Two minutes with… Oxford United

Following our first round FA Cup clash a couple of weeks ago, Oxford were the visitors again at Underhill last Tuesday. Oxford fan, Myles, gives his views in this instalment of ‘Two minutes with...’.

Pre-match

Had you been to Underhill before?

No. This was my first time. As it's Barnet's last season at Underhill I was keen to make the visit, despite the horrible weather! It's my closest game to where I now live so seemed daft to miss despite a lack of enthusiasm on my part.

How did you get to the game?

A quick drive down the M1 from Luton.

The match

Whereabouts in the ground did you sit/stand?

At the back of the East Terrace, about mid-way down the side.

What did you make of the game?

Well, it wasn't exactly a classic! That said, despite this clearly being two poor teams, both were trying to play a bit of decent football – to greater or lesser effect, and not helped by the constant rain. On the Barnet side, Clovis Kamdjo is clearly a limited player, but his desire and determination meant that he largely ran the midfield, constantly looking for the ball and trying to create something. This was in marked contrast to Oxford's Peter Leven who has the talent to be one of the best midfielders in this league but went missing in this game. In fact, it was Leven standing off and failing to make a challenge which was the start of the build up to Barnet's second goal.

The referee had a generally quiet game and seemed to be cutting the players a little slack to account for the greasy conditions. He did produce one complete howler though when giving a free-kick for a back-pass to the Barnet keeper which actually came from a mishit clearance 25 yards out which looped skywards and backwards into the six-yard box.

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

As above, Clovis Kamdjo would be my man of the match.

Post-match

Was the score line a fair reflection on the game?

Yes, a 2-2 draw was about fair. If anything, Barnet probably just about deserved to take the three points, as they had the better efforts to snatch a winner. To be honest, I wouldn't have been unhappy as usual at such a defeat as it would almost certainly have seen Chris Wilder getting the sack. I'm fairly sure that he is now a dead man walking and, unless we go on a run of wins, the next defeat is likely to see a change.

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

We have Northampton at home next. With Jonny Mullins being recalled from his loan by Rotherham, I'm concerned that our back line won't be able to deal with Akinfenwa who can be a bit of a human battering ram. Being at home, I hope we can get a draw but I wouldn't be too surprised to see us lose this one.

Ratings

Cost of match day ticket

£16 for a terrace is about the going rate these days. ––– 7/10

Purchases made at ground

Again, the programme was around average for the league, but maybe a touch advert heavy. I always love spotting the classic, local companies linking their product to the club however odd it may appear – official Barnet FC coffin anyone?! ––– 7/10

View

Not a bad view from the back of what was a fairly shallow terrace. You know you're at a traditional old ground though when the view is partly obscured by large pillars! ––– 7/10

Quality of football

Two teams appearing low on confidence and, to a lesser extent, skill and not helped by the weather conditions. Not a classic, but it could have been a lot worse. ––– 5/10

Overall experience

As ever, the low point of a trip to football is the football itself! My lack of enthusiasm for the game wasn't misplaced, but the gallows humour on the terrace made it more bearable. ––– 6/10

Total ––– 32/50

 

And you can follow Myles on Twitter @MylesOUFC

Two minutes with… Oxford United, an FA Cup special

Oxford United travelled to Underhill at the weekend for the first round of the FA Cup. The visitors won the game 2-0. Fan, Kevin, gives his thoughts.

Pre-match

Had you been to Underhill before?

Yeah, I’ve been a few times with Oxford.

How did you get to the game?

I live in London now so got the tube. It only took 30 odd minutes, so nice and easy!

The match

Whereabouts in the ground did you sit/stand?

I was stood in the away end down the side. Always love away stands with a low roof, however the pillars were quite annoying.

What did you make of the game?

I thought we did a professional job against what was unfortunately a poor Barnet side. Was surprised by the decision to leave Davids on the bench for so long, most the home fans picked up when he came on and he made a slight difference. All in all very happy with how we played as so often this season we have dominated and came away with nothing.

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

For us I thought Constable was our best player, looking back to his best thankfully for us; Rigg on the left put in a good performance. For Barnet, I thought Kamdjo won a few headers and put himself about but other than that no one stood out. Thought Collins John was by far the worst player on the pitch!

Post-match

Was the score line a fair reflection on the game?

I think so, though we could have scored more to be honest. In the FA Cup it is all about getting to the third round for lower league teams so happy with the win.

