Exeter City's home form must improve next season
Paul Tisdale successfully guided Exeter City to their first ever EFL playoff campaign this season and deserves tremendous credit for that achievement alone – even if his side managed to fall at the final hurdle in a brave 2-1 defeat to Blackpool at Wembley. However, a tilt at automatic promotion would surely have been possible if the Grecians hadn't dropped so many points at St James' Park over the course of the campaign.
Despite finishing an impressive fifth in League Two this season, Exeter have the seventh worst home form in the division, accumulating the same amount of points on their own patch as relegated Hartlepool. Tisdale's men flirted with relegation during the early months of the season following a disastrous start. Despite possessing plenty of firepower they somehow notched just three goals in their opening nine home games and disgruntled fans could be heard muttering and moaning. The boss, who is the longest serving Football League manager, was under pressure and his two-year rolling contract was set to be re-negotiated.
Everything was far from rosy in this corner of Devon. The Grecians managed to eventually start climbing the table, although their first home victory didn't arrive until the 17th of December, with Mansfield becoming the first side to leave St James' Park with nothing to show for it.
It sparked a run of five consecutive victories offering the home faithful some much needed festive cheer following a difficult autumn period. Although displays were much improved, those long-suffering fans would witness just three more successes from the last nine games, including a final day defeat to Carlisle.
Exeter have been aided by their attacking trio of David Wheeler, Reuben Reid & Ollie Watkins this season, although the latter plundered nine of his 14 goals on the road. In the end, 14 points separated the club and third-placed Doncaster; however, Grecians fans may look back on home defeats to the relegated pair of Newport and Hartlepool and limp displays against Accrington and Crawley and wonder what could have been.
Despite reaching the playoff finals, bookmakers don’t seem to have much confidence in Exeter ahead of the new campaign – apparently judging the side on their home and end-of-season league form, with the latest betting sites having the side as joint-eighth favourites for promotion, at odds of 4/1. When you consider the fact that only near-neighbours Plymouth boasted a better form on the road this season, with the Pilgrims amassing 45 points on their travels, just three more than Tisdale's side, it makes the early pricing a favourable one for punters, who may wish to take advantage of bookies’ 100% deposit bonuses ahead of the new season.
The manager deserves enormous credit for turning things around and securing a place in top seven, even though their playoff campaign ultimately ended in disappointment. Work will begin on St James' Park this month, with £3.5 million in renovations being planned for the summer months. The improvements will feature a new stand claiming to offer an 'enhanced experience' for fans.
With Exeter set to start again in League Two next season, they simply must get off to a better start and give their fans something to cheer throughout the autumn months. A new stand may be in the pipeline; however, with just eight wins at the ground all season, they may struggle to fill it unless their home form significantly improves.
