Football Season Guide

The Exiles will have been breathing a huge sigh of relief this summer having pulled off one of the greatest escapes from relegation on the final day of last season. They avoided a return to non-league football by just two points thanks to a last-minute winner on the last day of the season and caretaker Michael Flynn has been rewarded with the job on a full-time basis. He is likely to face another battle to keep the club in the Football League this season and will have been disappointed not to have made striker Alex Samuel’s loan from Swansea City permanent this summer. Flynn has allowed several players to leave the club this summer including striker Lenell John-Lewis who has surprisingly joined Shrewsbury Town. It has given the manager the opportunity to rebuild the squad and one of his first decisions was to re-sign versatile midfielder Robbie Willmot from Chelmsford City. He then pulled off something of a coup with the capture of midfield playmaker Matty Dolan from Yeovil Town. David Pipe’s loan move from Eastleigh has been made permanent whilst the Exiles have taken the gamble on winger Lamar Reynolds from non-league football and striker Frank Nouble from Southend United. Flynn still has plenty of work to do to strengthen the squad before the end of the transfer window but he can at least take some comfort having kept hold of goalkeeper Joe Day and defenders Mark O’Brien and Mickey Demetriou, who have all signed new deals over the summer. He will be hoping that midfielder Joss Labadie’s injury woes are now over and he could play an integral part in the side this season. There are a number of promising youngsters at the club and Flynn might be tempted to give them their chance. The playing surface at Rodney Parade has been a constant problem since becoming tenants with two rugby clubs and they will be hoping that renovation work undertaken this summer will finally bring an end to regular postponements.