Football Season Guide

Braintree went agonisingly close to getting a play-off spot last season and really exceeded all expectations with their performance. The Iron have a smallish and rather modest squad and also had to play an avalanche of games in the final few months of the last season. Yet, they confounded all doubters by getting a number of superb results and were just one win away from actually finishing in the top five. However, a couple of draws in the final few games left them at sixth place at the end and they just missed out on what would have been an extraordinary achievement. There was some disappointment at that narrow miss but Alan Devonshire can also be immensely proud of how well the team has done with such a limited budget and will be hoping that they continue their strong performance in the coming season. Getting that close to the play-off places will be nigh-on impossible again but Braintree have real good mentality and will be always tough to play against. They lost a couple of big players over the summer in Dean Wells, probably one of the best defenders in the league, and top scorer Dan Holman, who both secured moves to the Football League. They will be tough to replace and Devonshire will be working hard to find new additions to the squad. He already secured something of a coup in Charlie Strutton and he will be the man expected to replace Holman up front. The former AFC Wimbledon man has scored a few goals on loan last season and has shown great presence and scoring touch. Therefore, he could fit in nicely in the team. Mitch Brundle is the new addition in defence and he looks like a decent prospect, having been with Bristol City last year. Overall, Braintree will be one of the hardest working sides in the league again and should be way too good to be dragged into relegation trouble. However, they will need something extraordinary to get above mid-table again.