LASTSEASON
LEAGUETWO8thFACUPFirstRoundLEAGUECUP
FirstRoundTOPSCORERSammieSzmodics(15)LASTSEASON
LEAGUE TWO 19th FA CUP First Round
LEAGUE CUP First Round TOP SCORER Ollie Palmer (16)76 Season Preview 2019-20 FourFourTwo
COLCHESTER UnITED CRAWLEY TOWn
2019-20
SKY BET LEAGUE TWO
FFTVERDICT
10TH FFT VERDICT
21ST
Colchester fans were dismayed at
the way their team fell away after
starting last season strongly, and
losing Player of the Season Frankie
Kent and top goalscorer Sammie
Szmodics hasn’t improved the
mood. The play-off places look
frustratingly out of reach again.Gabriele Cioffi didn’t have much of
a positive impact in West Sussex
after replacing Harry Kewell, who
departed abruptly at the start of
last season. Crawley’s miserable
away form – losing 15 matches in
2018-19 – must pick up if they are
to avoid another relegation battle.The big talking point among the fans
is a lack of senior arrivals, given we
threw away a nailed-on play-off spot
after Christmas, then lost Frankie Kent
to Peterborough and saw top scorer
Sammie Szmodics join Bristol City. We
also need to look at the goalkeeping
situation, where we lack experience.
There are plenty of gaps in the squad.
I won’t be happy unless we make
the play-offs – twice we’ve missed out
by the smallest of margins, and it’s
time we got over the line. However,
finishing in the top seven will be the
pre-season target for the majority of
clubs in League Two, as it’s so tight.
Look out for Danny Collinge, a young
centre-half we have brought over from
Germany. We’ve a Frankie Kent-sized
hole to fill, and it needs to be filled by
a player who’s comfortable on the ball.
The one recommendation for away
fans is walk from the station. If you’re
driving, use the park and ride because
it’s half the price of the club car park.
The best away ground is Leyton
Orient’s, for the atmosphere rather
than facilities. And it’s on Boxing Day.
Our key player will be full-back Kane
Vincent-Young [below, left], a quality
23-year-old who should be playing
higher. Elsewhere, we badly missed
Harry Pell in midfield in the second
half of 2018-19, and Courtney Senior
is very inconsistent but far too good
for this league when he’s at his best.
Our club’s best celebrity fan is Steve
Lamacq, often seen in the away end.
The player I’d happily drive to
another club was Rene Gilmartin but,
bizarrely, Bristol City have signed him.
The fans’ opinion of the gaffer is
that John McGreal [above] is pretty
fortunate to still be in a job after we
screwed up last term. Robbie Cowling
isn’t a sacking chairman, though, so
he isn’t really under much pressure.
McGreal’s game management and
use of substitutes lets him down, and
he must be a factor in the side being
so poor in the second half of games.
I’d like to know what he’s putting in
the half-time tea.
We’ll finish somewhere between
6th and 10th.The big talking point among the fans
was talk of a takeover last spring, but
that appears to have gone quiet now.
This season will be different because
we’ve signed local-born goalscoring
star Ashley Nadesan from Fleetwood.
No pressure, Ashley!
I won’t be happy unless we get past
the first round of the FA Cup after five
seasons of failing to win a game in it.
We lost 6-2 to Southend last season.
The pantomime villain will be Salford- just because of who owns them.
The best away ground is Bradford’s
Valley Parade.
Our most underrated player is Ashley
Nathaniel-George, who we took from
non-league Hendon last year.
The player I’d happily drive to
another club is Ollie Palmer, who was
an absolute flop during the second
half of last season. He conveniently
got himself banned for the Christmas
fixtures, and when he came back he
just didn’t look at all interested.
Our key player will be Glenn Morris
[above] again. He’s the best keeper in
League Two by far, and the reason we
are still a Football League club.
Did you know that Crawley right-back
Lewis Young is Ashley Young’s younger
and more skilful brother.
The one recommendation for away
fans is to try to complete The Railway
pub’s £20 ‘Bertie’ breakfast challenge.
If you can eat the whole platter in 30
minutes, you get it for free!
The one change I’d make to the club
would be to be far more proactive in
marketing the club in the surrounding
towns and area, to attract new fans.
The fans’ opinion of the gaffer is
that Italian Gabriele Cioffi [below] has
passion but absolutely no managerial
experience in the lower leagues. His
appointment raised many eyebrows at
the time, and the results since haven’t
convinced us, either.
If he left, he should be replaced by
Harry Kewell, who was starting to
build something before Notts County
poached him from us. He also stood
up to our owners, and for that reason
alone I’d have him back.
We’ll finish 18th.FAn FILE
DOUG FENNER
@archiebunkerUK
FAn FILE
STEVE HERBERT
Crawley Town 4 Life