Although the final squad to compete in League Two for the upcoming season is still up in the air, one new competitor has already delivered an excellent statement of purpose.
As the upcoming National League winners, Chesterfield appears to be planning to emulate Wrexham by playing just a single season in the fourth division before to moving up to League One.
The Spireites have a sizable budget already, which enables them to sign players like Armando Dobra and Will Grigg, but they just announced a two-year contract extension for Paddy Madden on Monday.
The Stockport treasure will stay in League Two after winning the championship with 22 goals, including a thrilling last-second victory over Newport County AFC.
Even though a massive trio has gone up in Wrexham, Stockport, and Mansfield, it’s an early indication of the spending power that the Exiles will face once more.
Carlisle and Port Vale, which were relegated, will be joining many clubs with lofty goals, and their pay bills will be substantial.
Following their disastrous play-off experiences, Doncaster and Milton Keynes have begun preparing for another shot at League Two. They are going to be among the favourites to finish in the top three.
It’s no longer a matter of “little Barrow,” and Bradford will look to continue where they left off after almost making the play-offs with a late charge. Notts County will undoubtedly play better defensively, while Colchester, Salford, and Gillingham are major spenders who will demand much more.
After Wembley on Sunday, either Crewe or Crawley will get back up and try to repeat the performance.
With one of the lowest budgets in the Football League, if not the lowest, County will once again be looking to punch above their weight in League Two.
Under Graham Coughlan, they managed to do it this season, despite a disastrous eight-game losing skid towards the end.
In the last moments, the manager appeared upset as he was unable to stop a downward trend despite never having lost more than two league games in a row before.
It’s been difficult, and I’m eager to review, recap, and identify any areas where we may have veered off course. Where, how, why, and when,” he
“I remain really optimistic that I will be able to identify the root cause of these issues and resolve as many of them as I can.
“Even if I may be daydreaming, I believe I can set up this team and club for success in the future. If I can’t, there’s no use for me to stay in this chair.
“I think this team can do a lot, but I also think that we need to shift our perspective and attitude for the upcoming season.
“It’s not possible to endure a cup run. Whether it’s top 10 or top 7, we need to always be searching for something bigger and better.
Remember that in March, with a severely injured team, we were two points outside of the playoffs. We just ran out of legs and ideas, then the confidence started to go.”
Owner Huw Jenkins and Coughlan are currently working on a significant overhaul of every department within the team.
Discussions with the quartet of Scot Bennett, Ryan Delaney, Aaron Wildig, and Harry Charsley are still ongoing. Last week, the released and retained list was made public.
Only four of those who are currently on the roster—forward Will Evans, midfielder Bryn Morris, wing-back Shane McLoughlin, and goalkeeper Nick Townsend—can be regarded as surefire starters.
Although the loss of some excellent players is regrettable, there aren’t any definite or possible departures that compare to those that occurred last summer when League Two opponents acquired Mickey Demetriou, Cameron Norman, Aaron Lewis, and Priestley Farquharson.
August will see a fresh look for County, and they won’t start the season with financial concerns from the previous season hanging over them prior to the Jenkins takeover.
But is it really that bad to begin with survival as your goal?
Although it’s hardly a good starting point, maintaining Football League status shouldn’t be reason to throw on flip flops and pop the cork.
Jenkins won’t be making large purchases, County still has a tiny backroom staff, and there is a long-term training ground problem that needs to be resolved.
Though League Two is cruel and makes fun of people who get ahead of themselves, there is no reason why they can’t follow Crawley’s lead and aim for the playoffs.
It’s likely that Forest Green Rovers didn’t have survival in mind when they were relegated from League One last summer. Despite having a top-seven pay bill, they are again outside the 92 after a disastrous season.
In four of the previous six seasons, County has demonstrated their capacity to contend for the playoffs. Each time, they have succeeded by perfecting the fundamentals, working diligently, and making some people uncomfortable.
Many people will expect that the Exiles will struggle when the forecasts are made in July, but if they can first ensure their existence, there’s no reason they can’t come as a surprise.
