Form
Stevenage finished 14th in League One last season, after 15 wins, 12 draws and 19 losses. This season marks their third straight season in League One, following their promotion in 2023.
They are having a strong season so far and currently sit fourth in the league, two points off top spot with two games in hand. Their recent form has been relatively strong, having seen three wins, one draw and one loss in their last five games.
Their last league match saw them draw 1-1 with Bradford City, however they
were knocked out of the FA Cup over the weekend following a 0-1 home defeat to League Two side Chesterfield.
The two sides played out two 1-1 draws last season, with the most recent game coming back in March, when defender Carl Piergianni scored at both ends.
The boss
Alex Revell: Revell was appointed Stevenage manager on a permanent basis last May, having served a spell as caretaker manager, following the departure of Steve Evans to Rotherham United.
Revell had a 20-year playing career, operating as a striker, representing the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion, Rotherham, Cardiff City and Northampton Town. He ended his playing days at Stevenage and stayed at the club in a coaching role in their youth setup.
Revell had his first taste of first-team management in 2020, but his first season was cut short due to Covid. He guided the Boro to 14th place in League Two the following season, before his sacking in November 2021.
He rejoined the club two months later, taking on another role in their youth setup, before being promoted to Evans’ first-team coaching team. Revell took over from Evans on an interim basis last April and was given the job on a permanent basis for the second time a month later.
The 42-year-old likes his sides to play forward-thinking, attacking football. He is highly rated by all at Stevenage and has just signed a new five-year deal at the club.
Squad
Stevenage signed 11 players over the summer, with nine joining on permanent deals and two signing on loan.
Fees were paid for goalkeeper Filip Marschall (Aston Villa), Jasper Pattenden (Wycombe Wanderers), former Royals loanee Chem Campbell (Wolverhampton Wanderers) and forwards Phoenix Patterson (Fleetwood Town) and Jovan Malcolm (Gateshead).
They also completed the free transfers of defender Saxon Earley, midfielders Jordan Houghton and Mathaeus Roberts and forward Beryly Lubala. Their two loan signings were midfielder Lewis Orford, who joined from West Ham United, and striker Gassan Ahadme, who signed from Charlton Athletic.
Predicted lineup
Marschall, Pattenden, Goode, Piergianni, Freestone, Houghton, White, J. Roberts, Kemp, Lubala, Reid
Key player
5. Carl Piergianni: Defender Piergianni joined Stevenage in May 2022 on a free transfer after his contract expired at Oldham Athletic.
He started his career at Peterborough United, but only made one appearance for the Posh before moving to Stockport County. He spent a number of years playing non-league football, representing Stockport, Corby Town and Boston United, before moving to Australia to play for South Melbourne.
Piergianni signed for Salford City in 2017 and it was there that he made his way back into the Football League, securing promotion with the side in 2019.
He joined Oldham on loan in January 2020, before signing a permanent deal with the club the following summer. He captained the side in his final season with the club but couldn’t save them from relegation from the Football League.
Piergianni has gone on to make 166 appearances for Stevenage since joining and has 16 goals to his name. The 33-year-old was named their player of the season in his first campaign, while also being named in the League Two team season and is now the club’s captain.
Piergianni is a centre-back who is strong in the air, both in defence and attack.
One to watch
18. Harvey White: Midfielder White joined Stevenage in September 2023 from Tottenham Hotspur for an undisclosed fee.
He started his career in the youth setup at Spurs and made his debut for the club in 2020, before going on to make a further two appearances for the club. While at Spurs, White had loan spells in League One with Portsmouth and Derby County.
Since joining Stevenage in 2023, White has gone on to make 84 appearances for the club, scoring 10 goals. The 24-year-old has also been capped by England at under-18 level.
White is a technical defensive midfielder whose impressive performances this season have earned him the club’s player of the month award for October.