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

We have Dagenham on Tuesday and Torquay on Saturday both at home and given our current form we should hopefully have six points, but after years of watching Oxford, it’ll probably be two draws!

Ratings

Cost of match day ticket

Given Barnet are a London club the cost is not surprising but think you would attract a lot more fans with lower prices ––– 5/10

Purchases made at ground

Took me ages to find someone selling a programme but it is quite a decent read. Food and drink - normal football standard so can’t complain ––– 7/10

View

If you are in front of the pillars it is ok, but with quite a few away fans in there the views were quite restricted ––– 5/10

Quality of football

Both teams tried to play football to their credit but obviously at that standard it’s not always possible. I thought Barnet were quite poor and have to say Collins John was woeful, expected a lot more from him ––– 7/10

Overall experience

I always enjoy going to Barnet as I am in London and with lots of away fan friendly pubs nearby it is always a fixture I look out for. Really hope you guys stay up and get a new stadium sorted. On a final note, a win in the FA Cup is always good! ––– 8/10

Total ––– 32 /50

And you can follow Kevin on Twitter @kevinspackman

Fans’ season preview 2012/13 – part three

Gillingham

Michael – @mikeywoods89

8^th in League Two – “Just fallen short”

We lost a few players, in particular Paulo Gazzaniga who has joined Southampton, but we have brought in some good replacements and perhaps strengthened in areas that were otherwise weak last season such as the defence.

With the quality of players we have this season and Martin Allen in charge (hopefully he'll last the season), I expect us to make the play-offs as a minimum. I believe the highest we can aim for is 3rd but there are some strong teams in this league.

Rotherham and York are of particular interest – Rotherham because of the new ground and York because of the place itself, and it's a team I haven't seen us face before. Also looking forward to Burton Albion as it's the final game of the season and I have yet to visit Burton.

Morecambe

Jack – @MorecambeJack

15^th in League Two – "Room for improvement"

We have lost Lawrence Wilson our left back with a great attacking threat who I think we will miss terribly. We have brought in Robbie Threlfall as a replacement but it remains to be seen whether he can fill his boots. Garry Hunter was released, despite being Morecambe born and bred, but we have brought in Championship-level experience through Andy Wright from Scunthorpe.

Expectation is to stay in the league and with a reduced squad this year, anything more than that will be a success. We are going to heavily rely on youth this year and hope that we do not suffer many injuries. Showing relegation form over the last 7 months of last season, we really need a good start again this year to avoid being in a scrap at the bottom.

I think most Morecambe fans are looking forward to the Fleetwood games this year, as they become our nearest "rivals" once more. The York game also has some interest as we beat them in the play-off semis the year we got promoted (with a bit of controversy!). Other than that, I am looking forward to the Bradford games particularly at home on New Year's Day and our away game at Accrington which for the first time I can remember, is on a Saturday in spring rather than a cold Tuesday night in winter!

Northampton Town

20^th in League Two –

Oxford United

Jennie – @x_Jen_xx

9^th in League Two – “Disappointing, frustrating, inconsistent”

We've kept a lot of our key players, I'm not sure whether that's a good thing or a bad thing, because something needs to dramatically change in our squad! I’m glad that we've kept Constable and Craddock, so I’m expecting a lot more from them this season. We've signed a couple of players who could be vital for next season and have a couple more on loan, such as McGinty and Cox, which should hopefully get the players fighting for their places instead of becoming too complacent!

I think a lot of Oxford fans will expect us to be in the play-offs by Christmas and if we're not... then I think Wilder will be sacked. It's a shame because I do like Wilder, but we can't just keep finishing in mid table in League Two because people will just stop going. By the end of the season, I think realistically we would be lucky to get in to the play-offs, but anything less would be heartbreaking for the club. We have a new chairman so hopefully that should push the club forward. A play-off place will be good enough.

I’m looking forward to Wycombe away – bit of a local derby and it's always a game that we look forward to. Exeter away too, just because there's some old rivalry there from when we were in the Conference with them! I’m hoping for a good cup run going as we haven't had one in a very long time, but knowing Oxford, this will not happen this season either!

