Football Season Guide

Nuneaton Town managed to beat the drop rather impressively at the end of last season and Kevin Wilkin will want to avoid a second-season syndrome and manage to steer the team to safety again. Nuneaton struggled for long periods of last season but really got their act together from February onwards and were one of the best teams in terms of defending from then on, getting a number of wins under the belt to starve off the threat and finishing a few places clear of the drop zone. However, the close season has been a difficult one for Boro failed to attract as many quality players as they would have liked and may face a struggle to stay up given the increased quality of the competition. Former Burton striker Greg Pearson is surely the most impressive signing but he had a very poor last season and it is not certain that he will start banging in the goals up front. Last season's revelation Wes York remains transfer-listed after putting a request in the summer but he is staying on so far and was told to prove his value to the team. The new regular keeper will be Nottingham Forest youngster Dimitar Evtimov and that is quite a risk too as he is not used to first-team football and may struggle to adapt. Theo Streete and Phil Trainer add muscle and guile in midfield but a bit more is needed in terms of creativity for Nuneaton to be a more complete and rounded side. All in all, the Midlands outfit is bound to be near the bottom places again but the experience they got from last year's battle may keep them in good stead and might just be enough to see them through again.