Pat Baldwin, and midfielders Tommy Doherty and Arron Davies, all who have a wealth of experience at this level and higher.

At the end of the season and the loss of several players I wasn't feeling confident, but with the squad Paul Tisdale has assembled so far I’m feeling quietly optimistic for the new season. I think we can manage a top half table finish, even the playoffs.

It’s no real surprise to the game I’m most looking forward to – the renewal of our rivalry with Plymouth Argyle. There’s nothing like a derby game and I’m looking forward to our game at Christmas and the trip to Home Park near the end of the season.

Fleetwood Town

Sam – @SamFTFC

(SamFTFC)

1^st in Blue Square Premier – “Unbelievable, exciting, nerve-racking”

We lost Jamie Vardy, the greatest ever player to play for Fleetwood Town. I have never seen a player like him; 34 goals and a load of assists. Quick, agile and an eye for goal, he’s now applying his trade in the Championship. He was key to our promotion campaign last season. I think the signing that will replace him is David Ball. He has already cut it in the Championship, he is sharp and can certainly finish as he has already proved pre-season. We have made a lot of signings and every single one looks promising so I expect them all to stand out come competitive matches.

With the current squad I fully expect us to gain promotion to League One. We have higher-league experience in the team and we are a club that like to push forward forever aiming high. I can see us securing at least a promotion place and hopefully we will do the business and then be in League One.

The games I’m looking most forward to have to be Morecambe and Accrington Stanley home and away. I absolutely love derby games and I am fully looking forward to them. I think they will be well battled matches and hopefully we'll come out on top in each.

Two minutes with… Dagenham + Redbridge

Tuesday night saw a relegation six-pointer, as the Bees played host to the Daggers. Whilst you can read my match report here, this instalment of ‘two minutes with…’ comes from the point of view of Dagenham fan, Nick.

20.03.12
Barnet 2–2 Dagenham + Redbridge
(McLeod ’30, May ’79 – Spillane ’25, Doe ’72)
Attendance: 1,725 (away: 351)

 How did you get to the game?

As the game was just across London, we opted to go by train. This meant getting the Overground service from Chadwell Heath to Stratford, where we then changed to the tube which would take us to Bank. From there we changed once more to get the Northern Line to High Barnet where we arrived amongst a crowded train at about 6:30pm.

What did you do pre-match?

One of the more appealing choices was the pub that most people go to when playing Barnet, The Red Lion. When coming out of the station we encountered someone with a McDonald’s bag and as we were relatively hungry we headed up Barnet high road in search of the McDonald’s to get something to eat. Not knowing what the food inside Underhill was like it seemed a better idea to stick with something we knew. The majority of Daggers did go in the pub pre-match though.

 Where did you sit/stand in the ground?

 We were located in the East Terrace North and the majority of us had chosen to go on the terrace as it would create a better atmosphere. We ended up standing towards the centre of the whole stand which meant we were close to the more vocal of the Barnet support where there was good banter between both sets of fans. This also meant we were right next to our supporters' drum so it was the more lively section of our support.

 What did you make of the game?

 It was a bit scrappy in all honesty, you could tell that these were two teams towards the wrong end of the table. Both defences made several mistakes which highlighted why we both are where we are. In the first half however, we dominated and should have been two or three up before Barnet got their equaliser.

Just before the Barnet equaliser we had the chance to perhaps seal the game, but Baudry & Akinde both hit the bar from headers from inside the box. An individual error lead to the Barnet goal, but fair play to McLeod, he finished the chance off which is why he's top scorer – he gets the chances and finishes them, something our strikers haven't done enough this season.

In the second half though, Barnet were out of the traps first and Ricky Holmes caused all kinds of problems cutting in down the right side. Poor marking from Barnet gave us the lead once more as the infamous Scott Doe front post header paid dividends. Just as I thought we may be able to close the game out, our ‘keeper makes a howler as Ben May wheels away in celebration, leaving us all shell-shocked and in some awe.