Plymouth Argyle

Edward – @ArgyleEd

21^st in League Two – “Difficult, stressful, successful”

Our biggest loss is Simon Walton who we let go to Hartlepool for personal reasons. Walton was never universally popular but in my opinion really came through for the club last season during difficult times. He was made captain after Fletcher became manager and I believe his leadership made a big difference to a young and inexperienced team that were really struggling. He was also our top scorer, they were mostly from the penalty spot but by keeping his head under pressure he scored several goals that turned out to be vital in our League survival. He was never as good as we thought he would be considering what we paid for him back in our Championship years and some fans always held that against him but I believe that in League Two he'll be missed. Other than Walton our only losses are the loan players who returned to their clubs, they all played a part in our improvement in the second half of the season, MacDonald, Hemmings and Tsoumou all gave us a greater attacking threat that what was provided by our permanent players.

Jamie Lowry was brought in not long after Walton's departure, he's got a poor injury record but fans of his previous clubs mostly think well of him and think he'll do a good job in League Two, unfortunately he has suffered an ankle injury that will keep him out for three months. I'm hoping to see Luke Young play a big role for us, he's only 19 but has shown a lot of promise despite mostly playing out on the wing which is not his best position, if he gets a chance in centre midfield I believe he could have a very good season. We really lacked a genuine goal-scorer last season, it was a position that needed sorting, I like Nick Chadwick and Warren Feeney but neither of them will score the goals to keep us out of a relegation scrap. Fletcher's solution appears to be Welsh striker Rhys Griffiths, he's got a fantastic record in the Welsh league (180 goals in 181 appearances for Llanelli) but no experience at a higher level and at 32 years old quite a bit older than most players who make the step up to League football. If he can reproduce anything like the coring form he's had in Wales it'll be a fantastic signing but if he can't then we'll be left with a real goal-scoring problem. Andres Gurrieri signed after being released by Burton, he impressed here on trial last summer (supposedly we couldn't sign him then due to his previous club wanting compensation) and Burton fans seem to think he was ok for them, I'm happy enough with the signing and he's not the only new winger, we've also signed Johnny Gorman from Wolves on loan until January. If they can replace what we had with Hemmings and MacDonald and allow Luke Young to play in the centre of midfield rather than on the wing I'll be very pleased. Our only other signing so far is goalkeeper Rene Gilmartin who was released by Watford who says he has signed to challenge Jake Cole for the number one spot rather than to be back up, Cole however was impressive for us last season and I'd expect him to at least start the season as number one.

I honestly don't know where we'll finish this season. I'm not expecting a promotion challenge despite our owner's comments on expectations and wage budget. We came very close to going down last season and at the moment I'm not convinced our team is much stronger, what we've lost has mostly been replaced but as yet the quality of the replacements is yet to be proven. Without the stress of administration and no wages and the experience gained last season I don't think we'll be in quite the same struggle as we were last season but I'm expecting to be paying more attention to the bottom of the table than the top. I don't think we'll get relegated but if we are to leave League Two at the end of the season it seems likely it would be into the Conference rather than League One. It's important for our fans to remember that rebuilding from the disastrous period in administration will take time and if we can't yet afford to immediately compete for promotion then we shouldn't try to, if spending within our means signing cheap, unproven players for now and having a few disappointing seasons then that's a price worth paying, I hope our fans don't demand we put our future at risk again if things don't go too well. Right now I'd be content with a mid table finish and a season without the constant worry of relegation, after four desperately stressful relegation battles in a row I think we deserve a relaxing year. I'm also hoping to see some more attacking football, our ultra defensive set up worked for us in the desperation of last season but it was not much fun to watch, Fletcher has said he'd prefer a more attractive style of football and I think we have the players to do it if they're allowed to and there's not the immediate pressure to get results that a relegation battle creates.

With all three of Devon's League clubs in the same division the obvious fixtures to look forward to are the derbies between us, Torquay and most importantly, Exeter. However, as I am not too confident about our chances there's a fair bit of worry mixed in with the excitement and as I'm not a season ticket holder I won't be able to get tickets for the away games and so will have to follow them from home which never helps the nerves. Living in London I usually look forward to our away trips to the capital and some shorter journeys to make, AFC Wimbledon will again be my local game so that's a game I'll definitely be attending.

Port Vale

Matt – @pvfc_matt

12^th in League Two – “A complete mess”

We saw a few of our key players take up offers from clubs elsewhere.  The main two were definitely last season’s top scorer Marc Richards and tough tackling midfielder Anthony Griffiths.

