twofootedtackle.com

League One has consistently been one of the most interesting divisions in English football over the past few seasons, with fallen Premier League clubs Charlton and Sheffield Wednesday struggling to gain promotion, while the likes of Dagenham and, latterly, Stevenage show the gap between the top of non-league and the third tier of English football isn’t that wide.

On paper, it should be obvious for our five predictors to pick a winner. You’d assume the biggest clubs with the biggest budget would coast to the title. But Bournemouth, Leyton Orient, Rochdale and Exeter showed that being a smaller, stable with a good manager was equally a way to challenge for success.

With more fallen giants such as Sheffield United joining the division, how will the League One season pan out? The big clubs to dominate or the smaller teams to surprise again. That is the question our predictors face today.

Our League One predictors are: TFT co-editor and Exeter fan Gary Andrews, Rochdale supporter Jamie Cutteridge, the brains behind Stevenage blog FC Boro Matthew Kett, Bournemouth-supporting Narrow The Angle scribe Chris Lines, and Wednesdayite and Obscure Football and Music editor Chris Ledger.

Who’ll win the title and get promoted?

Chris Lines: I was really impressed with the way Huddersfield were playing by the end of last season, particularly skillful midfielder Gary Roberts, who seems to make so much happen in games. Provided they aren’t too shattered from missing out in the play-off final last season, they can definitely be champions.

As for the other two promoted sides, I’m definitely going for Preston. Like him or hate him, Phil Brown is decent enough at this level to get results and in Clarke Carlisle (on a year loan from Burnley) they’ve got a belter of a defender at this level. Picking a third team is hard work. I’m going to go for Scunthorpe to win the playoffs. Alan Knill did a good job at Bury and will see this as an excellent chance to prove himself in the third tier, in a division not blessed with top-quality sides.

Jamie: I’ve got a real hunch for Huddersfield this season, they made the playoff final last year despite an injury to their best player, and whilst Pilkington has moved on, the basis of the squad remains and has been boosted by a couple of young signings from higher divisions. Lee Clark has got a team that play nice football and I don’t see that changing this season.

Going up with them, I’ll stick a pin in Preston. It will certainly be fun at Deepdale with Phil Brown in charge, but with a squad full of players who have been successful at higher levels, I can see them immediately bouncing back.

Gary: Much depends on Huddersfield’s play-off hangover, or lack of it. If they can pick themselves up from the disappointment of last season’s playoffs then League One could be there for the taking. That said, this is a very open division this season without a really standout team, despite the big names, and it only takes a team to put a good run together at the right time. There’s certainly no obvious winners.

As for taking the second promotion slot, Preston would be my pick. They’ve gone about their business quietly so far, but the players seemed to discover their belief again towards the end of last season and, underneath the bluster and tan, Phil Brown is still a decent manager who knows how to win promotion. Of all the relegated clubs, I’d expect North End to be the strongest challengers.

Matt: I think Preston and Sheffield United have to be favourites to go straight back up to the Championship. They both have experienced managers in charge and bigger budgets than the majority of the division. They’ve also kept the nucleus of their squad’s from last season which will be vital for them to try and bounce back at the first attempt.

Chris Ledger: Securing the signatures of Danny Hollands, Dale Stephens, Rhoys Wiggins, Danny Green and numerous others is a statement of Charlton Athletic’s intent to gain automatic promotion. A lack of striking options is a worry, but the Addicks undoubtedly have the strongest midfield in the division and a comfortable title win for this ambitious side beckons.

Huddersfield Town were unlucky not to be promoted last season and an overdue return to the Championship is likely to be achieved this season, via a second-place finish. Anthony Pilkington’s move to Norwich City and the probable departure of Gary Roberts will leave a hole in the Terriers’ midfield, but manager Lee Clark has been shrewd enough to invest in young talent including Oscar Gobern and Donal McDermott.

Who’ll make the playoffs?

Chris Lines: The likes of Sheff Utd and Charlton ought to make playoffs, but I fancy it might take them another season to actually get up. Charlton have signed a couple of good players from (my team) Bournemouth in Rhoys Wiggins and Danny Hollands, but have also lost a couple of fairly key midfielders.

Joining those two and Scunthorpe ought to be the franchise side from Milton Keynes, but Pete Winkleman seemed extremely stressed out when things didn’t go their way last season (even remonstrating with officials during one match), which makes me wonder if promotion was vital last season to stop the wheels falling off at MK.

So I’m going to pin my hopes that the wheels do fall off this season, and instead plump for a longshot to pinch sixth place: Exeter City. They’ve got some good players, an excellent manager, and nothing to lose. So why not? The bookies don’t fancy them, which makes them a reasonable longshot bet in my opinion.

Jamie: Whilst I feel there will be too many shenanigans going on around the club at Sheffield Wednesday to go up automatically, after a poor first season in League One, I think this term they’ll make it into, and probably go up via, the playoffs, even if they’ll make few friends or admirers with the Ginger Jose in charge.