After that it was pretty scrappy with neither side really making inroads into taking the lead.

Was the scoreline a fair reflection?

There’s an argument for either case. Personally I thought we were worthy of all three points, especially after the first half performance, however our lack of potency in front of goal has cost us again. You can see why Barnet are above the drop zone when your star striker gets one opportunity and he makes the most of it. We were punished, although the Lewington error is just a freak goal really. I think we were worthy of all three, but there is definitely an argument for the draw as in all honestly, you could tell both sides were languishing at the bottom end of the table.

Who, in your opinion was man of the match?

For Dagenham it would almost certainly be Mickey Spillane. He was playing in a somewhat unnatural centre midfield role, but excelled there. He was able to go on a couple of runs and get himself out of tight situations with some very neat footwork, not only that but his eye for a pass on Tuesday night was second to none. My final point about Mickey was his eagerness to get to the ball, he was always going in for the challenges which is what you want from a player.

From a Barnet viewpoint, one player that stands out as someone that caused the Daggers back line persistent problems was Ricky Holmes. His trickery and pace down the wing had the full backs in a fluster; it’s just a pity that his final ball was really lacking when it was needed most.

Who do you play next and how do you think you'll get on?

Next up for us is Accrington Stanley at home on Saturday. In the reverse fixture in November which I attended at The Crown Ground, we went down 3-0, so hopefully it won’t end up like that this time around. We have only beaten Accrington once at home since we formed in 1992, so that’s something that will need to change for us to get ourselves out of the bottom two come 17:00 Saturday evening. Personally, if we can play with the same tempo and urgency on Saturday, I’d take a draw.

Thanks Nick

You can follow Nick on Twitter: @NickDRFCMurphy and also check out his blog, for all things D+R: ‘The Daggers Scale’.

Match Report: Barnet 2–2 Dagenham + Redbridge (Barnet Fan’s Perspective)

It was 20^th v 24^th in League Two on Tuesday night, as Barnet played hosts to Dagenham + Redbridge in a relegation six-pointer. Although it ended up two goals apiece, it was by no means a thriller, with some desperate defending at times. Neither team really attempted to play the ball on the ground, particularly in its closing stages and it was mainly scrappy in midfield.

Dean Brill was recalled in the Barnet goal, with Liam O’Brien dropped to the bench, following some costly mistakes in the defeat to Morecambe last Saturday; Kamdjo was called into the centre of midfield, a move that saw Sam Deering on the bench.

As is the case recently, the home side started brightly: McLeod and May both should have taken their chances – the Daggers’ defence showing those low levels on confidence you’d expect from a team bottom of the league. And May could have so easily broken the deadlock had his header not been cleared off the line by Damien McCrory – the home fans behind the goal in the south end of the ground believed the ball had crossed the line.

It was the away fans to cheer next, again for a chance that so easily might have been: the opportunity falling to them in the opening 20 minutes, when Jon Nurse running in from the right wing took a shot. He, like the Daggers’ faithful, thought he hit the back of the net – only the side netting..!

But it was Dagenham who made the breakthrough: a sliced free kick allowed Medy Elito to show some skill by the corner flag, before delivering a tempting cross into the box and allowing Mickey Spillane to head home – a free header. From a Barnet point of view, Elito shouldn’t have been allowed to get the cross in, he was marked by two defenders.

Barnet 0–1 Dagenham + Redbridge (Spillane ’25)

The visitors were on top following their goal, hitting the woodwork twice in quick succession, but Barnet battled strongly in order to get that equalising goal. It finally came five minutes after going behind: McLeod timing his run to perfection and lobbing Chris Lewington in the visitors’ goal.

Barnet 1–1 Dagenham + Redbridge (McLeod ’30)

A draw at half time was a fair reflection, with both teams creating chances and scrapping for their lives. It was obvious at the beginning of the second half that both sides would try their hardest to regain the lead and get those all important three points – whether that be through a defensive mistake, or much-needed stroke of luck.

