Stevenage have been a feel-good story in the Football League this season with an amazing start to League Two, which has seen them sitting in the top-3 after fighting relegation as recently as last season. However, things have started to unravel as of late, are we witnessing a collapse that could cost this team promotion?
To set the scene, let’s go back to the end of last season when Steve Evans was appointed as Stevenage manager on the 16th of March. Boro was 22nd in the league just three points clear of the drop zone with relegation looking likely.
The experienced manager turned things around fast achieving 10 points from his first six games which secured Stevenage safety for another year in League Two.
The Scotsman was rewarded with a contract extension for his good work, and with a Summer transfer window with many ins and outs, 13 new players were brought in with optimism in the air around the Lamax Stadium.
Boro started the season flying with ten wins in the first 13 games, which saw them top of the league for a period of time. Fans even enjoyed a FA Cup run, with a comeback against Premier League side Aston Villa at Villa Park, which will be a key memory for fans to look back on in years to come.
This wonderful start seems to have soured somewhat, with Evans’ side grabbing just one win in their last seven games in the league. Their fast start to the season stills keeps them 3rd in the table with a game in hand to climb to 2nd, but the poor run of form will seriously affect the small squad.
One of the key contributing factors to Evans’ side has been a small working squad, with a “quality over quantity” approach to signings. As the season has dragged on, often playing two or three games a week the small squad is suffering from fatigue. Consistent performers are beginning to suffer from lack of rotation and the pressure of such an intense campaign. The side have also had to rely on an emergency loan in the form of Toby Savin who has failed to fill the fans and his backline with any real confidence. He had been a solid performer for Accrington Stanley, despite his decent shot stopping, his distribution and command of the area have caused moments of unnecessary pressure. Their strong defence has disappeared in the last month, which had been a key factor in their rise to the summit of the league. Across the seven games, Stevenage have conceded 11 goals. To put that into perspective, in the first 26 games of the season, they only saw 19 goals scored against them.
Now with 13 games remaining in their potential promotion campaign, Steve Evans has to act fast. Their large gap between teams outside the playoffs has dropped to five points, and another bad month or two could see their hard work go to waste and remain in League Two for an eleventh season in a row.
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Our View By Editor Ryan Whelan
I’ve not really had much of a say on the Stevenage situation so wanted to take the opportunity to put my thoughts across. This year’s campaign reminds me a lot of Lincoln City’s play off campaign in League One a couple of years ago. In both the manager had taken a smaller squad into the season and in both cases the clubs rose up the table to be considered potential champions. Lincoln, like Stevenage are now began to suffer with fatigue, some serious injuries also didn’t have the squad depth to be adequately dealt with. Lincoln continued to drop and only just held onto a play off spot before falling to Blackpool in the final. If Stevenage aren’t careful those three spots that they have occupied for much of the season could soon become a pipe dream. Carlisle, Bradford and other clubs that have been below them will take any opportunity the tired side will give them. Lets hope Evans has a trick up his sleeve to turn around the form.
