Boyman on Sport - Picking my Basingstoke Town team to face Ebbsfleet

They were excellent last season, finishing third in the table before making a slightly disappointing exit at the semi-final stage of the play-offs.

The good news is that Jason Bristow has managed to retain pretty much the entire squad that did so well last season. The only exceptions are Reading loanees Stuart Moore and Rob Dickie, who have been replaced in the squad by Aaron Howe and Will Salmon respectively, and Andy Jenkinson, who could return to The Camrose with Maidenhead United this season.

However, the amount of money being spent in the National League South this season almost defies belief, with several clubs looking very strong thanks to their owners’ large chequebooks.

Clubs like Ebbsfleet, who Town meet in their opening game on Saturday, Margate and Maidstone have been splashing the cash all summer.

It’s generally accepted that the Basingstoke squad over-achieved last season and if that is the case, then it would take nine months of exceptional performances to even come close to a play-off place again.

I’m not sure I really buy into the over-achievement argument myself. What I saw was a bunch of talented and hungry players willing to work exceptionally hard for one another and their manager. They got what they deserved.

However, the quality of players flooding the league this year will make it much harder. Town are fifth favourites for the title with the bookmakers at 10-1, but I can’t see many people taking that price.

That’s not to say that they will have a bad season. There haven’t been as many additions as Jason Bristow might have liked, but the players who have come in are good ones.

Expectations may need to be reined in a little. If Town manage to mount another serious title challenge, they most certainly will have over-achieved, but there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be in contention for a play-off spot.

Of course, we will get a really good idea of exactly where Basingstoke stand tomorrow, when they travel to title favourites Ebbsfleet – and it will be interesting to see what side Bristow picks.

For much of pre-season, he has operated a 4-3-3 system. It looks a good fit and gives Town more attacking width than a midfield diamond.

However, Bristow reverted to a diamond at Leatherhead last week and for 25 minutes at the start of the game, Basingstoke played their best football of pre-season.

I tried to press Bristow into revealing which formation he would use this week, but he kept his cards very close to his chest.

Personally, I think that some teams had worked out how to play against the diamond last season. It’s a good option to have, but it might be good to see how a different formation works.

I also like the attacking intent of 4-3-3, though that may mean it is not suitable for a trip to Ebbsfleet.

In attack, Liam Enver-Marum has looked in good shape throughout pre-season and has the presence to play as a lone front man. Pushing Chris Flood out to the wing is a bit of a shame, but he has done well out there in pre-season, scoring goals and getting into the box, while I’d give Lloyd Macklin’s pace a chance ahead of the experience of Manny Williams.

Louie Soares has been excellent throughout the friendly campaign, while Simon Dunn has been solid and would get the nod from me ahead of Shaun McAuley, who has made a couple of mistakes.

James Harper’s passing range will probably earn him the defensive midfield role ahead of Jamie Brown, while Tom Bird is a no-brainer at left-back.

Right-back is slightly more tricky, in that Town have three of them, but Will Salmon has done well in that position over pre-season and would get my vote in that position.

Aaron Howe is the only senior goalkeeper at the club, while David Ray is one of the first names on the team-sheet at centre-back, but I’m not sure who should partner him.

Jay Gasson is the obvious choice, but he has struggled for form throughout pre-season and, judging by his Twitter feed, spent last weekend on a stag do rather than playing at Leatherhead. I’m sure it was all above board and cleared in advance, but none of it is ideal preparation for a tough opening game and I would rather that Mr Reliable, Robbie Rice, got the shirt tomorrow.

It’s been a while since I was last at the opening game of the season (they tend to clash with my wife’s birthday), but there’s always something special about it.

Anything is possible and it’s exciting to see how the team does. Let’s hope we still feel like that come 5pm tomorrow.

I WAS sad to hear that Jamie Teale had been stripped of the Hartley Wintney captaincy this week, but reading the statement issued by the club, it’s clear they had little choice.

Officiating any sport is a thankless task, but without referees or umpires, we wouldn’t have a game at all.

In normal circumstances, Teale is a really nice guy, and nobody can question his commitment or the fondness he has for Hartley Wintney Cricket Club.

Unfortunately, on this occasion, his desire to do his best for his club, allied with the frustration of seeing his team struggle against their local rivals, seems to have got the better of him.

I wasn’t at the game and my colleague, Graham Merry, who was, didn’t really catch what Teale said to the umpires, but the Southern League are referring to it as a “most serious breach of the ECB Code of Conduct for players and of the spirit of cricket”.

Reading the rest of the statement, it’s clear that Hartley had little choice but to replace Teale as captain, while he has also been banned for two first-team games.

It’s a real shame, but Teale is a good cricketer and has proved himself to be a fine captain, leading the team to promotion last season.

The league may decide that further sanctions are necessary, but hopefully he will learn from this episode and keep his frustration better under wraps in future.