Despite playing up the slope in the second period, Barnet created opportunities – however, nothing to really test the Dagenham keeper. The game become a tough-fought battle in the middle of the park, Mark Hughes, a particular highlight for the home side, displaying a battling mentality, with a number of well-timed challenges.

With the game looking like it could still go either way, the away side regained the lead. Another cross into the box, and another header – this time Scott Doe with the killer blow.

Barnet 1–2 Dagenham + Redbridge (Doe ’72)

With 18 minutes remaining, and Daggers in the lead, as things stood both teams would be on equal points. 

But again the Bees showed that fighting spirit much needed when at the wrong end of the table, and came level after being behind for a second time in the game. Ben May with a shot from distance – Daggers complained it was a poor goal to concede with their keeper’s positioning at fault.

Barnet 2–2 Dagenham + Redbridge (May ’79)

At the end of the day, a draw was probably a fair result, with mistakes from both sides costing each other those three vital points.

It’s another six-pointer for the Bees as they head to the Moss Rose to play Macclesfield on Friday night.

Attendance: 1,725 (away: 351)

Starting line-ups:

Barnet – Brill; Hector, Downing, Dennehy, Mustoe; Byrne, Hughes, Kamdjo, Holmes; McLeod, May

Dagenham + Redbridge – Lewington; McCrory, Arber, Baudry, Spillane; Elito, Doe, Parker, Ogogo; Nurse, Akinde

Pre-Dagenham thoughts (20.03.12)

Following on from the Look Black n Amber exclusive earlier in the week, here’s the next piece from my portfolio, found in the Matchday Programme on Tuesday night. The opponents: Dagenham + Redbridge.

“Good evening.

Saturday’s game against Morecambe was a real game of two halves. At the end of the match we were very disappointed to come away with nothing. First half playing down the slope I thought we really took the game to them; we passed it around well and created enough chances to have it wrapped up by half time. As is the case at the moment, it only took Morecambe one opportunity to score at the end of the first 45 minutes. From our point of view, it was another sloppy goal to give away, and at the end of the day, that one mistake really cost us.

From going goals behind in the past, we’ve had the ability to turn it around and when you have attacking players of our quality, there is always a threat there. When Morecambe got their second though, it was simply a case of game over. At full time we were all aware that our second half performance wasn’t good enough – despite Morecambe defending well, we were too flat – and we simply can’t be making those kind of errors anymore. We now need to put that match behind us and move forward and what better opportunity than in front of the home crowd tonight in a six pointer against Dagenham and Redbridge.

Six of our final nine games including tonight are at home, and despite our away performances being better this season, we need to somehow turn that around and give our fans something to shout about at Underhill. We all know we need to make home advantage count, as every point at this stage of the season is vital. We went out with that mindset on Saturday and weren’t able to deliver the goods, so tonight is a good opportunity to put things right. I can’t put my finger on why our away performances have been better, but it started back earlier in the season with our cup runs. The fact is, we do need to do better at home, and like I said, what better time than tonight – at this stage of the season, one good result can turn our luck around and with the fans behind us, we can gain momentum.

As I’ve said in previous notes, playing well for 45 minutes doesn’t count for anything when we leave games without a point; we need to start playing consistently well for the entire match, take our chances and ultimately cut out any silly mistakes, particularly when defending.

Our next two games are huge: tonight against Dagenham and then Macclesfield away on Friday night. Depending how we fare points-wise at the end of the week, it’s fair to say those results alone will either make it a lot easier or a lot more difficult in terms of our scrap down the bottom. Our situation at present is a lot better than it was earlier in the season – we’ve not been in the bottom two for a while, and there are a lot more teams struggling this year. That alone gives us the confidence to press on, and with such a young side, we know we really need to push away from the wrong end of the table. We need to be the top side in the bottom six or seven – it’s almost like a mini-league down there!

