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Troubled Barnet heading back to the Conference?
By Nathan Jackson
July 4 2006
In the first of our pre-season predicitons for the 2006/7 season, we look at troubled relegation favourites Barnet. Virtually everyone, including fans at Underhill are predicting a struggle for Barnet as off the field problems rather than the football continue to make the headlines.

Manager : Paul Fairclough

Key Player : Nick Bailey

Most Interesting Stat from Last Season : Despite finishing in 18th, no-one in the bottom half of the table lost less games than them, they also lost less games than Bristol Rovers, Shrewsbury are Peterborough, all of whom finished in the top half of the table. On the other hand, only the bottom 3 won fewer games than Barnet.

Tipped by many for : A relegation battle.

Last Season : A freshly promoted Barnet started quite well and won 3 of their opening 4 games, topping the table after those games and it looked like it would be a good season for the Bees. However, they lost their 5th game to Barnet and after that, their form fell apart and they quickly found themselves plummeting down the table and they appeared to be certain for relegation but lost just 3 of their final 13 games. Overall, they’ll have no real complaints about not being relegated but will be secretly disappointed at finishing 18th, especially after destroying the conference and the excellent start they had.

This season : In the local elections, the same party stayed in power in the borough of Barnet meaning that they’ll still have all the arguments about the ground as the council try to destroy football in that area and it could very well see the club move out of that area. Barnet are many people’s favourites for the drop because of their off the field problems and their poor form throughout the majority of last season. Their pre-season signings also haven’t inspired and it looks to be a very difficult season for the Bees, a season which will more than likely consist of an inevitably failed battle against relegation.

They’ll avoid this fate if : If they get a proven 20 goals a season striker at this level. That’s one thing they lacked last season as Grazioli and Kandol both failed to set the goal-scoring charts alive. They also need some new tactics because their style of play allows the opposition to get behind them too easily.

Prediction : 24th, There are too many things going against Barnet at the minute and you get the feeling that if they struggle, they won’t get rid of Fairclough and they could be their inevitable downfall.

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