TALKING POINTS

Chris Wade – @tufcchris

Chris discusses the key points ahead of Saturday’s season opener

HERE WE GO

Saturday 3rd May feels like a long time ago, doesn’t it? That heart wrenching feeling leaving our beloved Plainmoor as the season’s dreams had gone up in smoke isn’t one that you forget in a hurry. As Paul Wotton said recently, you don’t ever go over it. But you learn to accept it and move on, and the wonderful thing with football is that there is always next season and new hopes. Everybody in National League South is winning the league this season this week, so let’s all bask in the feeling and get at it on Saturday.

QUALITY ADDITIONS

The midfield area is where we struggled the most in plenty of games last season, and as Paul told Gull’s Eye View this week, “I knew that it needed a revamp”. And boy has he done that. Whilst clearly it is always the idea, we simply have better players in there. They all look next level. New skipper Matt Worthington, former Yeovil colleague Sunny Blu Lo-Everton, Nash Sundire and the returning Callum Dolan are players that will make significant impacts on games. And, as we discussed earlier in the week, having the ability to rest and rotate whilst on the face of it not affecting the quality of the team is very important. It’s exciting to see what the midfield holds.

DEFENSIVE SOLIDITY

The bedrock of any successful football team is to keep the back door shut. James Hamon returns in goal this season, and expect to see permanently acquired Jordan Thomas to line up alongside the solid pairing of Jordan Dyer and Sam Dreyer, with Torquay Talk sponsored Jay Foulston completing the back four. One of the question marks of the squad is the quality of the defensive cover, so expect to see loan additions in that area during the season as needed. We need the same defensive solidity and more to go one step further this season.

ATTACKING OPTIONS

The first team selection for the arrival of Enfield Town will be fascinating. I expect to Jordan Young and the fit and firing Dylan Morgan on the flanks, with Matt Worthington and Sunny Blu Lo-Everton in the central positions. That is a midfield that oozes strength, charisma and quality. I am excited to see Jordan Young with a full pre season behind him fly into his first full season as a Yellow. He can be the difference maker, and Morgan has impressed us since recovering from the serious hamstring issue. Louis Dennis is poised to start behind last season’s top scorer Cody Cooke, Matt Jay and Callum Dolan could start on the bench. Incredible quality to have in reserve.

WHERE CAN WE FINISH

We had a lively debate on GEV this week as to where we think that we will finish this season. I think there is a difference between where I think and where we can finish. We can win the league with the quality in the squad, but everybody has strengthened and there are potentially more stronger teams in the league this season. It will be a tough and competitive league again. I am always optimistic, and have enjoyed watching us in pre season. Only a fool would predict us to win the league, but we CAN.

THE OPPOSITION

Enfield Town staged an incredible recovery after Christmas last season and easily retained their status in the league for this season. They looked relegation candidates when I saw us win there at the end of November, but fair play to them. They find themselves starting the season at Plainmoor for the second season running, and they will no doubt be looking to make our lives hard and frustrate us. But as I said on GEV, I want to see us go for teams at home more this season, and this team can definitely do it this season.

See you at Plainmoor on Saturday, and for the first time this season, COME ON YOU YELLOWS!