FourFourTwo's Salford City season preview 2023/24 - can Neil Wood finally deliver City the promotion the club's owners so desperately crave?
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The Salford City season preview 2023/24 points to more of the same, though that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Despite achieving a top-seven League Two finish at the fourth attempt, Salford City have had to make cutbacks as stalwart Ibou Touray departs, though Luke Garbutt is a decent replacement.
Manager Neil Wood must get more out of his resources to oversee another promotion bid, something the Class of '92 are desperate to happen.
Salford City season preview 2023/24, the fan's view: Andy Thurston (@BroughtonM7)
Last season was a rollercoaster, with a new manager in Neil Wood, a spell in the autumn where we couldn’t score, a spell in the spring where we couldn’t stop scoring, and a play-off semi-final defeat on penalties to Stockport.
The big talking point is Karen Baird moving on, after 10 years as chairman. She’s a true club legend.
This season will be different because we’ve finally got a scoreboard!
Our most underrated player is Callum Hendry, as he never stops. His work rate is awesome and he isn’t one for backing out of a challenge – to his detriment, at times.
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The active player I’d love to have back is former Salford loanee Di’Shon Bernard, a fantastic centre-back. He’s still only 22 and has just been released by Manchester United... [He's since signed for Sheffield Wednesday, sorry! - Ed]
Stevie Mallan of Salford City (Image credit: Getty Images)
The thing my club really gets right is listening to the supporters to improve the matchday experience, now that we’re staying at Moor Lane.
The one change I’d make would be to improve merchandise and the club shop. We are way behind other clubs.
I won’t be happy unless we bring back Grandad’s Sausages.
I’m least looking forward to playingForest Green. The climb up the hill from the boozer to the ground is a killer!
The fans’ opinion of the gaffer is positive, but he needs to be ruthless. The football we play is some of the best we’ve seen for a long while, since our National League North days, but he does love a random substitution and it’s like a grassroots coach giving game time to the lad who pays his subs and attends training every week.
Neil Wood, manager of Salford City (Image credit: Getty Images)
Our key player will be Stevie Mallan. He joined at the start of last season and then missed most of it due to injury. When he came into the side for the last third of the campaign, the midfielder’s class and experience were obvious to see. He was instrumental in Salford reaching the play-offs.
The pantomime villain will be Josh Falkingham at Harrogate. He plays the fans superbly, the git!
We’ll finish in the play-off spots again. There are some big hitters in the league this season, with Wrexham and Notts County joining in.
Season previews for the Premier League, League One and League Two are all available HERE
Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.
