The AFC Wimbledon season preview 2023/24 cries out for consistency and stability - is that really too much to ask?
Returning to their spiritual home was a £32m dream AFC Wimbledon are now handling practical realities of. It’s been tough, yet last term’s squad was capable of higher than 21st in League Two.
Early business has been promising, especially Crawley’s James Tilley, but is manager Johnnie Jackson the one?
AFC Wimbledon season preview 2023/24, the fan's view: Gary Jordan (@Gazjor1)
Last season was a disappointment, and I hope serious lessons have been learnt from it. After a steady start, we fell apart at the turn of the year – we can’t afford to do that again this term.
This season will be different because the work done behind the scenes will dramatically help issues on the pitch, or so we hope. It certainly looks pretty promising so far. Ryan McLean looked like a talent at non-league Hereford.
The big talking point is how our player recruitment and retention goes this summer and, maybe more importantly, in January – that’s when our squad depth has been really tested over the last couple of seasons.
Look out for Morgan Williams... again. I mentioned the midfielder last year, but this could be the season he breaks into the first team. He’s just signed full professional terms and is highly rated as a Wales youth international.
The pantomime villain will be the whole setup of that club, naturally.
Our key player will be Harry Pell. We missed his presence and his... ‘antics’ when he was out injured last season. He can chip in with a vital goal or two as well.
Our most underrated player is Hus Biler. After making the right full-back role his own, the 21-year-old should reach new heights this term.
The thing my club really gets right is the street food and drink offerings at Plough Lane on matchday, which add to the atmosphere and experience.
The fans’ opinion of the gaffer is that he’s on borrowed time, which is a little unfair, as most are understanding of the dud hand that Johnnie Jackson has been dealt with regards to budget and last season’s horrendous injury list. The signs are good: we just need to make a solid start to the campaign for him to regain some of the trust that has been lost by the doubters.
If he left, he should be replaced by anybody with a proven track record at this level of the pyramid.
I won’t be happy unless we finish mid-table, minimum – or, at the very least, nowhere near the drop zone!
We’ll finish somewhere between 10th and 16th. We’re crossing our fingers for some much-needed stability.
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