8th – Northampton

We have a tough opener this weekend and there’s every chance that Northampton are one of the sides who will be challenging the top seven all season long. I’ve put them just outside, but one slice of luck, one penalty or sliced clearance and they could be in the play-offs. That is how close it is.

They’ve got a decent League One squad, players who competed at that level last year and in the main, they’ve not changed that. Dean Austin is an unknown quantity in the dugout and he could well be a surprise package. He made a decent fist of keeping them up after a horrible start last season too.

John Joe O’Toole, Matt Crooks, Sam Hoskins.. these are player who should not be in League Two. Junior Morais is a player with a point to prove and one-time rumoured Imps target Billy Waters should do better at this level. They might not have enough for an automatic challenge, but they’ll run the top seven very close.

9th – Grimsby Town

Yeah, I know. It hurt me too.

It’s the Jolley factor. He’s an intriguing manager, he did get the results they needed last season and in signing the likes of Jake Hessenthaler and Jordan Cook, they will be more competitive than they were. Plus that bloody awful centre half Nathan Clarke has gone, a blessing for them but something for us to lament.

Losing Elliott is a blow and that is why they won’t be in the top seven, because his loss impacts them. If your squad relies on a hard-working but unspectacular midfielder like Elliott Whitehouse, I’m afraid you’re only ever going to fall short. Sorry Elliott.

10th – Bury

I did the Bury preview fairly recently, but as I said then much depends on whether they’ve struck…. no wait I promised no puns.

Gold Omoyato. He’s called Gold. How can I not do a pun?

If he scores, they might be okay. I think Bury have a decent set of players, one or two additions who will be solid enough at this stage, such as Tom Miller and more than a shot of a top ten finish. Over and above that, I suspect the lack of proven quality up front will be their downfall.

11th – Tranmere

Again I’ve discussed them already, I think they’ll be fine but might just come up short in terms of quality. If Norwood starts scoring then maybe there’s an outside chance of the top seven, but I can’t see it being enough.

I have a question mark over Mickey Mellon, I know he’s done well in the Football League before but I’m not sure he ever settled on his best XI, certainly not the year we pipped them to promotion. There’s no longer a heavy reliance on McNulty though, so unfortunately we won’t be able to laugh at him this season.

12th – Stevenage

Dino Maamria is going to take Boro in a different direction to Darren Sarll, I think they’ll be robust, play a direct brand of football and look to bring their decent forwards into play quickly. If they get it right, it will work. We know that much.

Let’s look at the evidence. Lincoln trailist Ben Nugent is described by a Gillingham fan I spoke to recently as an uncomplicated defender who loves long balls, either heading them away or playing them himself. Paul Farman has a delivery we know will hit the forwards and Alex Revell is a quality centre forward who will win headers and lose balls. They’ve lost Matt Godden, but Danny Newton is equally as adept at playing off the big man. At the back, Scott Cuthbert is a great capture, coming from Luton Town.

As I write this I wonder if I’ve got them a bit too low, but I needed to pick a number for them and I picked 12. Live by the keyboard, die by the keyboard.

13th – Port Vale

There will be a lot of Valiants looking at this thinking I’m off my rocker, given some of the recruitment they’ve done this summer. Neil Aspin clearly felt let down by his players last season, despite beating us late on, and he’ll be delighted to see his vision begin to unfold.

My issue is the recruitment looks a little haphazard, in that a whole team cannot be built in one summer. Aspin has disposed of virtually the entire first team squad and replaced them and that takes time to gel. If they get off to a bad start, will he pay the price?

Then there’s the Ricky Miller factor. If he performs, if he becomes the player that tore the National League to shreds with Dover, they might be placed too low here. However, if the demons come back or he fails to gel with Tom Pope, then what? What is plan B? 31-year old Louis Dodds, relegated with Chesterfield last year?

14th – Forest Green

It pains me to put this lot so high, even more so because deep down I think they might be higher. I just can’t have them in the top half with Cooper in charge. If they start badly and he goes, then there’s every chance they’ll push on beyond 14th.

It’s all about the signings again, George Williams and Carl Winchester are two who will thrive this season and in Doidge they know they’ve got 25 goals a season. The problem is, and always has been, the manager. He’s belligerent, stubborn and naïve tactically. He’s sour-faced, easily agitated and always bitter. If the squad doesn’t perform he’ll once again blame his players and start yet another overhaul. I’m afraid there’s only so much eco-friendly electricity Vince can sell at a huge profit to keep feeding his manager’s habit of buying and selling.

If Cooper goes, they finish higher. Until then, he’s like an anchor ensuring they’re a bottom half side.