Richards leaving was always on the cards and once Chesterfield offered him a substantially better wage than what we could he was on his way; mixed views from Valiants as to how much he will be missed. The bigger and more surprising loss was that of Anthony Griffiths who decided to make the move to London to join Leyton Orient.  A tough tackling, fully committed, hard working midfielder who would put his body on the line for the sake of breaking up an oppositions attack.  His distribution was not always the best but was certainly a part of his game he had improved upon during the last season.

We have completed the ‘signings’ of six players to date, although these are still currently subject to the ongoing administration process.  At time of writing this we are under the belief that the Football League have authorised us to complete the deals whilst still in administration.  These players are:

Goalkeeper Chris Neal who played a full part in Shrewsbury’s promotion from this very league last season and will make a very adequate Number 1 for us.

Defenders Dave Artell, who captained Crewe to playoff victory last season and is a natural leader and Richard Duffy who played in League 1 with Exeter last season and comes to Vale with a lot of good reviews.

Midfielders Jennison Myrie-Williams who showed a lot of promise with his speed and trickery on the wing whilst on loan with us last season, Ashley Vincent who is another pacy winger and joins us from Colchester and finally Darren Murphy who we are lead to believe could do a similar job to what Griffiths has done for us in recent seasons.  Murphy was part of the Stevenage side which one back-to-back promotions from BSP to League One.

We also have Liam Dickinson who has agreed a deal in principle providing he can prove his fitness after fighting back from a broken ankle.  Hopefully Dickinson can prove to be the replacement to Marc Richards after scoring goals at this level for Southend, providing he proves to Micky Adams that his ankle is fully recovered.  We have also had Tadhg Purcell on trial following his release from Northampton and he’s been banging goals in for fun during our friendlies. All in all Vale fans are very impressed with the standard of players we have signed so far this summer after seeing plenty of dross and deadwood brought into our club on the ‘cheap’ in the past.

I’m not too sure how we will get on at the moment.  Back in July it seemed as though we had everything falling into place.  We had announced the signings of six players, all of which are so much better than the usual standard of player we bring in. Our preferred bidder was seemingly a signature away from taking control of the club and building on his vision to see us back in the Championship in the coming years.  There was a real buzz around Port Vale again (something we have not had for many years now) and there was genuine expectations of us fighting competitively in the top seven and finally getting ourselves back out of this league. Then everything just seemed to go stale and for weeks now there has been nothing positive coming out of the club.  It seems our ‘saviour’ Keith Ryder is struggling to complete his takeover with talk of him not having the funds to do so and we are now back to square one with our administrators re-opening the door to other prospective owners.  We apparently have two other bidders looking into buying us out of administration but this will mean the process beginning over and will almost certainly mean we start this season in administration. Despite this dark cloud hanging over us, we could still have a decent season providing the stories of the Football League allowing us to officially sign the players we have brought in during the summer are true, and providing the CVA we have in place stays in place for any new bidders and we are not hit with any further points deductions. If things take a turn for the worse with regards to the administration then who knows what this season will bring.  In fact I don’t even want to think about it.

Well we lost some of the closer games that Vale fans always looked out for. Crewe and Shrewsbury both went up and Macclesfield suffered relegation. These were all fixtures that saw a large away following from Vale and were always the ones to look for first. With the clubs that are in this league for this coming season, I think it has to be York followed closely by Torquay.  Never been to York’s ground so it will be another one ticked off the list plus I am told there is a cracking weekend to be had up there.  We always spend the weekend in Torquay and this season will be no different and can safely say it is one of the nicest places in the UK – there is nothing like an away win at the seaside!

Two minutes with… Oxford United

The latest instalment of ‘Two minutes with…’ comes from the point of view of Oxford United – Saturday’s visitors to Underhill. One to forget for us, I think; although it was my first ever tweet-up! Thanks to Joe O’Callaghan (aka @oxbeav) for his input, and his general sarcasm throughout the day!

17/09/11
Barnet 0 – 2 Oxford United
(Heslop ’33, Davis ’38)
Attendance 2812 (away 1049)

How did you get to the game?

I travelled from Bicester to London travel card for the day thingy. £29.50 I believe it to be. The initial plan was to leave Bicester at 10.40 to make it to London for about 12.20 – but I woke up at 10.30 and ended up arriving later than planned.

What did you do pre-match?

