Alex Revell has been a key figure at Stevenage since joining as a player in January 2018. The 41-year-old has led his side to an impressive start to the 2024/25 season in his second spell as manager. Their 3-0 win over Barnsley made it two wins and a draw from their opening five League One matches.
The impressive display leads to Stevenage being awarded The Deck’s League One Team of The Week, taking the award from Wrexham who picked up a big win over Shrewsbury Town during the international break.
Stevenage 3-0 Barnsley
Barnsley’s pink strip failed to dazzle Stevenage as Boro took control of the game with two goals within five second-half minutes. A long throw found its way to Elliott List to score the opener just a couple of minutes after coming on a substitute and the lead was doubled as experienced defender Carl Piergianni headed home Harvey White’s corner.
Stevenage struggled in the opening 45 minutes against a side that had picked up ten points in their last four matches but the introduction of List in the second half transformed the game and the forward took his tally to three for the season with a breakaway goal late on to seal all three points.
Alex Revell has built this side on defensive solidity and this clean sheet was another example of a team that is very difficult to play against. This is evidenced by their expected goals-against tally of 4.37, the third-best record in the division despite opening the season with games against the likes of Lincoln City, Huddersfield Town and now Barnsley.
Boro were narrowly beaten by both the Imps and Huddersfield Town but have now picked up a win against one of the sides that look capable of competing at the top of the third tier. They look capable of building on their impressive ninth-place finish from 2023/24 in their second season in League One since gaining promotion from the fourth tier in 2022/23 under Steve Evans.
Upcoming Fixtures and Future Prospects
Stevenage face away trips to Exeter City and Wigan Athletic and neither side has been overly impressive, with both picking up two wins and three defeats in League One. They should be aiming for results in both fixtures but three points from the two fixtures should be an acceptable outcome as the manager looks to build on last season’s achievements.
Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the new season he spoke of his desire to continue the success enjoyed by his predecessor Steve Evans, due to the excellent foundations at the club:
“I could sit here and say mid-table and just think of me, but that is not why we do this job. I think we can finish higher than last season. That is the aim, to keep the spirit but improve the quality.
“People do not see the inside of this club but we have come such a long way. Our training ground has been set up for the higher levels. The stadium has been redesigned. The pitch has been laid. The foundations are becoming stronger and stronger.”
There are some strong sides at the top of League One and it is going to take an exceptional season for Stevenage to break into the top six but they have the foundations at the back to remain competitive. They are capable of picking up a result against any side and have intriguing home ties coming up against Charlton Athletic and Wrexham.
Stevenage racked up just 4.1 shots on target per game in 2023/24 and will need to show more in forward areas if they are to compete for the playoffs. It should be remembered that this is just their second season in the third tier and another season of consolidation should be seen as progression after spending nine consecutive campaigns in League Two before gaining promotion in 2022/23.