Vanarama's National League fan preview - Sutton United

League sponsors Vanarama have been getting the fans’ perspective ahead of the new season - which kicks off this Saturday.

The new season is nearly upon us - what have Sutton United fans got to look forward to?
Hopefully a few more goals and attacking play! Whilst not being terrible, last season was a bit of a slog at times especially after Christmas once we hit 53 points and it was all a bit functional. A bit more excitement on the pitch would be lovely.

There will be a new man in the dug-out for the first time in over a decade. Will that take some getting used to?
Whilst there might have been to begin with immediately after the appointment, I don’t think it’ll be that big a deal. Once he got settled, Matt has been pretty good at communicating what he wants to do and how he wants to play, so I’m sure we’ll be well past all that by the time we head up to Hartlepool for the first game.

The fans must be confident Matt Gray is the man to carry the club forward if Paul Doswell says he has no doubts?
Dos giving Matt a glowing reference will certainly have helped ease the board’s decision to appoint him, but for us it’s about a bit more than that. His approach to the job, the players he recruits, the way we play and of course, results, all make a difference. But as I say, he’s fitting in nicely so far and he’s come across really well so I’m certainly looking forward to the season getting underway. It’s his first job as a gaffer, so I’m not going to go placing daft expectations on his shoulders. Just keep us competitive and we’ll take it from there.

What’s been the best bit of business done over the past few months?
Omar Bugiel could be a good acquisition. We need a regular goalscorer. Ben Goodliffe though looks a very good signing too. Keeping Jamie Collins was also important as it gives Matt basically the same spine of the side Dos has had the last 3-4 years and some continuity to build on for his first season. Had he needed to rebuild the entire squad, it might have been a tougher task.

Who will be your one to watch come kick-off?
Aaron Jarvis has been decent so far with a couple of goals so we’re hoping he hits the ground running. David Ajiboye looks an exciting signing too.

Who are the other sides to watch out for and could be in the promotion mix?
Boreham Wood have recruited well, so they should be top ten again after last season’s dip. Wrexham appear to have picked up some decent attacking talent too, so this might finally be their year to escape the clutches of Non-League! I’d expect Chesterfield to feature highly as well if they can maintain that run from the second half of last season under John Sheridan. Solihull and Fylde will be there or thereabouts again I’d imagine as well.

What ground are you most looking forward to visiting and why?
Stockport’s Edgeley Park is the main one for me, as it’s the only one in the division I’ve not been to yet!

And what fixture would you like to win more than any other?
A win away at Eastleigh and/or Woking would be nice, as it would make a change from the miserable defeats we usually experience at both places regardless of how we actually play!

What opposition player would you most like to see in your side?
I’d say Shaun Pearson at Wrexham. Quality centre-back who chips in with a few goals too. Always impressed by him when we play. Also, I did really like the look of Ben Goodliffe at Daggers last season, so I’m quite pleased we’ve actually signed him for this year!

Now the key question - where do you predict Sutton will end up?
Quite a few people have us down for the drop it seems simply because Dos has left, which is a bit daft really, because as mentioned, Matt has the spine of the side from the last couple of years still to call on so I think that’ll give us a good platform. I’d say we’ll be around where we were last season, maybe ninth or tenth. But a flirt with the play offs isn’t entirely out of the question.

Vanarama have recently launched the National League Club Reward scheme to help fans back their club’s budget. Every time a fan takes out a brand new van lease with Vanarama or a brand new car lease with Motorama their club will earn £100 and you will receive £30 cashback.

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PHOTO CREDIT: PAUL LOUGHLIN