The National League kicked off last weekend with a few reminders of why the competition is often talked about as one of if not the toughest leagues to get out of.
There were one or two results going against the form book and teams spending this week evaluating what lessons they learnt from the opening day.
Forest Green Rovers were given a few reminders in 90 minutes at Aldershot Town that an immediate return to the Football League might take something of a long journey.
Rovers were two goals behind after just 15 minutes, but rallied to lead 3-2 just before the hour mark only to have to share the points after James Henry’s equaliser for the home side ten minutes from the end.
The Nailsworth based club divide opinion on where their finishing position will be come May. There are those who believe their sizeable budget backed by owner Dale Vince will see them spend their way back to the EFL.
That’s not to say they are in the bracket of Wrexham, but still able to give some of their opponents a bloody nose in the transfer market.
Others would say that a losing culture of 57 games across two seasons is hard to shift. Not many of those players who dropped out of League Two with the club have departed.
In the past the likes of Southend United and Scunthorpe United are testament to the difficulty this division poses if you are not well equipped both on and off the pitch.
No doubt they are one of the sides with a target on their backs, but a wily manager in Steve Cotterill who knows the division well, albeit from a long while previous, it does give them the nous to make a strong challenge.
That is another concern however, since the 60 year old last managed a team at this level times have moved on and others have also struggled to adapt to the fast moving game that doesn’t stand still.
Being able to add and strengthen well to a squad during the course of a season does give them an edge, however those brought in need to hit the ground running in order to give Rovers the best chance of returning to league football at the first time of asking.
The difficulty in that task is reflected in the fact only three clubs have been promoted the season after they were relegated.
The solid summer signings of Ben Tozer, Tom Knowles, Liam Sercombe and Sean Long shows how much clout they have in the market, until the season begins to settle down during August it’s unclear how much more they might need in order to sustain a promotion or even title challenge.
By the time the calendar turns to September Rovers will have faced four sides themselves expecting to be in and around the top seven, a clear indication for Cotterill how much more his side might need going forward, a trip to newly-promoted Boston United is first on the agenda this weekend.
The season of course won’t be defined by this month alone, Rovers fans will be glad to see their side winning some points on the pitch after a couple of years of tough watching from the sidelines.
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