Football Season Guide

Stevenage were the surprise package in League One as they finished in the top six having been in the play-off places all season. It was a personal triumph for manager Alex Revell, who has overseen two years of progress at Broadhall Way. He had a tough act to follow in the experienced Steve Evans, who recommended him for the role and owner Phil Wallace deserves credit for taking heed of the advice and giving Revell the opportunity. Boro’ are always going to be one of the smallest clubs in the division and they cut their cloth accordingly. Revell has used the transfer market very well to build a squad, although small, is full of quality. He has however lost three players who played a big role in reaching the play-offs. Centre-back Charlie Goode and midfielder Harvey White opted not to extend their deals and have moved, as has experienced winger Matt Phillips, who made a real impact in a more central attacking role after joining in January. Terry Taylor has signed from Charlton Athletic to replace White, whilst strikers Josh Magennis and Olly Sanderson will be hoping to have a similar impact to Phillips. Otherwise Revell can rely on the same spine of the team that performed so admirably. Carl Piergianni’s mistake in the play-off semi-final defeat to Stockport County might have proved costly but he remains a leader of a team with strong performances in the centre of defence. Behind him Filip Marschall established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the division. There has been a little speculation he could be snapped him but remains at Broadhall Way for now. It feels like there’s more to come from both Dan Kemp and Phoenix Patterson, who will be hoping to put in more consistent performances. The attack remains strong with the reliable duo of Jamie Reid and Jordan Roberts. The former has been regularly called up for international duty with Northern Ireland as a reward for his performances. The squad does require a little more strength in depth however, especially if they’re to compete at the top of the table again. It’ll be interesting to see if some younger players in goalkeeper Max Woolford, centre-back Jack Taylor and striker Lenny Brown can force their way into the reckoning.