Football Season Review

After repeatedly being called a Conference side that was punching above its weight by certain pundits and opposition fans, Stevenage finally proved their critics right, as their three-year stay in League One ended following an abysmal season in which they struggled for both goals and defensive stability. The big surprise about the season that the Boro had was not that they went down, but the manner in which they went down, as they lacked a distinctive playing style and did not look particularly tough, which is not something one would expect from a Graham Westley side. In fact, it seemed rather clear for long spells that Westley did not have a clear idea about how he wanted his side to play, as he tried out a number of different lineups and formations over the course of the season. The Boro did have two runs during which it seemed that Westley had finally found the winning formula, as they won three games in four in October and repeated the feat in early March, but they were consistently poor in their other games and had their relegation confirmed with two games to spare. The squad that Westley worked with still contained several players who reached the play-offs just over two years ago, but the Boro boss made it clear after the season ended that he felt that the squad available to him was not good enough. With Westley's position apparently being secure despite the relegation, a major summer squad clear-out will now be expected to take place.

Player of the Season: Luke Freeman