HD

Early season form was encouraging enough to suggest a potential playoff run, and certainly no danger of relegation, but the occasional slip left Black wondering if he was really getting his money's worth. Sure these guys were better, but last year's mob managed 24 points in one ten game stretch, so it wasn't as if the squad was deficient.

The loss of Andy Marriott for an extended period meant that John Achterberg deputised in goal, but that alone wasn't enough to pin the poor results on. Andy Cole was blowing hot and cold whilst Di Canio was out hurt, leaving Noel Whelan to blunder his way through games up front. It was all-in-all an underwhelming experience.

HD

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1st | | Crewe | | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 27 | 11 | +16 | 25 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2nd | | Carlisle | | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 11 | +8 | 23 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3rd | | Gillingham | | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 6 | +10 | 22 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4th | | Bristol City | | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 8 | +7 | 21 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5th | | Stockport | | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 10 | +4 | 20 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6th | | Notts Co | | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 14 | 8 | +6 | 19 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7th | | Boston Utd | | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 16 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8th | | Rochdale | | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 11 | +1 | 15 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9th | | Cheltenham | | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 15 | -1 | 15 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10th | *** | Torquay | | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 10 | +2 | 14 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11th | | Wrexham | | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 10 | +2 | 14 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12th | | Swindon | | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 19 | 21 | -2 | 14 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13th | | Mansfield | | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 16 | -3 | 12 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 14th | | York | | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 11 | +1 | 11 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 15th | | Cambridge | | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 16 | -3 | 10 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16th | | Leyton Orient | | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 13 | -3 | 10 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17th | | Rotherham | | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 19 | 26 | -7 | 10 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 18th | | Bristol Rovers | | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 18 | 19 | -1 | 9 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 19th | | Hereford | | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 13 | -2 | 9 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20th | | Bury | | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 16 | -3 | 9 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 21st | | Port Vale | | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 16 | -6 | 9 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 22nd | | Rushden | | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 16 | -6 | 9 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 23rd | | Lincoln | | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 17 | -10 | 8 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 24th | | Southend | | 10 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 14 | -10 | 6 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|</pre>