15th – Crewe

It’s the awful middle bit of the table, the bit where one win or one defeat puts everything out of joint. Will Crewe finish 11th or 17th? What is the difference? It’s neither here nor there really is it?

I like Crewe to a degree, but I can’t see David Artell adding value, certainly not enough. If Jordan Bowery fulfils potential they might be a bit higher, but these young players they’ve got coming through are either going to step up permanently, or there needs to be a fresh approach. I can’t see them at either end of the table, there’s better teams and worse.

I know, splinters in bum, but the truth is right now, Crewe Alexandra are a nondescript side.

16th – Swindon

Swindon’s league position was false up until Flitcroft left last season and I suspect the wheels were always going to come off at some point. Even in our 2-2 draw at the Bank I saw little in them to suggest they were play off material. they beat us after two sloppy goals, maybe blame Paul Farman, maybe blame the defence, but there was blame.

I know it is a new season, but I’ve yet to be convinced they’re a fundamentally better side thanks to Phil Brown. He’s fallen from grace since the heady days of the Premier League and I saw nothing in his Southend side to convince me he is worthy of a role in League Two.

I look at what has come in and aside from Diagouraga from Fleetwood I’m not impressed. I don’t see an attacking threat there and whilst I may end up with egg on my face, I don’t see Phil Brown in charge next May.

17th – Cheltenham

When I first typed this out a week or so ago, Cheltenham were a few places higher. Why? Mo Eisa, and that is the same reason they’re now not.

It is all well and good banking £1.5m for your top scorer, but if you can’t adequate replace him then what is the point? I don’t believe Cheltenham will find a 15-goal striker in time, let alone one who scores 25. For that reason alone, I can’t see them achieving much this season.

The signings they’ve made have been alright, we know Sean Long is a decent lad, Ben Tozer is a strong player and Chris Hussey will make them hard to beat, but hard to beat isn’t always enough. You need a killer instinct and I don’t see it with the Robins.

Duku and Addai have both come in from the non league scene and I get the sense Gary Johnson is hoping one of those will do exactly what Eisa did. If that happens, put them top ten, but I can’t see history repeating itself at Whaddon Road this season.

18th -Carlisle

Quite often you hear people say ‘this could go one of two ways’ when a new manager comes in. The situation at Brunton Park is a bit like that, only there’s one way it’s going. Badly.

I might sound harsh, but John Sheridan does a decent job of stepping in late on and shoring up a struggling side. From the start of a season his record is alright, nothing special, and he is absolutely the most uninspiring man I’ve ever heard. He struggled at Oldham too, they’re not convinced he’s got what it takes and neither am I.

They’ve lost key players, they’ve had their budget cut and I’m afraid they’ll be nowhere near the top seven come next May.

19th – Crawley

Ollie Palmer is their new number nine. Whatever else happens, remember that.

To be fair, they’ve brought a few decent lads in, Vincelot from Bradford probably the strongest of them all. I think they’ll be tough to beat, but they lost Boldewijn and I’m not convinced they’ll score enough goals.

Will draws be enough to lift them to mid table? If so I’ll be proven wrong but I think last season was a flash in the pan and they’ll not be as impressive this time around.

20th – Oldham

Unlike Carlisle, this could go one way or another. Frankie Bunn is unproven and their signings have an air of hope about them. Jose Baxter, one-time Football Manager wonderkid, is looking to rebuild his career, but if his performance against us for Everton U21s last season is anything to go by, we have little to fear.

Chris O’Grady has signed too, he has a proven track record of not scoring many goals, so much will rest on the shoulders of Sam Surridge, the Bournemouth youngster who spent last season at Yeovil. He’s a real talent, but his input couldn’t push the Glovers up the table and I’m not sure it can help the Latics either.

There’s a lot of unknown quantities to be fair, Sam Graham from Sheffield United is one I’m eager to see in action and maybe Giles Coke can be better than he was for Chesterfield, but Johan Branger? Christopher Missilou? They’ve come in from France and, bar perhaps one or two players, foreign imports rarely excel in League Two.

I’ve seen many pundits have them down for a double relegation, I suspect they’ll avoid that, but not by much.