Manager Steve Cotterill took charge at Forest Green Rovers at a very difficult time in League Two last season, with the club six points adrift of safety when he took the reins at The New Lawn in January 2024.
Unable to avoid relegation from the Football League, the experienced manager has been handed the opportunity to try and earn promotion from the National League at the first time of asking.
Cotterill the Man for the Job
There were signs of promise at the back end of the League Two campaign last season but it was a case of too little too late for Forest Green. Rovers, who are one of the favourites with a football bet to be promoted from the National League this term, finished last season with back-to-back wins against Morecambe and Notts County. However, the damage had already been done and Rovers, who are contenders in the football tips for the 2024/25 National League title, ended up finishing bottom of the table. Forest Green finished three points behind Colchester United, who landed the all-important 22nd place to avoid the drop.
After the disappointment of relegation, it was quickly clear Cotterill would be the man tasked with trying to get the club back to League Two. With eight points from their first five games of the National League campaign, the table at that point would suggest a steady start from the Green Army. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that the first four of Forest Green’s league games were played away from the home comforts of The New Lawn, including a 4-0 win at Boston United in the opening game. That changes the perspective and Cotterill can look back at a positive start to the National League campaign under the circumstances.
Shrewd Summer Business Should Serve Rovers Well
Finances are always tight when it comes to teams competing in the National League and Forest Green looked to have been shrewd about their business in the summer transfer window. Five players have joined the club over the summer, with all of them on free transfers. Ben Tozer joined from League One outfit Wrexham and will bring a wealth of experience to the heart of the defence. Irish right-back Sean Long also joined from fellow Gloucestershire outfit Cheltenham to add further quality to the back division.
The midfield was an area Cotterill looked to strengthen with limited resources in the summer window. Liam Sercombe was another arrival from Cheltenham and was joined by fellow central midfielder Adam May from Cambridge United. Tom Knowles’ arrival from Walsall was another positive, with the 25-year-old set to provide an attacking threat down the left wing. A Cheltenham himself, Cotterill has looked to bring in players from the local area he knows can help the Green Army pick up points this season.
Relegation from League Two was a bitter pill to swallow for all concerned with Forest Green Rovers last season. However, with Cotterill at the helm, a strong summer of recruitment and a positive start to the campaign, hopes are high at The New Lawn that this club can do great things in the National League this term.
