Last season saw Phil Parkinson’s Altrincham stun various National League sides to finish inside the play-off places, but can they replicate their heroics this season?
With the brand new season less than four weeks away, I’ve taken the liberty of going through and analysing each of the 24 National League clubs ahead of the upcoming campaign, with Chris Beech’s AFC Fylde and Tommy Widdrington’s Aldershot Town already being covered.
I will take in-depth looks at each side’s previous season, their summer recruitment, a standout player to watch and where I believe they should be aiming for this season.
Up next is Altrincham…
How did Altrincham fare last season?
Despite finishing 17th in the 2022/23 campaign, Phil Parkinson’s Altrincham were arguably the surprise package within the National League last season, securing a fourth-placed finish – just four points behind Bromley in the final automatic playoff spot.
Backed by having arguably the best player the National League has ever seen (Chris Conn-Clarke) as well as several talented options including Alex Newby and Regan Linney – Altrincham made it to the play-off semi-finals before being narrowly beaten by eventual winners Bromley.
Altrincham had the third-best home record in the entire division, with only Barnet and league winners Chesterfield doing better.
The club also had the joint-fifth-best defensive record last season, conceding just 59 goals whilst scoring an impressive 84 goals, though playmaker Chris Conn-Clarke was involved in 35 of them.
Summer transfer activity thus far:
Beginning with the club’s retained list, Altrincham said goodbye to nine players as well as five being offered back for pre-season ahead of a potential new contract. The players leaving the club included Dior Angus, Dan Mooney and Mitch Hancox.
Key players like Regan Linney and Lewis Banks had their contract options triggered, whilst the likes of Elliot Osborne and Matty Kosylo signed their new contracts to stay with the football club.
Similar to Aldershot Town yesterday, Altrincham have also had to say goodbye to playmaker Chris Conn-Clarke following his six-figure switch to League One side Peterborough United, leaving a major hole in the Altrincham front-line ahead of the new campaign.
Although all may seem ‘doom and gloom’ for Altrincham after Conn-Clarke’s sale, the club have also made three summer signings so far this summer, with manager Phil Parkinson already confirming that more are on the way before the new season kicks off.
Hartlepool’s Tom Crawford and Oldham’s Joe Nuttall have arrived to add further experience to the Altrincham side, whilst Non-League goalscoring sensation Lucas Weaver has been snapped up from Colne to try and fill the void left by the high-profile exit.
Verdict so far: Losing Chris Conn-Clarke was always bound to happen this summer and it does leave a big hole in the Altrincham attack that could cause them some problems heading into the new campaign.
However, Altrincham have managed to keep hold of several other key players which still gives them a fighting chance of impressing again next season.
Crawford has struggled with injuries and Nuttall has failed to hit the heights he showed in the Premier League 2 with Blackburn Rovers although he did manage to score goals in League One last season.
Although Weaver is unproven at National League level, Altrincham have proven to be a great side when it comes to developing talented young players and I am very excited to see how he gets on.
Pre-Season 2024:
Phil Parkinson’s side are currently unbeaten in pre-season so far this summer, winning two of their three ties whilst drawing the other though they have fielded sides full of younger players and trialists as their preparations for the new campaign continue.
Altrincham have kept clean sheets in two of their three matches, which will be seen as a positive by the management, having beaten Colne 1-0 and Cheadle Heath Nomads 3-0 with a 1-1 draw against Lancaster City in-between.
The club have five pre-season matches left to play, including two against EFL opposition which will be seen as their biggest challenges ahead of the new season.
They face a trip to Warrington this weekend (20th July), before taking on Salford City (23rd July), Chester (27th July), Curzon Ashton (30th July) and Bradford City (3rd August).
Verdict: As I have said repeatedly in my previous two team previews, pre-season results mean nothing as fitness and learning curves are the bigger takeaway than the actual result.
However, keeping two clean sheets already in pre-season (conceding just one goal) will be seen as a big plus for Phil Parkinson’s side – especially given how strong their defence was during the previous National League season.
Forward Regan Linney has also got himself on the scoresheet which will be another positive for the football club, but they are yet to be tested so far and next week’s clash against Salford City will be their first real test since their defeat at Bromley.
Star player:
I have mentioned him a few times, but despite having several strong players like Jake Cooper and Alex Newby, the name that stands out the most to me is forward Regan Linney.
The 27-year-old is likely to be the main man in attack for Altrincham this season and based on his performances last season, I think he is more than capable of stepping up to the plate this campaign.
Linney scored 14 league goals last season, whilst providing an additional four assists and was their third most creative player behind Conn-Clarke and Newby.
Averaging two shots per 90 as well as a goal every 159 minutes, I thoroughly believe that Linney will be the man to lead this new-look Altrincham side forward this season.
What do Altrincham fans think of their sides’ chances this season?
With a limited amount of signings as well as Conn-Clarke’s exit being confirmed, I spoke to Altrincham season ticket holder Phil (known as @Inter_Alty1977 on Twitter) who stated…
“Hopefully another good season awaits…
“It will be hard to replace the loss of 23-goal Vanarama Player of the Season Chris Conn-Clarke, but Alty’s team boasts several goalscoring players like Regan Linney, Joe Nuttall, Matty Kosylo, Alex Newby, Justin Amaluzor, Lucas Weaver and soon to return from ACL injury Olly Crankdhaw.
“Despite the loss of Chris Conn-Clarke for a club record (undisclosed) fee, I still believe Alty can make the playoffs again under the guidance of our great management duo of Phil Parkinson and Neil Sorvel.”
Where do I think Altrincham will finish?
Personally, Altrincham are one of the few National League sides that I am struggling to pinpoint at this precise moment, but it is crucial to remember that the football club overachieved massively last season and still have a strong side despite Chris Conn-Clarke’s departure.
Therefore, if Altrincham did finish mid-table, it shouldn’t be viewed as a ‘bad season’ because the club is still fairly new at a full-time level and that can take some adjusting too.
I strongly believe that Phil Parkinson’s side still needs several new additions before the new campaign begins, because I’m not initially a massive supporter of some of their signings in comparison to the rest of the division, but they have managed to retain several crucial players to maintain the initial spine of their side.
To be completely honest, I think Altrincham will once again be pushing for a top-half finish – possibly even top ten. I believe the upcoming National League campaign will be extremely close points-wise, with several sides being within a couple of points of the play-offs at the end of the season.
Phil Parkinson, his staff and his squad were a breath of fresh air last season, playing some lovely passing football and always looked like a side that was full of goals and bright moments and I hope that continues heading into the new campaign.
Altrincham fans, where do you think you will finish this season?