Football Season Guide

Barnet endured a rather chaotic last season and will be seeking more order and better results in their second season in the Conference. Edgar Davids was never going to last an entire campaign in the non-league and he eventually was sacked midway through the last campaign. Martin Allen was eventually called upon for the last month of the season as the club tried a late dash into the play-offs. It always felt like a doomed cause and indeed Barnet did not deserve to make it to the top five. Yet, they seem to stand a much better chance this year with Allen being one of the most experienced managers at this level. He knows both the club and the league very well and will be able to get the best of a pretty talented group of players. He may have lost a top player in Jake Hyde over the summer but signed a couple of very good alternatives up front in Charlie MacDonald and John Akinde. They should work very well as a pair in attack as they offer physique, guile and natural goal instinct that will be tough to handle for most defences in this league. Bondz N’Gala is a good signing in defence too while the core of a strong midfield has been kept around too. Keanu Marsh-Brown is staying in the team as well and he can be genuinely one of the best wide players at this level when he hits form. Therefore, Barnet have the look of a strong contender and should be among the top sides in the coming season. That said, they need a bit of stability at board level too and Allen needs to be given a cart-blanche to work his magic and really turn this excellent team into a promotion-winning one.