NEXT HOME GAME - TBC
NEXT AWAY GAME - SUPPORTERS XI ARE PLAYING WORCESTER AT MALVERN ON SUNDAY AUGUST 3rd AT 3.00pm

Sunday, July 30, 2006

Opposition Preview: Part 4

Stockport - 40/1 - Avoided relegation to the Conference by just three points last season with new boss Jim Gannon being hailed as the saviour of the Hatters League position. Yet to make any significant moves in the transfer market but a reasonable squad badly underperformed last season and is largely still intact. Goals are a problem and a striker is desperately needed.

Swindon - 9/1 - Most bookmakers favourites, but several of their better players have departed and new boss Dennis Wise may find himself back on the pitch sooner than he thinks with midfielders Sean O'Hanlon and Aaron Brown yet to be replaced, though Wise has confirmed talks with ex-England buddy Paul Ince.

Torquay - 50/1 - Perrennial strugglers were another side to narrowly miss the drop. The losses of Jo Kuffor and Tony Bedeau will hurt, but the addition of former Plymouth striker Micky Evans and hot prospect Jamie Ward from Aston Villa should give some hope but the remainder of Ian Atkins signings look like Conference players and another long season is likely.

Walsall - 12/1 - 17 players have departed since relegation from a 35 man squad. Just five new faces so far, though the quality seems much better than the bulk of those to depart, and a blank no.10 shirt suggests a striker is still expected. New boss Richard Money probably won't need the 51 players used last season.

Wrexham - 20/1 - With the ground and money problems nearly at a conclusion, manager Denis Smith has at least had a little more scope than usual to assemble his squad. The imminent return of Juan Ugarte will add firepower, likely to be fed by Trinidad and Tobago winger Josh Johnson. May be a year too early for them to really challenge after years of living on the edge, but should not be too far off the pace.

Wycombe - 12/1 - Expected by many to be top of the pack last year, they limped out of the play-offs with more of a whimper. New boss Paul Lambert has only had a month to familiarise himself with the squad and has chosen largely to stick with what he's got. The losses of skipper Roger Johnson, and midfielders Joe Burnell and Clint Easton may be hard to swallow after losing the goals of Nathan Tyson in January.