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EFL

12 August, 2024

AUTHOR: Star Sports Content

STAR FOOTBALL ANTE-POST PREVIEW: League One – 1-24 Predictions

ALL KICKING OFF – LEAGUE ONE: The 2024/25 campaign is nearly upon us and sure to be another exciting season!

Our football writer and resident EFL fanatic JOE CITRONE has put together his in-depth preview for the new EFL League One season, complete with 1-24 predictions and recommended ante-post bets.

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1. Birmingham City

Hot take: Birmingham City are going to win League One!

I think you’ll have to look far and wide to find a pre-season prediction that doesn’t have Birmingham City and champions, and when you look at the players they’ve signed this summer and the kind of money they have been throwing around, it’s not hard to see why.

For a League One club, a simply incredible amount of money has been spent – three of the top six record transfers for this level have been made by the Blues this summer – which has seen Christoph Klarer, Willum Thor Willumsson, Emil Hansson, Alfie May and a host of others snapped up for the new season.

The one slight doubt I have is over their manager, Chris Davies, who is an unknown quantity as a manager, but his years of work as an assistant, working alongside the likes of Brendan Rodgers and Ange Postecoglou, should serve him well.

This squad is simply too good to fail and I can see no other scenario than the Blues romping home to the title by some distance.

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2. Bolton Wanderers

Bolton Wanderers were desperately close to promotion last season – falling at the final hurdle to Oxford United in last season’s play-off final – and will be desperate to get themselves over the line this time.

They have wasted no time at all in making some eye-catching signings which, at the time of writing, include Chris Forino and Klaidi Lolos – two excellent, up-and-coming signings.

There were questions about whether Ian Evatt would stay or not following that failed promotion attempt, but Sharon Brittain has confirmed they were sticking with him and has the full faith of the board – which is the correct decision in my opinion.

Having retained a lot of their squad that were so strong last season, added to it with smart additions (with rumours of more to come), I think this will be the season Bolton get themselves back into the Championship.

Bolton Wanderers to be promoted – currently at ? with starsports.bet

3. Huddersfield Town

Huddersfield Town are back at League One level for the first time since 2011-12 after relegation from the Championship last term, but under the stewardship of Michael Duff, I think they have got a good chance of bouncing straight back up at the first time of asking.

At the time of writing, they have been able to hang on to a lot of their squad which – although suffered relegation last season – is Championship standard. The likes of Matty Pearson, Michal Helik, Josh Koroma, Sorba Thomas and Rhys Healey should all be standout players at third tier level.

Their additions have been strong, too, with the additions of the versatile Lasse Sorensen – who has been a consistently quality player for Lincoln City over the last couple of seasons – and a Rolls Royce of a midfielder in former Barnsley and Oxford United man Herbie Kane.

Of course, the concern is whether they can shake off the hangover of relegation quickly, but if they can, I see no reason why Duff can’t lead them to a strong promotion push.

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4. Charlton Athletic

Not many managers take on a League One job 12 months after working in Premier League, but Nathan Jones spotted the potential in Charlton Athletic and will now be looking to drive the Addicks back in the right direction this season.

Given how badly Charlton underachieved last season (16th-place finish), it is unsurprising that Jones has ripped the squad up as he looks to stamp his own ideas and authority on the club; trying to instill a mentality that leaves mediocrity in the past.

The Welshman has been aggressive in this transfer market and, at the time of writing, added seven new players which includes valuable experience with Luke Berry and Matty Godden and also up-and-coming talent like Alex Mitchell and Gassan Ahadme.

Of their existing players, I think this could be a big season for Daniel Kanu who broke into the first-team last season after an excellent loan spell with Southend United and Miles Leaburn, if he can stay fit, will continue to be a handful for defenders.

Although he became a figure of fun in his infamous stint as Southampton manager, Jones is a manager that knows how to get teams playing and winning matches at this level. I think he’ll get the Addicks right up there this season.