Aside from them, my gut would say that their neighbours United will make it in their with them, though with a tiny budget their job will be tougher. MK Dons continue to improve, much to many chagrin, and I’ll stick them and Charlton to sneak into the top six. Though I may hedge my bets and say Leyton Orient may impress again and knock Charlton out of 6th.

Gary: Depressingly, I fear the MK Dons will build on last season and push for the second automatic place all the way. The biggest question will be how the loss of Didi Hamman on the coaching staff affects them.

I’d expect the other two relegated sides to be in the mix. Alan Knill is a canny manager and I fancy Scunthorpe to have a decent season - they’re the West Brom of this league. Too good to stay in the division, not good enough to hold a place in the division above. Sheffield United should have the budget and players to mount a challenge, but a huge caveat here is Danny Wilson. He may well have less honeymoon time than McLeish at Villa and is a huge gamble. Plus, some of the United players may find League One a bit of a shock.

As for the other spot, Gary Megson’s limitations will be exposed at Sheffield Wednesday, while Charlton have done nothing to convince anyone they aren’t going to be stuck in this league for another season. There’s always one surprise, and I fancy Leyton Orient to be that side. Russell Slade’s men finished strongly and David Mooney and Jamie Cureton up front is an impressive strike force.

Matt: MK Dons and Huddersfield will probably be up there again after terrific seasons last time around. Sheffield Wednesday will be much stronger this season as well with Gary Megson having a summer to sort his side out. I fancy Exeter to surprise a few again this season and they are my dark horse to get into the play-offs.

Chris Ledger: It will be interesting to see whether Preston North End will sell any further players, during the course of this season, but their squad is still looking very competitive. Phil Brown’s ability as a manager is often under-appreciated and he nearly did enough to secure survival in the Championship last season. If Brown is not forced to sell any more important players, a play-off spot should be attained with ease.

Scunthorpe United are one of the best-run clubs in the Football League, and retaining continuity and being prudent in the transfer market should come as little surprise. The Lincolnshire-based outfit are a classic case of not being good enough to go up automatically, whilst having more than enough quality to effortlessly secure a place in the play-offs.

New Brentford manager Uwe Rösler will be eager to make a good impression and his dealings in the transfer market, including signing forward Clayton Donaldson on a free transfer, will do him no harm. The loan capture of Glasgow Celtic winger Niall McGinn is a coup at this level and they have also secured the signature of Jonathan Douglas, who is one of League One’s most underrated midfielders.

Unlike last season’s other surprise play-off contenders, Leyton Orient have improved their squad. Marc Laird, Leon McSweeney and Scott Cuthbert are all solid additions, whilst the signings of strikers Jamie Cureton and David Mooney should be enough to catapult Orient from being play-off hopefuls to play-off finalists.

Who’ll get relegated?

Chris Lines: A friend of mine made the observation recently that the relegated four from League One could potentially be the four that sit in the relegation zone before a ball is kicked, in alphabetical order - Tranmere, Walsall, Wycombe and Yeovil. I certainly think at least two of those will go, maybe more.I think Bury will find it quite hard going too.

So I’ll go for Wycombe to finish bottom, and Yeovil, Bury and Walsall to join them. Tranmere seemed to be improving slightly in the latter part of last season, so they may be able to steer clear of trouble.

Jamie: My heart screams Bury, ideally with very few points, and I genuinely think they’ll struggle, alongside them I can see teams that managed to survive last season due to the ineptitude of others being less fortunate, which places Hartlepool, Walsall, Tranmere and Yeovil in the mire.

Out of those four, I give Hartlepool the best chance of staying up. None have done anything in the pre-season to scream that they’ll improve and with the quality of promoted sides proved last season in Bournmouth and Rochdale, I think we’ll see more familiar faces dropping, rather than new ones slipping.

Gary: It’ll be very tight down the bottom and I can see an almighty last day scrap between a large number of sides. Bury may struggle to stay up and Wycombe have an odd habit of never quite building on their promotions, and suspect they may yo-yo down again. Walsall escaped by the skin of their teeth and don’t seem to be doing anything to arrest the slide, while Tranmere has also produced late escapes in recent seasons and unless they improve, their time may be up.

Matt: I can see Bury struggling to stay up. The loss of loanee Nicky Ajose will hit them hard and rookie manager Richie Barker has a tough task to keep the Lancashire side in League One. Walsall and Tranmere are annual strugglers and will be down there again this season. I can see Oldham and Yeovil finding it difficult this year too as well as ourselves (Stevenage).

Chris Ledger: Many will see Stevenage as this season’s basement outfit in League One and it is easy to see why, considering that their dealings in the transfer market have been a tad uninspiring. But, if they maintain last season’s impressive defensive record, they may do better than expected. As things stand, though, emulating Dagenham & Redbridge’s brave survival bid is the best that the club can currently hope for.

