Football Season Guide

League 2

England

League 2

2023/2024

Sutton United

In

Steve Arnold (Goalkeeper, Southend United); Omar Sowunmi (Defender, Bromley); Ryan Jackson (Defender, Cheltenham Town); Christian N’Guessan (Midfielder, Ebbsfleet United); Craig Clay (Midfielder, Leyton Orient); Josh Coley (Midfielder, Exeter City); Harry Smith (Attacker, Leyton Orient); Omari Patrick (Attacker, Sutton United); Scott Kashket (Attacker, Gillingham)

Out

Filip Chalupniczak (Goalkeeper, released); Tyla Dickinson (Goalkeeper, Wycombe Wanderers, Loan ended); Coby Rowe (sp) (Defender, released); Matt Ridley (Defender, released); Roman Charles-Cook (Defender, released); Adam Lovatt (Midfielder, released); Alistair Smith (r) (Midfielder, Lincoln City); David Ajiboye (r) (Midfielder, Peterborough United, Loan ended); Enzio Boldewijn (r) (Midfielder, Eastleigh); Luke Gambin (Midfielder, released); Will Randall (r) (Midfielder, Notts County); Donovan Wilson (r) (Attacker, Grimsby Town); Josh Neufville (r) (Attacker, Luton Town, Loan ended); Kwame Thomas (Attacker, Aldershot Town); Matt Dennis (Attacker, Milton Keynes, Loan ended); Omar Bugiel (r) (Attacker, AFC Wimbledon)

Sutton United’s third season as a Football League club threatens to be their most challenging so far. The 2021 National League Champions have been involved in two failed play-off bids since winning promotion and the small club based in the Surrey commuter belt has seen their talented assets cherry-picked by bigger clubs this summer. It illustrates the magnificent job Matt Gray has done since being appointed in May 2019 and he remains pivotal to the U’s hopes of competing at this level. He has lost three of last season’s four first-choice midfielders; Alistair Smith jumping up to League One with Lincoln City and winger Will Randall switching to promoted Notts County. David Ajiboye meanwhile has returned to his parent club. An entire new strikeforce is also required with Donovan Wilson and Omar Bugiel signing for Grimsby Town and AFC Wimbledon respectively whilst talented youngster Kylian Kouassi is expected to make the move to League One Blackpool. Key men in centre-back Ben Goodliffe and midfielder Craig Eastmond remain, but there are question marks over their fitness. Full-back Joe Kizzi and Rob Milsom will also be integral to their fortunes this season. Gray doesn’t have the financial resources of his division rivals, as illustrated in the capture of attacking midfielder Christian N’Guessan, who won the National League South title with Ebbsfleet United last season. Midfielder Craig Clay and striker Harry Smith did win the League Two title with Leyton Orient, albeit the latter started just a solitary league game. The recent additions of strikers Omari Patrick and Scott Kashket are positive moves.

Target

Survival. A third play-off challenge seems extremely unlikely at the time of writing and staying in the Football League has to be their primary objective.