Charlton Athletic to finish in the top six of League One – currently at ? with starsports.bet

5. Peterborough United

I feel like every year Peterborough lose key players, people predict them to have a rough season, but then bounce back with a load of new signings and then go on to have a great campaign. I’m not falling for it again!

It’s true that, in terms of departures, this has been a fairly rough summer for Peterborough with Harrison Burrows, Ronnie Edwards and Josh Knight all leaving the club for pastures new. But, based on experience, I do not doubt that their summer additions will serve as adequate replacements.

I’m particularly excited about Chris Conn-Clarke who has joined from National League side Altrincham after a ridiculously good individual 2023-24 campaign which saw him score 22 goals from midfield.

I’d like to see them bring in another striker to complement Ricky Jade-Jones, but I see this as another strong squad that should go well. It’s just a question of whether Darren Ferguson can break that play-off curse of the last couple of seasons and get them over the line.

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6. Rotherham United

Club legend Steve Evans is back at the helm looking to repeat the success of his first spell in charge of the Rotheram United as the Millers look to make an immediate return to the Championship this season after last term’s disaster.

The Millers went down from the Championship with a whimper last season, finishing on a desperately poor 27 points, and the first job in Evans’ intray will be to instill a winning mentality back into a club that has become so used to losing over the last year or so.

Of course, that is easier said than done, but if any man can do it, it’s Evans, who – although is not exactly the most popular or fashionable manager in the EFL – knows how to get results and did a great job at Stevenage last season as the Boro punched well above their weight in the top half of the League One table.

In terms of their signings, they have all fit into a similar mold of solid, experienced, reliable League One players. Sean Raggett and Zak Jules should provide stability at the back, Joe Powell and Liam Kelly will likely pull the strings in the middle of the park and Jonson Clark-Harris will be a threat in front of goal – him and Evans seem a match made in heaven.

They won’t be the prettiest side to watch next season, that’s for certain, but Evans teams are always extremely tough to play against and I don’t see a scenario where they are not competitive at the top of the table next season.

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7. Lincoln City

Michael Skubala is arguably one of the most exciting young managers in the EFL and I think he’ll have the Imps as a genuine promotion contender again this season, but have them just falling short of a play-off spot again.

Skubala had Lincoln playing some fabulous football last season, which very nearly earned them a spot in the play-offs, and I expect the Imps to be a great watch again in this upcoming campaign.

However, they have lost a couple of key players and I expect that to hurt them – both Lasse Sorensen and Lukas Jensen were crucial parts of the Imps’ success last season and their absence from the side will be felt.

They have acted swiftly to replace them by adding players like young goalkeeper George Wickens, Tom Bayliss, JJ McKiernan, Rob Street among a host of others – all solid additions.

However, this is going to be a fiercely competitive division this year and I am not sure Lincoln are quite as strong as they were last season, I also have this lingering fear that Skubala might get head-hunted by a club from a higher division at some point.

I’m sure they’ll have a decent season, but after coming so close last year, I’m sure Imps fans won’t be enthused by the prospect of another near-miss.

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8. Wigan Athletic

Off-field issues have plagued the last couple of years for Wigan Athletic, but things are looking slightly more positive this summer and I think that will be reflected by a season of progress in League One.

The Latics have an exciting squad of young talent which includes goalkeeper Sam Tickle – who is currently part of the England U21 set-up – and Charlie Hughes who is regarded as one of the most promising young defenders in the EFL (still at Wigan at time of writing!).

Shaun Maloney has made some smart additions to his squad as well with the additions of some more young talent like Tyrese Francois and Dion Rankine on permanent deals from Fulham and Chelsea respectively and also Calvin Ramsay, Joe Hugill, Silko Thomas and Michael Olakigbe on loan from Premier League clubs, although sadly Olakigbe is already out for three months with an injury.

This is an exciting squad and Wigan are now set up for success, not just in this upcoming campaign, but for years to come which is great after a concerning few years for the club off the pitch.

I have them just missing out the play-offs this time, but I’m confident big strides forward will be made.