Paul Dickov’s start as Oldham Athletic manager was promising, but the Latics’ mid-season collapse in form never looked like ending and the club’s cash-flow worries could be a major hindrance. It will be difficult to replace midfielder Dale Stephens’ flair and goals, and it is also hard to see where any good form will come from this season.

Tranmere Rovers and Yeovil Town, meanwhile, have two of the smallest squads in the division and this could be their downfall. Both teams have lost key players this summer and proven replacements have not yet been found. The return of Gavin Williams will be a morale-booster for the Glovers, even if former Everton trainee Kieran Agard struggles to replicate Dean Bowditch’s fine goalscoring form. Both teams have done well to avoid the drop in previous seasons but, if they fail to make any further signings, they may be unlucky this time round.

Are there any sides you think could be a surprise package?

Chris Lines: Apart from Exeter, you never know what Martin Allen might conjure up at Notts County. They could finish 2nd or 22nd and represent the loose cannon of the division. Stevenage are incredibly well drilled too. If they are within spitting distance of the playoffs with 6-8 games to go, I wouldn’t bet against them grinding out whatever was necessary to scrape in. I certainly think they’ll survive at least.

Jamie: Stevenage. I’m no fan of Graham Westley, but there’s no denying what a fantastic season they had last year and with a couple of nifty signings I can see them firmly establishing themselves in safe mid-table, and possibly even break the top 10. Though I’m prepared to look silly as they’re relegated by Christmas.

Aside from them, I fancy Brentford to improve and challenge the top six more than they did last year and it will be fascinating to see how the aforementioned Bournmouth and Rochdale cope with their second season at the top level after vastly impressive debuts.

Gary: The aforementioned MK Dons, but let’s not talk about them. Stevenage will be a lot tougher to beat than some teams may realise. Graham Westley sets his players up in a very organised fashion and they don’t concede many, plus their players are good enough to make the step up. They may not be pretty to watch though. Also, keep an eye out for Notts County. With Martin Allen in charge, they could get promoted or relegated, but certainly won’t be dull.

Matt: Wycombe will be a lot of people’s favourites for relegation, but Gary Waddock is a good, young manager and has built a decent side there now. They will be a tough team to beat this season.

Chris Ledger: Out of the four promoted sides, Chesterfield look best equipped to do well in League One. John Sheridan’s reputation of managing sides that play attractive football gained many admirers last season and they also have a good team spirit, which is a pre-requisite for success in League One. Although losing forward Craig Davies to Barnsley is a blow, their defensive additions should ensure that last season’s momentum is maintained. A play-off spot could be beyond the Spireites, but a top-half finish is a feasible target.

Notts County’s Martin Allen is a manager with a point to prove and he has made some smart transfers over the summer. Jeff Hughes and Ishmel Demontagnac will add some much-needed competition on the flanks, and Hamza Bencherif is another useful addition in midfield. The Magpies have enough quality to be surprise play-off challengers and, even if that does not happen, there will not be a repeat of last season’s relegation battle.

Which players in the division should we look out for this season?

Chris Lines: Gary Roberts is a crowd-pleaser for Huddersfield, Danny Ings looks like a very exciting prospect at Bournemouth, I enjoyed what I saw of Exeter’s Richard Logan and Notts County’s Craig Westcarr last season. Mark Randall could be an interesting one at Chesterfield too. And of course Leyton Orient’s Jonathan Tehoue, the ultimate supersub.

Jamie: I’m really interested by Stephen O’Halloran at Carlisle, before a couple of horrible injuries at Villa he looked close to the first team and then didn’t get a massive chance at Coventry, with a full season to impress at this level, I can see him pushing towards the full ROI squad.

At the other end of the spectrum it’s always worth keeping an eye on the madness that continues to surround Steve Fletcher’s career at Bournmouth, though perhaps of wider note will be how Steven Gregory copes with the jump up to Bournmouth from AFC Wimbledon and the conference.

Gary: It almost seems cheating to pick Jordan Rhodes, but 35 goals in 82 appearances for Huddersfield tell their own story and it’s a surprise that a team from a high division hasn’t taken a punt on him. I’m also a big fan of Stevenage’s John Mousinho, who was at the heart of everything Boro did well last season. Exeter’s Guillem Bauza might be worth keeping an eye out for, if he settles in Devon.

Matt: League One has lost a lot of its talent over the summer, but I’ll be looking out for the likes of Sam Baldock, Jordan Rhodes, Adam Barton, Jennison Myrie-Williams and Rhoys Wiggins.

Chris Ledger: The hurt of losing Anthony Pilkington will be softened by the arrival of winger-cum-forward Danny Ward at Huddersfield Town. Ward has already impressed League One supporters, during his goal-filled loan spells at the Galpharm Stadium and Swindon Town, and he should be an automatic starter for the Terriers. Opposing League One defenders should be very scared.

Tags: AFC Bournemouth, Bournemouth, Bury, Charlton Athletic, Huddersfield Town, MK Dons, Preston North End, Rochdale, Scunthorpe United, Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday, Stevenage, Tranmere Rovers, Walsall, Wycombe Wanderers