Boundary Blue looks at the season ahead

What has your team got to look forward to?
Top ten spot.

What will be your excuse for failure?
Sacking of Mick Wadsworth during close season which needed to see the club with some squad/management stability.

What are your teams strengths?
Better quality of player being brought in. Club has money and ambition which is attracting players that would have previously turned us down.

What are your teams weaknesses?
Striker shortage. The club has suffered for a long time in this department and only had a good season through the midfielders goals. This season we need to find a "golden boy." Recently signed Lourenco from Sporting Lisbon (season loan) might be the answer, but if not we'll struggle to score.

What lesson should you learn from last season?
Not to change your system when 90% of it is working. We scored 68 goals last season (joint top with Brentford) but with 7 games to go, the management decided to take away the midfields attacking prowess to try and stifle games. A
good chance of reaching the play-offs turned into drab 0-0's and 1-1's and our season petered out disappointingly.

Who are your players to watch out for?
Les Pogliacomi - GK - Brought in from Australian side Melbourne Powers (I think!), Pogliacomi will be challenging for the number one spot in his first year of English football.

Fitz Hall - CB - A young, fresh, no nonsense defender who showed plenty of promise in a handful of games towards the end of last season. Manager Dowie was instrumental in Hall's arrival from non-league Chesham United and will
therefore be given ample opportunity to impress. So far he hasn't disappointed. Hopefully he'll become a real asset to the side.

David Eyres - MD - This man walked away with all the awards last year and made the side tick. Excellent on the left wing and superb at set-pieces, Eyres is a craftsman in wing play. Only doubt is his age of 38, but last season he managed to defy logic and gave 100% throughout. A real footballer in today's sad existence of players.

Lourenco - FW - Freshly acquired from Sporting Lisbon, Lourenco has played at every international level for his country bar the full national side. Scored 2 goals in a short number of appearances last season for Sporting Lisbon. Hopes to sparkle in English football. Is this the "golden boy" we've so desperately been looking for? I hope so.

Young player to watch?
Fitz Hall. Newly acquired from Chesham United, Hall showed more than enough in his short spell during the end of last season. Needs to be tested more often, but so far, so good.

Most important player this season?
David Eyres (pictured) - Although he's 38, the former Preston winger can beat defenders, cross with ease, score amazing free-kicks and shoot from anyway. Only wish he was the younger side of 30. Was the engine last season - hope that continues.

Player you would most like to get rid of?
Danny Boshell - Just when he looks doomed from the club, injuries hit, freak
results occur and somehow this lad manages to find himself back on the team sheet. He's the best reserve player in the world, but the worst first team player you'll see. Has an amazing ability of being knocked off the ball, seconds before
the challenge occurs. A complete wimp! Go now Mr Boshell!!!

Have you got the right manager in place?
Time will tell. We were told we had with Mick Wadsworth, so who knows now that Dowie has taken over. I'd like to think so. He's a man-to-man person and knows a lot about the game. Also has the backing to do well. If Steve Bruce
can scam his way to the Premiership there's no reason why Dowie can't bring back the glory days to Ice Station Zebra.

What advice would you give the manager?
Don't fall into the trap of having favourites. This is the downfall of many-a-manager and it's sad to see fans pull them apart for this reason.

Will he still be there in May 2003?
After the previously partings with the manager, who knows? Not even Chris Moore would know the answer to this one.

Are you happy with your Chairman?
I am happy with Chris Moore, but sometimes he can prove to be a bit of an enigma. Having had dealings with the club through the organisation SAFE (Secure Athletic's Future Existence), which was set-up to put us in today's healthier position, I feel I can comment better than most. Moore has impressed with his actions, money and ambitions. However, there are one or two chinks in the halo still, (like whether he has a dodgy trigger finger over managers) but only time will tell on him. Let's face it though, the bottom line is to have the finance to survive and with Moore we know we have this. So even if people do ever become dissatisfied what sense would it make to become disgruntled. He's the man - let's hope he delivers.

Which team do you most want to beat this season?
Cardiff - The whole club is a joke and run by a lying, football ruining, freak. So it's nice to be given the chance to avenge our worst ever defeat (1-7) on the opening day of the season against them. Bring it on!!!

Which opposition player will get the most stick?
A few contenders. Stuart Barlow will get the usual stick, whereas Mark Allott (unfairly hounded out by fans) will get some torment too.

Where will you finish next season?
If we see another striker added to the squad and some pruning done (so that players don't become unhappy on the bench) then we can challenge for a top 6 spot. If not, then it will be more like 8th or 9th. Again, time will tell.

Which three teams will be promoted this season?
Tranmere, Bristol City & Crewe

Which FOUR (in div2) teams will be relegated?
Swindon, Luton, Mansfield & Northampton