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9. Barnsley

Back-to-back play-off finishes for Barnsley doesn’t quite paint the picture of malaise and frustration that has loomed over Oakwell over the past couple of seasons.

After another failed promotion push, which saw manager Neill Collins sacked on the eve of the season before Bolton Wanders swept aside the Tykes in the play-offs without too much trouble, many Tykes fans have expressed their dissatisfaction with the direction of the club.

Despite relegation with Cheltenham Town last season, Barnsley have turned to Darrell Clarke to try and bring smiles back to the faces of the Barnsley fans.

Although I imagine he’ll be able to bring back some of the togetherness and passion that’s been lacking in recent years, I am not totally convinced he has the tactical nous to get a side competiting right at the top of League One – something he’s not done before in his career.

Devante Cole will be a miss up front, and he will be difficult to replace, but I still think they have enough quality to push high up the table – albeit missing out on the play-offs.

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10. Wycombe Wanderers

The 2023-24 campaign was a learning curve season for rookie boss Matt Bloomfield, but with ambitious new majority owners now at the helm at Adams Park, he will be feeling the weight of heightened expectations coming into this new season.

It was always going to be tough for Bloomfield to step into the shoes of long-serving boss Gareth Ainsworth, particularly with the former Colchester boss looking to overhaul the playing style, and a tough first full season maybe should have been expected in hindsight.

Those same excuses probably won’t wash for another season, though, and Bloomfield will need to deliver a play-off push at the minimum to keep the club’s new billionaire Kazakhstani owners happy.

On paper, Wycombe’s transfer business looks solid and sensible. I expect the likes of Dan Udoh, Daniel Harvie and Alex Hartridge to all fit into the style Bloomfield is trying to implement and also hit the ground running due to their prior experience of the level.

Striker Richard Kone, who the Chairboys snapped up from non-league side Athletic Newham in January, has looked raw but exciting in the first few months of his Wycombe career and could be in for a breakthrough season and provide something different at the top of the pitch.

I am not convinced Wycombe are quite strong enough to keep up with the chasing pack at the top of the table yet but a season of progress should be on the horizon for them, although whether that’s enough for their new ambitious owners is another question entirely.

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11. Blackpool

Inconsitency plagued Blackpool’s attempt to make an immediate return to the Championship last term as, despite impressive wins over Portsmouth and Bolton, crashed to a rather disappointing 8th-place finish.

Unfortunately, without the quality of pacy winger Karamoko Dembele who has gone back to French side Brest after a very fruitful loan spell with the Tangerines last season, I can see them sliding further down the League One table.

The top end of League One has improved and, despite the additions of Ashley Fletcher and Lee Evans and the permanent signing of Jordan Rhodes, I am not convinced that Blackpool have.

Manager Neil Critchley has never quite be able to win the trust back of fans after the way he left the club last time, and he wasn’t quite able to set League One alite in the way he did in his first spell when ge guided them to promotion, and I’m not sure the atmosphere there is conducive to a successful season.

Maybe I’m wrong, it wouldn’t be a huge shock to see Blackpool a few places higher, for now I have them in 11th-place.

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12. Wrexham

For the first time in 20 years, Wrexham are back in the third tier of English football and will be hoping for another Hollywood season under the ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

There is optimism around the club that another promotion push could be on the cards for Wrexham, which is reflected by the odds which have them as short as 7/2 to go up again with starsports.bet, but I can see a season of consolidation before this team really starts to push towards Championship football.

They have a group of players who won’t struggle with the step up in quality much. In fact, you could argue much of their squad has been at least League One standard as far back as when they were in the National League.

I have no doubt that Paul Mullin, who has been prolific in his three seasons with the club so far, will continue to bang in the goals at this level – even if he does get attracted by new-found stardom after appearing alongside Reynolds in the new ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ movie!

At this stage, though, I don’t see a squad that is capable of much more than mid-table – which for a typical newly-promoted club would represent a positive season – but we know how success-hungry and ambitious this club is.

