SAM JORDAN

@ Samjordan87

Last season was all right – a second consecutive 12th- place finish. The big talking point is a case of take your pick! There’s new ownership and a new manager in Kevin Betsy, after John Yems departed amid controversy. This season will be different because with new owners and a new manager, I expect we’ll see loads of new faces. With a bigger budget speculated, fans are hoping for a promotion challenge.

Our key player will be Tom Nichols [ above], who is key at the top of the pitch with his work rate and goals – though we’ve signed Dom Telford, the top scorer in the league last season, so I expect he’ll be our main goal threat.

Look out for James Tilley [ below, right], who had a strong end to last season. With his pace and direct style, he could go from strength to strength. The opposition player who grinds my

gears is Harry Mckirdy – an excellent goalscorer, but he throws himself on the floor at the drop of a hat.

The thing my club really gets right is season ticket prices, reduced by up to a third for 2022- 23. The one change I’d make would be less queuing at the tea bars. It takes an age to be served a simple cup of tea.

Fans think our ground is tinpot – we have a large ‘ gazebo’ along one side of the pitch. We rarely fill half of it, mind. I’m least looking forward to playing

Sutton. They beat us twice last year in our first ever meetings in the Football League, so we need some revenge this term. A local rivalry is brewing.

Our most underrated player is former Gillingham midfielder Jack Payne.

Fans think our owners are very open to listening to supporters, which is great, but on the whole the jury is out. The Americans are... quirky. But a good start will help the perception, I’m sure.

The fans’ opinion of the gaffer is that they’ll need some convincing, though he has said he wants to play attacking, aggressive football and that sounds very positive – as long as the results are very positive, too. If he left, he should be replaced by who knows, considering we apparently interviewed 12 candidates and no one saw the appointment of Betsy coming.

We’ll finish in the top seven.

FFT VERDICT

14TH

Will Betsy’s favoured 4- 2- 3- 1 suit Telford, who thrives with a hold- up strike partner? Do Crawley’s crypto investors have the strategic football minds to maximise their financial advantage? Just how sturdy are the foundations? There are far more questions than answers right now.