League 2 is certainly
a league always full of excitement and teams wanting to improve and play exciting
football for their fans. The league has returned with goals, excellent
football, new managers, new teams and the managerial merry-go-round is full
swing. Lincoln have made a flying start to the season with Newport and MK Dons
close behind. While Notts County and Macclesfield make up the bottom 2 with
fellow strugglers Morecambe, Cheltenham and Grimsby hovering nervous above them.
It has been a wonderful
start to the campaign for Danny Cowley and Lincoln. The highly regarded,
likeable manager has been a magnificent appointment at Lincoln since he took
over in 2016. Lincoln have progressed each season. Lincoln have collected 16 points
from their opening 6 games and are playing some wonderful football. The likes
of Lee Frecklington, Michael Bostwick and Harry Anderson have been excellent so
far as have new signings John Akinde and Shay McCartan who have been notching
up goals to fire them top. It is fair to say Michael Flynn has done a
sensational job at Newport since saving them from relegation. They sit in 2nd
place with 13 points from their opening 6 games and the highlight was certainly
their dramatic late win over Notts County at Rodney Parade. It must off been a
strange summer for Paul Tisdale not preparing Exeter for the new season but
instead preparing the MK Dons. Despite the change in teams, Tisdale’s methods
and style of football are clearly taking affect on the team with the Dons
starting strongly collecting 12 points and are yet to taste defeat under him.
The play-off places are made up by Colchester, Yeovil, Oldham and Forest Green
who have all made excellent starts to the season. Forest Green have been excellent
making their best start to a football league season and despite losing
Christian Doidge to Bolton, they have remained unbeaten so far and Mark Cooper
has done a brilliant job.
Relegation takes time
for teams to get over and teams must quickly adapt to a new league. While
Oldham and MK Dons have been excellent in adapting under new managers in a new
league. Bury and Northampton find themselves in the bottom half of the table.
Bury have been good at home but have been beaten in every away game so far. The
Shakers away record is horrendous, and Ryan Lowe must quickly address this
should they mount a promotion charge. While Northampton are struggling for wins
all round having collected just 6 points from 6 games. The Cobblers have
struggled to secure victories this season with just 1 registered. Dean Austin
must get Northampton into a winning habit otherwise it could become another
difficult season for Northampton.
New managers walking
into jobs always have mixed fortunes when they take over because it is all
about hitting the ground running and installing a belief in players and fans
that the season could develop into something. Certainly, Matt Taylor has done just
that at Exeter. The Grecians have made their first ever managerial change since
they joined the football league and they have started well under their former
defender who has guided them to 10 points from their opening 6 games. The
Grecians are desperate for promotion having lost consecutive play-off finals
and a good August has set them up nicely with the likes of Jayden Stockley and
Pierce Sweeney picking up from where they left off last season while new
signings Jonathan Forte and Nicky Law have caught the eye so far. It has also
been an excellent start for John Sheridan in charge of Carlisle. Sheridan has guided them to 10 points from their
opening 6 games and they are on the cusp of the play-off places despite their
squad being largely revamped following last season’s disappointing campaign.
However, the likes of Danny Grainger have continued to be reliable figures in
the Carlisle side and Sheridan will no doubt be pleased with their start to the
new campaign. While, Phil Brown has also had a decent start to the season at
Swindon after narrowly missing out on the play-offs last seasons. The Robins
put Phil Brown in charge until the end of last season but with Brown here permanently,
The Robins are planning a promotion charge and they have started well
collecting 9 points from their opening 6 games. Swindon are certainly scoring
but they are not higher up the table because they have conceded far too many
and this is a major issue for Swindon if promotion is the aim because Phil
Brown must sort out their defence. Joe Dunne was also in caretaker charge of
Cambridge for much of last season but now has the job on a permanent deal and
they have made an ok start to the season collecting 7 points and Cambridge are
languishing in the bottom half. Goals were the issue last season and so far
they haven’t scored too many and they want to be promotion contenders so this
issue needs addressing during September.
