Football Season Guide

Altrincham were able to beat the drop with something to spare last season and the newcomers definitely did a lot better than many people expected. Lee Sinnott was rewarded for keeping faith with the squad that had earned the team its place in the division and reaped the dividends at the end. But the manager knows well that there are pitfalls for sides like his in their second season in a higher division, with expectations now higher and the surprise factor gone. Therefore, Alty could be set for a tougher challenger in the coming nine months and may well battle against the drop for the most of it. Singings so far have been limited but Michel Rankine is an excellent addition in attack. He will bring muscle and nous to the team and definitely knows where the back of the goal is, potentially forming an excellent partnership with Damian Reeves. Anthony Griffith looks like a very good capture to bolster midfield as well. he has a rich catalogue of Football League clubs in his CV and definitely still has the ability to dominate and dictate games in the National League level. But withy the departure of players like Kyle Perry and Peter Cavanagh, the squad remains somewhat small and lacking the sort of flexibility and variety needed to go through an entire campaign. Sinnott will rely on the nous and experience of his defence, unchanged compared to last season, and the goalscoring instincts of Damian Reeves up front to secure enough points over the course of the season in order to survive. But it will be a tall order and the Robins are likely to spend much more time in and around the bottom four than last year.