We’re expecting a tough test tonight from Dagenham, because of course they are down there too, and scrapping for their lives. They won at the weekend, so I’m sure that’ll give them confidence going into tonight’s game. We have to not let that bother us, and although it’s bound to be a scrappy and hard-fought game, we have to go into it with a positive attitude. We have a new threat in Ben up front and I’m sure they’ll be aware of him and his presence. He’s another option for us – on Saturday he showed how good he is in the air. Going forward we look dangerous, so really need to cause problems for the Dagenham defenders, but of course it will be a case of taking chances.

I’m aware at the moment that the fans come away from games as disappointed as us players, but we really need everyone to get behind us. We know we aren’t the worst, or even second worst side in the League and we can get out of it again – with the support of everyone at the ground. I’ve said it before, but the positivity and support during the game really do affect the lads on the pitch and can make all the difference so please continue to back us. By sticking together, we will turn it around, beginning tonight, which is a massive game for everybody concerned.

Enjoy the game”

Mark Hughes was talking to Lucy Waldon

League 2 season preview - part two

I thought I’d do something a little different and after completing the Twitter92 a month or so ago, I thought it’d be apt to see what my fellow League 2 supporters thought about their aspirations and expectations for their teams in the coming season. Here is part two (of four):

Burton Albion

Rob Dunn – Twitter

“I think we will be around the top half perhaps pushing towards the play off positions if we get a decent striker in. Many of our fans are not as optimistic but I feel we vastly underachieved last season and there's plenty of room for improvement.

Jacques Maghoma is the biggest player to look out for – a talented midfielder with skill in abundance. On his day he is unplayable and can produce great things. Jimmy Phillips is also one to watch, young, tricky winger with lots of promise, expecting a big season from him.

I'm looking forward to all our games, but especially places I haven't been before: Swindon, Plymouth and AFC Wimbledon. I've always enjoyed going to Oxford too.

As long as we don't have a huge backlog of fixtures again and a long list of crippling injuries, I'm fairly optimistic that this season will be a good one, with better quality football and without the worries of being embroiled in another relegation battle”.

Cheltenham Town

James Lewis – Twitter – Blog

“Personally, I’d be happy with a solid mid table finish, somewhere between 12th and 14th. We have a good enough squad, but don’t currently have the budget to really challenge the likes of Shrewsbury, Swindon, Bristol Rovers etc in terms of buying players. What’s making me feel positive though is that last year Accrington managed to get into the play offs despite small gates, a tiny budget, and no real star players. We were crying out of a striker, and have been spoiled with two. I think what we need now is a loan goalkeeper to really battle with Scott Brown for the number 1 spot, and a winger.

 Marlon Pack will be our key next season; signed after he impressed on loan from Portsmouth, I could see us getting a large fee for him later down the line. We have Russ Penn partnering him in midfield and they complement each other well. Then there’s Danny Andrew. Opinion has been slightly divided on him as he’s a little naive defensively, but he’s an excellent attacking left back. Josh Low is also a very important player for us, though most of you will already know about him! There’s also Darryl Duffy who will likely be our main outlet for goals. 

I’m looking forward to the games I can go to really! I don’t live in Cheltenham now so I can only go to a handful. Swindon at home is one – great local derby and Northampton away for the same selfish reason. In terms of games in general, Hereford at home – we need revenge for them giving us a hiding at our place in February, and of course there’s Crewe, who beat us by a humiliating and downright degrading 8-1 scoreline back in April.

Aspirations – in terms of positives, we’ve largely retained the core from last season. The year before we built pretty much an entirely new squad, but this time the players won’t need as much time to gel.  Spirit in the camp appears great and the players seem confident of the season ahead. Listening to some of the fans however you’d think there was no hope”.

Crawley Town

Louie Elmer – Twitter – Blog

“I genuinely think we can achieve promotion this season, and I think the key to that will be the tremendous fitness levels the players possess and the strength in depth as well.

Matt Tubbs is seemingly the obvious stand-out player to watch, with 40 goals last season. But Scott Neilson is particularly dangerous and the two central defenders, McFadzean and Mills were arguably one of the best pairings outside the Championship last season. Young Charlie Wassmer has a lot of potential as well.