Adaptation is key when
you join a new league and the two teams promoted from the National League have
had mixed fortunes so far. Tranmere have started very well sitting in 11th
place with 9 points from their opening 6 games and striker James Norwood has
been in scintillating from notching 6 goals in 6 games with some quality
finishes along the way. While Macclesfield are severely struggling so far this
season notching just 2 points from their opening 6 games and Mark Yates is desperate
to secure their first win of the season. The opening day defeat to Swindon
seems to be lingering over the club having lead going into stoppage time only for
Swindon to get 2 penalties to win the game. The club has struggled since to
score goals and secure a victory. Yates and his squad are still adapting a
getting use to their new league and much more difficult opponents. But they
must find a win soon otherwise relegation looks a serious possibility for the
club.
It has been a miserable
opening month of the campaign for both Notts County and Cheltenham to a point
where both Kevin Nolan and Gary Johnson have been sacked. Notts County are rooted
to the bottom of the table with just 1 point and the worst defence in League 2.
Notts chairman Alan Hardy backed Nolan in the transfer window and while Nolan’s
sacking is harsh considering his excellent record at the club, County have been
poor for the most part of the season so far and its understandable the chairman
felt change was required. Hardy has appointed Crawley boss Harry Kewell and his
to-do list will be extremely long, but the two main points will be to find a
win and sort out the defence with the early promotion favourites cracking under
the early pressure. Cheltenham meanwhile have struggled so far this season carrying
on from last season’s poor finish. Gary Johnson had to contend with the loss of
top scorer Mohamed Eisa and as expected goals are proving hard to come by so
far this campaign. Russell Milton is in caretaker charge currently and did
oversee Cheltenham’s only league win so far. Former defender Michael Duff is
the favourite to takeover with speculation he has been offered the job but for
now Russell Milton will remain in charge for now. The sacking of Gary Johnson
was a surprise and now the club move forward aiming to steer club from the relegation
battle.
It has been decent
starts to the season for Mansfield, Stevenage and Crewe. Mansfield are unbeaten with 2 wins
and 4 draws and they lie in 8th place. While Stevenage have 8 points
and sit in 13th place. Crewe have had mixed fortunes having battered
Morecambe 6-0 and been battered by the same score line when they visited Colchester.
The Railwaymen struggled to score goals having only scored once since that
opening day victory. David Artell will be relatively happy with their start despite
a mixed opening month. While Grimsby and Morecambe would off been wishing to
make a start like Mansfield and Stevenage with these two sides struggling severely
at the bottom. Jim Bentley and Morecambe have had a disappointing month being thrashed
in their opening 2 games, but AJ Leitch-Smith vital winning goal got their
season up and running but they are where many expected them to be. Michael
Jolley and Grimsby have also struggled so far this season and scoring goals in
once again Grimsby’s big problem. They have secured just 5 points from their
opening 6 and Jolley needs a good September to keep the Grimsby fans on side.
The final side left
is Crawley. They have made a solid start to the season collecting 7 points from
their opening 6 games, but they have lost Harry Kewell to league rivals Notts
County and it does concern fans as to where the club is heading. Senior players
Jimmy Smith and Filipe Morias have been in caretaker charge and they lost at
Oldham in their first game. They will have one more game before new manager
Gabriele Cioffi takes over. The 42-year-old former Italian defender arrives aiming
high and carrying on the good foundations set up by Harry Kewell. The well-travelled
Italian played for 11 different clubs in his playing career but comes to the
English game for the first time in his career. The fans will be excited and cautious
at the same time but Cioffi needs a good start to his reign to install belief
in the fans and the players. Crawley have a decent side and he will be watching
on when they face league leaders Lincoln in their next fixture.
August brought its usual
doses of goals, controversies, good football and managerial changes and I’m
sure September will be no different and September does offer indications to
fans and players as to where their seasons are heading and the pressure will begin
to increases on all players and managers.
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