At Euston, I met this Barnet lass [charming, Joe!] and her boyfriend at the Britannia pub and had a cheeky fosters and watched them devour some chips. We then went from Euston to High Barnet on the underground, making it just in time to miss kick off.

Where did you sit/stand in the ground?

I stood on the East Terrace - starting off by the mesh wire segregation. I could see no Barnet fans over 15 and the little shits were losing every argument/chant that was going. They severely embarrassed themselves. They were also quiet for about half of the second 45 before springing into life for about five minutes. So second half I saw a mate and relocated to where he was standing.

What did you make of the game?

The game was okay, not the best we've ever played and Barnet weren't the most special team I'll see all season. However I was happy with our goals and our second was class. Barnet’s tactics completely baffled me with such a high line and two slow centre backs – Potter was having a laugh beating them for pace every single time. We'll beat better teams than Barnet and lose to worse.

Was the scoreline a fair reflection?

I would say so. The referee was terrible and both teams feel this, as he was completely inconsistent in his decisions. But the scoreline, yes. Our defence wasn't going to open up and we can always count on Heslop or Davis to score.

Who, in your opinion was man of the match?

From Oxford I would say Michael Duberry. Izale McLeod, the best striker this division has (on current form), wasn't given an inch and the one he got, Clarke made a good save. Barnet's keeper (Brill) made a vital save against Beano and did the best he could in front of a leaky defence.

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

We play Accrington Stanley at the Kassam on the 24th. We've won two in a row and I've found that wearing my cardigan and replica 11/12 Oxford shirt is a winning formula and due to massive superstition-related stress it will be worn.

Thanks Joe

My final word:

Not a lot to say really. I didn’t think we played well against Plymouth last Tuesday – but managed to get a result. We played against a much better side in Oxford, but to that same standard, and it was only fair we were on the losing end. The referee didn’t help matters – Wright should have been sent off after pulling Izale’s shirt in the first half – sending him off on the 92^nd minute was too little, too late! I can’t help but think Sanchez doesn’t rate Deering; why else would he only be on the bench again?! He needs (and deserves!) to be starting. Again, Marshall was largely ineffective, and not sure why or how Kabba (or Owusu) miss out on starting places to Taylor. We were bright for the first 20 minutes, but after that it was same old. Ah well, onwards and upwards!

League 2 season preview - part three

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 three (of four):

Hereford United

Matt Rowe – Twitter

“I think we will be closer to mid table than last term, we have cleared out the deadwood and replaced them with players with a better pedigree such as Harry Pell. I would be happy with a stable mid table finish and our chairman has already echoed this.

2 players to look out for are Stuart Fleetwood and Harry Pell. Stuart Fleetwood thrived last season next to big targetman Manset and since we have sold him to Reading we have brought in a similar player in Delroy Facey who i believe will help Fleetwood score more than his 20 overall goals last season. We had Harry Pell on loan from Bristol rovers last season for a couple of months and he changed our midfield. He adds physical presence with his height in the middle of the park (6ft 2) and also has the ability to pick out a decent pass or take on the odd player. He was Bristol Rovers young player of the season but chose to join us last month on a 2 year contract.

Games to look forward are the following away trips: Shrewsbury, Cheltenham, Plymouth and also Southend as it's the first game of the season!

I am quietly confident about our chances of having a decent season. Since we sacked Simon Davey last season, who left us bottom with 5pts from 10 games, we had a change of fortune and if the season had restarted under Jamie Pitman we would've finished 12th (from the 36 remaining games). Hopefully we will see progress on the Blackfriars End where the temporary seating currently is and start to see signs of construction of the new stand”.

Macclesfield Town

Ian Stewart – Twitter

“Every season since the great escape under Paul Ince, various bookies and media outlets have had Macclesfield as the prime candidates for relegation. Every season we've proven this prediction wrong, it's not been easy particularly with our resources and certain circumstances. The best we can hope for is a mid-table finish, although with the right team attitude and good run of form, there's no reason to rule out a push for the playoffs.

The loss of two key players, Tyrone Barnett and Hamza Bencherif has not helped our prospects, but I feel there's great pace and potential in the players bought in the close season by Simmo. Like his predecessor, the late Keith Alexander. Simmo [Gary Simpson] has a knack for plucking talent from the non-league,Tyrone Barnett joined us from Hednesford Town last season. We hope that Ben Tomlinson, signed from Worksop Town, can follow on from where Tyrone left off. Arnaud Mendy is an interesting purchase as well, a big strong midfielder released by Derby County. He had a loan spell at Tranmere Rovers last season, and I've heard positive accounts from Tranmere supporters regarding his performances in midfield.

