The new season starts tomorrow, with United making the long trip to Grimsby. Last season the sides drew 1-1 in Ramon Diaz’s first away game. The same fixture is, coincidentally, new manager Brian Talbot’s first away game, and a repeat of that result wouldn’t be considered too bad.

Talbot has an almost full squad to choose from, with only Jamie Brooks, Bradie Clarke, and Tom Winters missing through injury. There are some interesting selection posers for Talbot: should he start with Chris Tardif or Billy Turley in goal? Which of the three fit strikers (Lee Bradbury, Steve Basham, and Craig Davies) will get to start? Will either of the two new signings (Rob Hughes and Jude Stirling, who signed yesterday on non-contract terms) get either on the pitch or on the bench; and will young left back Ben Weedon get an opportunity to become United’s youngest ever player, at 16 years 120 days, breaking Jason Seacole’s 29 year old record?

Whoever plays, this will be a difficult opener for United, who visit Lincolnshire for the third successive opening fixture. United finished just one place above the Mariners last season, when both teams under-performed, and both should do better this time around. We’ll start our season of wildly inaccurate predictions by suggesting 1-1 as the final score.

Former United ‘defender’ Dave ‘the Skip’ Woozley has joined Danny Brown at Crawley Town, both players finding their true level. Danny Cullip has joined Nottingham Forest, Neil Cutler has joined Rotherham, and Sam Ricketts has signed an extension to his contract at Swansea.