Football Season Guide

Barrow

In


Moussa Diarra (def), Hampton & Richmond), Richard Bennett (att), Northwich Victoria), Euan Murray (def), Stenhousemuir), Shaun Beeley (def), Morecambe), Nick Anderton (def), Preston), Liam Hughes (mid), Inverness Caledonian Thistle), Byron Harrison (att), Chesterfield), Lindon Meikle (mid), Alfreton), Ross Hannah (att), Chester), Paul Turnbull (mid), Macclesfield)

Out


Neil Ashton (sp)(def), Southport), Steve Williams (sp)(def), Fylde), Patrick Lacey (sp)(mid), Accrington Stanley), Andy Cook (k)(att), Tranmere), Simon Grand (r)(def), Salford), Jason Walker (r)(att), Chorley), Ashley Grimes (sp)(att), Southport)

Barrow finished the previous season as one of the form sides and by the end the decision to appoint Paul Cox as a manager back in December proved an inspired one by the owner. The Bluebirds were newcomers back then but never looked in any danger from February onwards and indeed finished quite high in the table. Cox knows how vital momentum is in this tight league and will want his players to utilise it and make a strong start of the season to settle in nicely. They did lose a big player in Andy Cook over the summer but have the scope to cope with that and the manager has brought in some decent players that would surely lift the level of the squad. Ross Hannah joined from Chester as a direct Cook replacement after starring in a very mediocre side last season. Paul Turnbull is a top addition for the midfield from Macclesfield and Liam Hughes, coming from nearby Scotland and formerly of Cambridge, could prove a fine signing. Shaun Beeley is an assured full-back and should solve the problems at right-back that dogged the Bluebirds last season. Cox has overall addressed the issues in the squad and given the way his teams generally play, Barrow should be a team that uses their physical advantage to impose themselves on teams and stay compact at the back. Yet the loss of a good defender in Simon Grand, along with that of Steve Williams, means that Moussa Diarra is now set to be a regular at the back and he makes quite the step up from two divisions below. There are high hopes about wide forward Jordan Williams as he was sensational in the second half of last season and could really become a top player in the coming months if he keeps progressing like that. Overall, this is a big and imposing squad and no side in the league will relish facing this fired-up bunch of players.

Target


Signed a lot of big new players who will help with the style of play imposing by Cox and overall have the capacity to even battle for the play-offs. It is more likely that they settle somewhere in the upper mid-table.