The one game that stands out is Swindon Town, it'll be a Friday night spectacle, and with the appointment of Paolo di Canio there has to be fireworks. Also looking forward to Bristol Rovers, Northampton Town and Southend United; as well as the newly promoted sides which are two juicy prospects.

We have a positive young squad that Simmo has built up, and some firm experienced league players like Nat Brown and Matt Hamshaw in our ranks. Though the only real concern is the lack of an experienced striker”.

Morecambe

Jack Steer – Twitter

“I am confident that we will do much better this season than last, which is necessary to avoid the drop! There is a much more positive attitude around the club this season under Jim Bentley, and it wouldn’t surprise me if we sneak a play-off place. Conservatively expecting mid-table, but confident that we can do much better.

New signings Izak Reid, Lewi Alessandra and Gary McDonald are all contributing to the renewed optimism around the club and will hopefully do very well. Add to those our consistent good performers Barry Roche and Andy Parrish. I think Andy Fleming will have a great season too.

Optimistically looking forward to the Accrington derby games in hope that we break the football league curse of being unable to beat them – they won’t have the benefit of Jimmy Ryan’s bi-annual deflected goal this year! Also looking forward to seeing Tony Roberts of the Daggers again.

Everything is looking very positive at the moment, the changes that Jim Bentley is making are all positive and are very much fan-focused. Everyone connected with the football club is right behind him and the players would run through brick walls for him”.

Northampton Town

Kris Holland – Twitter

“The chairman wants us to finish in the top 3, Northampton fans generally anticipate the play-offs...and me? Well i reckon we'll wind up around 9th or 10th. Reaching the top 7 is not necessarily beyond the realm of possibility but after coming within a whisker of relegation last time out, expectations have got to be reined in.

19 year-old Michael Jacobs is one to watch. The kid is absolute dynamite and was essentially the kingpin of our attacking chances last season, scoring 8 goals in league and cup; some of which were absolute corkers, while setting up more than double that. He was also voted player of the season for 2010/11. Not bad for your first season as a pro! He's destined for greater things than a drawn out career at Northampton Town so my advice is to enjoy his rare talent at your local ground while you still can.

I’m looking forward to AFC Wimbledon away. I'm one of those who is totally caught up in the romance of their rise up the leagues and I wouldn't begrudge a loss against them, so that should make for a special evening at Kingsmeadow. Also looking forward to taking on Crawley Town. It's not unfair to say they've bought their favourites tag, so it'll interesting to see what they're really made of.

For as long as I can remember Northampton's summer transfer dealings have always been built from the bottom up. By which I mean, bringing in defenders over strikers. But for this pre-season, the opposite is true The chairman has dug very deep into his pockets to bring success and League One football back to the town, with additions such as Jake Robinson, Arron Davies and returning favourite Ade Akinfenwa. With this in mind, and so very few defenders on the books, I can't wait to see what sort of formation Gary Johnson has in mind for August 6^th”.

Oxford United

Joe O’Callaghan – Twitter – Blog

“I can really see us challenging this season. Play offs definitely but hopefully higher.

Players to look out for would be Peter Leven a new signing who everyone is raving about; as well as Tom Craddock up front and Jake Wright in defence.

Looking forward to the 21^st August, where we have the scum (Swindon Town) 3rd or 4th game in”.

Plymouth Argyle

Dave Weeks – Twitter

“I think we’ll do quite well – we look like we are signing quite a few good players and with Reid as our manager we should get a few premiership loans in. As an Argyle fan anywhere above the drop zone will do us fine after two relegations in a row. I feel we can push for play-offs and reckon we will finish between 6-10th.

Players to look out for would be Luke Daley - I watched him pre-season and he was energetic and loved to take players on. If teams want to stop him running down the wing and putting crosses in they will have to put two players on him. Also Stephane Zubar, Quality defender whom strikers will find it hard getting passed. Surprised he re-signed when he could've joined PNE, proves that there is still a bit of loyalty out there.

Looking forward to quite a few games: Swindon and Bristol rovers – those two because they produce goals. Torquay’s a nice close game; AFC Wimbledon, I chose this one because after everything that has happened to them I'm happy they are back in the football league and looking forward to playing them”.