Football Season Guide

It is an uncharted territory for Solihull Moors as the ambitious and impressive Midlands club start their first-ever campaign in the top-flight of non-league football. They have risen spectacularly in the past few years after struggling financially and on the pitch for years. But the arrival of manager Marcus Bignot has lead to a real upturn in fortunes and that culminated in the impressive title win in the National League North last season. In a league involving some pretty big clubs like Stockport and Telford, the Moors were by far and away the best and never looked back after setting the pace from the word go Bignot has molded an impressive unit that is tough to play against, with three at the back and a mobile front three as well. Stefan Moore, the former Aston Villa man, is their most recognisable player but in Daryl Knights they have another fine striker that will hope to catch the eye in the season ahead. Yet the main virtue of this side is their unity and ability to work hard and perform efficiently under pressure. Bignot is a no-nonsense manager who has played at this level for a while. He will be prepared for the campaign ahead and knows that this is going to be a markedly different challenge to the one that the team faced before. Yet he has sought stability and maintaining the core squad, rather than going for big signings to lift the level of the squad. The defence and midfield is comprised mainly of workmanlike, solid players and it is hard to see where creativity and flair will come from. The reality is that the quality of players at his disposal looks rather underwhelming given the calibre of teams in the division. There is no escaping the expectation that Solihull will struggle badly and it will be a surprise if they manage to prolong their stay in the division.