Football Season Guide

The U’s have now spent three seasons in the third tier of English football and making it four will be another significant challenge. Mark Bonner led them to promotion in 2021 and kept them there for two seasons but his time was up in November 2023, less than three months after signing a new long-term deal. The club hierarchy’s decision to make a change was justified by survival in League One under successor Garry Monk. Monk hadn’t managed for more than three years before arriving at the Abbey Stadium in March and his first two months in charge were a little underwhelming. He has always been an understated character and it remains to be seen whether this is a good fit. He has meagre resources at his disposal compared with most of their divisional rivals and inherited a squad of steady if unspectacular players. The most notable departures this summer are goalkeeper Will Mannion, who had established himself as number one before opting for a move to Charlton Athletic. Vincente Reyes has been signed to replace him between the sticks. He will spend the season on loan from Norwich City, having impressed during a loan spell with Forest Green Rovers last season. Striker Gassan Ahadme’s season-long loan was punctured by injury, and despite his departure being expected, his goals will still be missed. Goals are going to be a problem with neither summer signings Ryan Loft and Shayne Lavery likely to be listed in the prolific category. Another season of survival is ahead for the U’s with Monk looking to re-establish his managerial credentials. Whether he’ll be given time to do so in another matter.