I'd say games to look forward to are: Port Vale away (first game of the season), Wimbledon (home and away) and probably Swindon at home, as well as Barnet away (nice bank holiday away day). They're the ones that jump out at me.

To be honest I'm really glad practically all of our transfers are already done and dusted, giving the players time to blend in before the season kicks off- I think it goes to show, whilst he's not everyone's favourite, Evans really knows what he's doing”.

Crewe Alexandra

David Gallagher – Twitter

“I think we may have missed our chance last season by conceding too many goals. We've lost the league's top goal scorer and not signed anyone yet, so I think we'll finish in the top half, but that's about it. I think it'll take at least one more season before we're good enough to go up though.

New players coming through will definitely be ones to look out for; especially Nick Powell and Max Clayton, with Arsenal and Liverpool rumoured to be after both already. I think Shaun Miller will build on last season too.

Looking forward to Port Vale home and away, as always. The league has traditionally had quite a large number of northern teams, so I'll think we'll struggle away from home, even more than we did last year.

I'm looking forward to seeing how these young players turn out. The team is basically full of kids right through, with only a few experienced players. That said you'd expect us to struggle to improve on last season, but you never know”.

Dagenham + Redbridge

Matt Lees – Twitter

“Realistically, I think we have a good chance of promotion via the play-offs. With the departures of Danny Green and Romain Vincelot, next season will be quite difficult. Danny Green in particular was a huge part of everything good while he was at Dagenham. That said, we still have a good squad of players and John Still always manages to pull something out the bag.

D J Green. Another Danny Green, who at the end of last season showed he has quite some talent and may be well be the stand out player for 2011/12.

Three stand-out games for me: Barnet, Oxford and Southend away! Barnet because it's always a feisty game. Southend will be a fun game that's not too far away and Oxford because they were kind enough to let us secure promotion at their ground a few seasons back!

With Dagenham's limited budget I'd say everyone who runs the club has done a fantastic job in bringing in such talent and keeping positivity at the club despite relegation. Still being a league club for players and fans alike is amazing considering where we've come from in such a short amount of time, so I can only praise the fact the club are aiming to bounce straight back up into League One”.

Gillingham

Andy Manion – Twitter – Blog

Gillingham is one of the bigger clubs in League 2. At the start of last season the manager, Andy Hessenthaler, stated that if we weren't promoted last season would be seen as a failure - the target is the same this season. Anything less than promotion will again be seen as failure. Most fans expect promotion and with the new summer acquisitions this should be possible. Realistically promotion should be attainable, but whether it will actually happen is contentious. It will depend largely on managing to keep the squad fit. There isn’t a great deal of depth there and last season was largely injury plagued. However there is still optimism there and amongst the club there is still the belief that Gillingham is still too big a League 2 club. The optimists predict promotion – personally I reckon without further depth the club will once again fall short of expectations.

The biggest signing this summer was undoubtedly Adam Birchall. The former Dover Athletic player was prolific in the lower leagues. Not being blessed with any particular physical presence or speed he has good control, an eye for a goal and good vision. He has already impressed pre- season. The other players to look out for are Chris Whelpdale who impressed last season and possesses both skill and pace. He was a regular starter for Peterborough last season. The other Peterborough signing is also set to impress – Charlie Lee was notable last season in his Loan spell at Gillingham.

There aren't many big games in League 2 for Gillingham as there are no local rivals to speak of. Playing Swindon will be interesting given the controversy over the signing of Adam Birchall. (Swindon agreed a fee with Dover Athletic for him before Gillingham came in last minute and snapped him up, despite being bitter rivals with Dover). The other game to look forward to will be playing Southend United, both teams have a good following for League 2 teams and are fairly close to each other.

The season could go either way, whatever happens we should get off to a better start than last season but whether we can keep it up having lost our two main goal scorers from last season is hard to say. Overall there’s plenty to be optimistic about at Gillingham”.