[maccawozzagod]

Originally Posted by Mike.Wray (ATFC)

1) From your Conference memories, how does the standard in League Two differ?

opposing teams seem more able to strike the killer blow. Defensive lapses are punished far more than they were in the Conference and break away goals seem to be on the up. Also there is far more emphasis put onto set plays as you would expect with the increase in training, fitness, coaching and facilities

2) From what you've seen of Stanley since you gain promotion, how do you think you'll do next season (and why)?

Next season will probably be more of the same. With all the will in the world unless you have money to comepte with the big boys you are left with taking scraps from the lower end of the league. After a disappointing season I would imagine we will be putting more effort into becoming harder to beat. John Coleman has stated many times that he does not settle for draws and would rather push for the win towards the end of a game. This season that philosophy has come unstuck because we are usually well beaten by the last ten minutes or concede whilst pushing for more. I hope that maybe we settle a bit more for the point next season - its important in terms of not letting teams around you gain any extra ground.

3) Who are the current League Two clubs that we should be looking out for (and why)?

If Stockport or Rochdale stay down then I can see them having a real go next term. Rochdale had a good run in the previous year but a bad early spell (before they beat us with ten men) made it hard work for them this time around. Brentford, Bradford and Chesterfield will also be far better next time out.
4) How do you think the clubs who came down from League One will cope (and why)?

The bottom of any division is worse than the top of the one below it with the possible exception of the Premiership. A team going down MUST improve their team whilst a team coming up MUST keep the side together with one or two minor improvements. Much depends on the finances of the teams coming down as to whether they feel consolidation is more important than trying to bounce straight back up.

5) ...And finally, have a guess - how do you think Aldershot will do next season (and why)?

As stated earlier, I think that keeping the team together is a major factor. They know their game, they have the feel good factor and the confidence of being divisional winners. That tends to be able to carry most teams through. We were doing all right until we lost Roberts and Craney to transfers and Boco and Cavanagh to injury. Its not just the players themselves being absent but about the camaraderie that they bring to a previously successful team. Dagenham also lost key players after promotion and never adequately replaced them. The Shots will no doubt do something similar to Morecambe this year and have a really good middle of the season that puts them somewhere near the Play -offs before tailing off badly towards the end due to mental and physical fatigue of a more demanding league. I would also imagine that, as a team that has not been long out of the league and with the ground and fanbase being large enough, the club and its administrators (sorry no pun intended) will be far better equipped to deal with all the associated off the pitch requirements, thus leaving the team to do what it should be doing

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