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Nationwide Division 1 Season 2002/03 Preview - Part 2

- Following the departure of Clinton Morrison to Birmingham, Crystal Palace will be looking for others to step up to the plate and star for the Eagles during the 2002/03 campaign

Meanwhile, experienced defender Kit Symons has undergone hip surgery and faces up to three months on the sidelines. The injury, together with Morrison’s move, means boss Trevor Francis may have to dip into the transfer market sooner rather than later. Francis has already snapped up highly rated defender Danny Butterfield on a Bosman free transfer but supporters will be hoping for a couple more new faces in the coming weeks after the club recouped in excess of £4 million on Morrison.

Palace have a strong squad no doubt, but the departure of their star striker coupled with Symons’ injury could see them struggle in the early season. Failure to reach the play-offs yet again could be on the cards unless money is spent.

- New Coventry City boss Gary McAllister will be looking to make a big impression in what will be his first season in football management. The former Liverpool and Leeds United midfielder will not have an easy ride however as the Sky Blues have lost Irish World Cup star Gary Breen with keeper Magnus Hedman looking as if he’ll be the next to wave Highfield Road goodbye. The Swedish international has said he wants to leave and a move to Celtic looks likely. Hedman’s on-off move has caused unrest, and many Coventry supporters believe the club should just accept a bid and rebuild in other areas with the money.

The major rebuilding area should be City’s defence. The departure of Breen and defensive colleagues Marcus Hall and Marc Edworthy has left a gaping hole in the back-line, and supporters fear their team could ship a lot of goals next season.

The Sky Blues strength lies in midfield where David Thompson ran riot last season on his way to picking up the club’s Player of the Year award. The former Liverpool player has been linked with a move to the Premiership after such an impressive season, but City have held onto him and will be hoping he can re-produce last season’s form. The combative John Eustace and stylish Youssef Safri also impressed during 2001/02 and will give McAllister (who will also be looking at a starting position) a selection headache.

With a defensive shake-up Coventry should be looking at a top 6 finish.

- After two respectable mid-table finishes, Gillingham will be looking to push on during the 2002/03 season. The arrival of experienced strikers Tommy Johnson and Rod Wallace will no doubt aid their cause but another half-way finish looks most likely for Andy Hessenthaler’s men.

- Many a Sheffield United supporter has described the club’s current front-line the least potent in living memory! Boss Neil Warnock has recently sought to bolster the Blade’s strike force with the signing of Wayne Allison, but whether the big forward can deliver goals is questionable. United’s strength is in the centre of defence and midfield, so if the strikers can hit the net on a regular basis, a play-off place is within reach. No goals however, equal another year of mid-table mediocrity.

- New Watford boss Ray Lewington has wasted no time in offloading excess baggage at Vicarage Road. A total of nine players have been released since the end of the 2001/02 season, with just defender Sean Dyche coming in the opposite direction. A mid-table finish and some disastrous performances cost Luca Vialli the Vicarage Road hotseat, but Lewington does have the playing talent at his disposal to lead the Hornets to a top 10 finish.

- At time of writing, Bradford City are less than 24 hours from possible extinction. The unpaid first team players are on strike and pre-season friendly matches have seen a combination of youth players and trialists don the City shirts. Should the Bantams survive Thursday’s hearing it is extremely difficult to see them making any impact in the 2002/03 season after such a traumatic build-up for everyone at the club. Mid-table security would be welcomed with open arms by fans who don’t know if they will even have a club to watch next season.

- Nottingham Forest boss Paul Hart is another manager working under strict financial constraints. Ex. Coventry defender Marcus Hall is training with the club but they cannot offer him a deal due to the size of the wage bill. However, Forest are expected to complete the signing of former Scotland international Eoin Jess from Bradford within the next few days. With the lack of money at the City Ground and star players being sold on frequently, Forest will be lucky to finish in the top 10.

- Harry Redknapp has high hopes for Portsmouth. The south coast club have flattered to deceive for years, but 2002/03 may just be their year.

The former West Ham chief is clearly building from the back with keeper Shaka Hislop joining on a free transfer and highly rated defenders Arjan De Zeeuw, Hayden Foxe and Matthew Taylor also signing. Left wing-back Taylor was regarded as the star of Division Three last season with Luton and set Pompy back an initial £400,000. Redknapp has been linked with swoops for a number of high profile players including French winger David Ginola and Dion Dublin. Whether Harry can get his man remains to be seen, but the squad at his disposal could threaten the play-offs.

- Walsall manager Colin Lee has been a busy man. The former Wolves boss has been one of the few managers to bring in multiple new faces this summer.

Dani Rodrigues, Danny Hay, Darren Bazeley, David Zdrilic and Danny Sonner have all been signed on free transfers as the Saddlers prepare for the 2002/03 season. Lee has built a squad full of First Division experience and his own experience of the division should see Walsall into mid-table security come what May.

- After a good start to last season, Grimsby Town spent months near the Division One trap door and at during February looked certainties for relegation.

Boss Lennie Lawrence was sacked in December and up stepped veteran player Paul Groves to the role of manager. The change did not bring immediate success, but Groves was inspirational in the transfer market, bringing in Andy Todd from Charlton and Terry Cooke from Man City (both on loan, although Cooke has since signed a contract with the Mariners) amongst others. Results improved dramatically, especially at home where they blasted Wimbledon 6-2 and Crystal Palace 5-2 respectively.

Grimsby fans themselves do not know what to expect from this season. Danny Butterfield and Michael Boulding have left whilst numerous other first team regulars are on the transfer list as the board look to slash the wage bill. But on the other hand, it has been reported that Groves has been handed around £250,000 to splash out on new recruits.

Groves’ foray into the market could be the difference between survival and relegation for Grimsby.

- During the mid-90s Sheffield Wednesday were an established Premiership club. The 2001/02 season saw the Owls fighting for First Division survival. Relegation was avoided and now the club is looking to build for the future.

Boss Terry Yorath has drafted in talented strikers Lloyd Owusu and Leon Knight (on loan) to complement fan favourite Shefki Kuqi up front. Elsewhere, young defender Leigh Bromby impressed many Wednesday supporters last season and will be looking to carry his form into the new season. Wednesday do have a relatively inexperienced squad, but if old heads Danny Maddix, David Burrows and Kevin Pressman can guide the youngsters when things don’t go according to plan, the Owls shouldn’t have to fight relegation again.

- Rotherham survived relegation to the Second Division by goal difference last year, but that in itself was a great achievement for the club who many predicted to go straight back down after back-to-back promotions.

Manager Ronnie Moore has gained a lot of respect in the game for achieving success on such limited resources and he will have his work cut out again to keep the Millers in the First Division.

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