Torquay United 'favourites' for the National League South title

The bookies have Torquay United as 7/2 favourites, just ahead of Westcountry rivals Yeovil Town, for the National League South this season, but that's something which hardly concerns manager Gary Johnson.

The Gulls and the Glovers are the two biggest clubs, both full-time in a largely part-time division, and they open the campaign away from home on Saturday, at Dover Athletic and Hemel Hempstead Town respectively.

Johnson, who has managed both teams with distinction, says: "We're the one who everyone will see as a 'free hit', but there are five or six others who will be strong.

"We've got to embrace the league and enjoy the journey."

The job is an obvious one - to repeat the championship which United won in Johnson's first season at Plainmoor in 2019.

Then, after beating off the challenge of Woking, a high-scoring side featuring a razor-sharp Jamie Reid up front eventually won the division by ten points.  It's unlikely to be that comfortable this time.

The only survivor of that side, skipper Asa Hall, points out: "When we won this league last time, we stumbled at the start a bit.  We can't afford that this time - we need to make a really good start."

United's pre-season has been encouraging and their recruitment targeted, with nine of the side which nearly stayed up with a draw against champions Wrexham on the last day of last season, still on board.

Johnson, who has just added ex-QPR loan winger Dillon De Silva to his 22-man squad, stressed: "We're quietly confident that we're in a good place going into the first few games of the season.

"We have got to be right on song, so that when we come back to Plainmoor, we get a very supportive and enthusiastic Yellow Army behind us."

After Dover this weekend, United will return to take on Worthing on Saturday week (Aug 12) and Chippenham Town three days later.

Definitely missing is experienced midfielder Kevin Dawson, currently recovering from surgery on a hamstring injury, but defender Dean Moxey is back and available from a knee injury, which is a real boost.

If there's one area of selection which is slightly hard to predict, it's who Johnson will pick at the back, but a fit Moxey surely gets in.

It would be lovely to think that United can repeat the record-breaking goals-for exploits of five year ago, but Johnson points out: "You're trying to put a team together in the image of the teams I've had which have been successful, but I don't think you can always do that.

"You want your strikers to score lots of goals, but you have to create the situations and the chances where they can do that."

Cue players like Jack Stobbs, Lewis Collins and the new strike-pairing of Aaron Jarvis and Bradley Ash to hit form early...

Dover, wracked by financial worries in recent years and lucky to escape a second successive relegation last season, have had a difficult build-up.

Two assistants for manager Mitch Brundle have arrived and then left, along with a couple of other new signings.  But Brundle has been able to add several young recruits, and he does have pacy ex-United winger Iffy Allen on his roster. 

Saturday's referee is Rob Ablitt from Hampshire.