League Two Season Preview 2011/12: Aldershot Town

Together with Maxi Hobbs (http://www.maxihobbs.com/blog/) and Ben Mayhew (http://greenwichgull.wordpress.com/) we are bringing you a full League Two Preview this week, starting today and running up until Sunday when we plan to release a fully predicted League Table. Here, I look at Aldershot Town, the ultimate mid-table team last season!

Recap of last season	The personification of mid-table obscurity. Aldershot collected the joint highest amount of draws in the league (19 with Accrington) and coupled with that was a goal difference of exactly zero, completed by a 3-0 win to relegate Lincoln on the final day of the season.
Personnel in	York City’s top scorer from last season, Michael Rankine, has come in to provide power and pace plus goals to the Shot’s attack. Meanwhile, defender Aaron Brown comes in from Leyton Orient hoping to stop the goals going in at the other end, Jamie Collins (Newport, free) Ross Worner (Unattached)
Personnel out	Striker Marvin Morgan has cut his ties with the Shots by joining Shrewsbury Town on a free transfer. Morgan played twelve times for Dagenham in League One towards the end of last season and was released at the end of his contract in May. After over a hundred appearances for the club, Ben Harding has moved on to promoted Wycombe Wanderers on a free transfer. Tim Sills (released) Wade Small (released) Jack Randall (released) Damian Spencer (Grimsby, free)
Strengths	Aldershot were the best team in League 2 at restricting their opponents’ chances last season, allowing an average of just 8 shots per match. They were also one of the best sides in the division at scoring late goals, particularly at home.
Weaknesses	The restriction of chances wasn’t limited to their defence: the Shots also struggled to create many of their own, averaging just 8 shots per match themselves, again the lowest in League 2 last season.
Key man	Luke Guttridge scored eight times from midfield last season and finished as the Shots’ leading scorer – an impressive feat from the middle of the park. However the players in front of him will need to chip in a bit more if his team are to improve on last season’s mid-table anonymity..
One to watch	Alex Rodman – Signed from Tamworth in January, Rodman score five times before the end of the season. He caught Dean Holdsworth’s eye during the manager’s final game in charge of Newport by netting a hat-trick, and could be a big player this season if the final few months of last season are anything to go by.
Outlook	Dean Holdsworth is recruiting from non-league rather than bringing in established league players and time will tell whether this will prove to be a cheap masterstroke or a flop. Holdsworth is still learning but I can see a top half finish in his first full season in the job.
Predictions	Ben: I’m not convinced that enough of the new recruits will make the step up, so mid-table looks likely Danny: An improvement but only sneaking into the top half. Maxi: The Shots will improve but only slightly, top half