Football Season Guide

National League

England

National League

2015/2016

Aldershot Town

In

Luke Oliver (def), Forest Green), Dan Walker (att), Braintree), Tom Richards (def), Fulham), Charlie Walker (att), Luton), Sean McGinty (def), Rochdale), Jake Gallagher (mid), Welling), Matthew Barnes-Homer (att), Macclesfield), Jack Saville (def), Barnet), Jim Stevenson (mid), Luton), Omar Beckles (def), St Albans), Rhys Browne (mid), Charlton)

Out

Mark Molesley (r)(mid), Weymouth), Jaydon Gibbs (r)(def), Tristan Plummer (sp)(att), Weston Super-Mare), Glenn Wilson (r)(def), Margate), Andre McCollin (sp)(att), Jordan Roberts (r)(mid), Inverness), Brett Williams (k)(att), Stevenage), Josh Scott (sp)(att), Chris Barker (r)(def), retired), Ryan Jarvis (sp)(att), York - end of loan)

Aldershot will be looking for improvement in the current season after a disappointing last campaign that saw them flirt with relegation for long stages of the season. The Shots needed Chris Barker to step up into the role of a player-manager from January onwards and rescue a team that looked in dire straits after a woeful run of form prior to that. The Hampshire side did well enough at the end and beat the drop with something to spare. But that was of little consolation given that there were aspirations for a play-off charge at the start of the last season. Aldershot are too big a club not to at least challenge for the play-offs in this division and something of that sort will be anticipated ahead of their third season outside of the Football League. Barker did not remain as a manager despite the success he had as the club decided to appoint the Scott, Barry Smith, as the new man in charge. He will offer more experience and knowledge than Barker, who will be his assistant, and is certainly a more unorthodox appointment than the usual names that float around at this level. Smith resigned from his job at Alloa Atletic earlier in 2015 but did reach a cup final in that season by beating a giant like Rangers Glasgow. He will bring a more interesting approach to the job and it remains to be seen whether he can succeed and make the Shots a more consistent and reliable force. His main disadvantage is the lack of knowledge of the non-league environment but Barker will definitely help him with that early on. Important players like Jordan Roberts, Jaydon Gibbs, Brett Williams, Mark Molesley and Glenn Wilson all departed over the summer and the core of the squad will be a new one. The likes of Jim Stevenson, Sean McGinty and Tom Richards turned their loan deals into permanent ones while Matthew Barnes-Homer and Dan Walker have been brought in to enrich the attacking options. Luke Oliver is another potentially excellent signing at the back and the same applies to fellow defender Jack Saville. Overall, Aldershot have a decent squad but nothing more than that and it is hard to see them challenging for anything more than a mid-table slot.

Target

Play-offs seem out of reach and a place in mid-table is their most realistic aim.