Hopefully there’s enough good material for the Disney+ documentary!

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13. Stockport County

Stockport County are another newly-promoted club that I think will have little to no issue adapting to League One football – and I have predicted them to have a comfortable season of consolidation in mid-table.

Under Dave Challinor – a promotion specialist with no fewer than seven promotions under his belt across four different clubs – I have no concern that Stockport will be dragged into any danger at the wrong end of the table but also, much like my assessment of Wrexham, don’t see them pushing towards the top just yet.

That may be to come for another hugely ambitious club that has serious momentum behind them, but a season of consolidation in League One seems like the logical next step for this group.

They won’t be pushovers, though, and have made some smart signings; I particularly like the addition of Lewis Bate who is a super classy midfielder who could still be destined for a career at a much higher level.

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14. Exeter City

I predicted Exeter City to be relegated from League One last season, and for a while, it looked like I was going to be bang on the money before an impressive turnaround saw them seal a respectable 13th-place finish.

The question now is whether Gary Caldwell’s can sustain that and keep themselves away from trouble, and based on the smart business I have seen from them this summer, I think they can.

The signing of goalkeeper Joe Whitworth on loan from Crystal Palace could prove to be a very shrewd piece of business and I love the signing of midfield Ed Francis from Gateshead who was one of the standout players in the National League last season.

As I have said many times in this piece, I think this will be a stronger division this year, and therefore my placing of Exeter in 14th – one place lower than last term – is more a reflection of that than Exeter themselves.

Another solid, steady season for the Grecians.

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15. Leyton Orient

After struggling with Swindon Town the last time he managed in League One after getting promoted the previous season, Richie Wellens will have been more than satisfied with Leyton Orient’s first term back in the third tier.

The O’s mustered a very solid 11th-place finish in League One, managing to bloody the noses of some of the big boys along the way as well with wins over Portsmouth, Bolton Wanderers and Oxford United.

However, with impressive loanees Idris El Mizouni and Shaqari Forde departing the club, and Ruel Sotiriou opting for a move to Bristol Rovers over a new contract, this might be a tougher second season for Wellens’ men.

Lewis Warrington on a permanent deal from Everton is a very shrewd piece of business and Diallang Jaiyesimi could be as well if he is able to rediscover the form he showed at Swindon Town, but I’m not quite convinced the O’s are as strong as last season yet.

I have them 15th.

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16. Reading

Reading are a difficult team to place in these predictions and so much could still change before the start of the season and depend on their ongoing search for new ownership.

There’s no doubt that Reading have some quality players. Lewis Wing, Harvey Knibbs, Femi Azeez and Sam Smith, if they they stay at the club, will continue to do great things for Reading after positive individual seasons for all them last term.

However, they have been hampered by a transfer embargo for most of this summer – which has meant they have been unable to strengthen their squad – which will come as a huge frustration to Ruben Selles.

Selles has also already stated that he would not be prepared to do another season at the club under the circumstances he was forced to work under last term so if this takeover doesn’t hurry up, they could run the risk of losing their manager who worked wonders at times last season.

If they are able to get that much-needed takeover over the line which, at the time of writing, looks like it could be imminent, and can bolster their squad with some quality then they could finish much higher. But, as it stands, it’s hard to place them any higher than lower mid-table.

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17. Bristol Rovers

After Joey Barton’s sacking, Matt Taylor – who had enjoyed success whilst in charge of Exeter City – seemed a promising appointment for Rovers, but things haven’t exactly gone to play so far.

The form Rovers ended last season with could be described as patchy at best with a lack of goals the real problem for Taylor’s men.

They have attempted to start afresh this summer, though, with 13 players departing – if you count loanees returning to parent clubs – have brought in 11 fresh faces at the time of writing.

Of those new signings, Isaac Hutchinson – who was instrumental for Walsall in League Two last season – probably looks the pick of the bunch and winger Promise Omochere could explode into something special with the right coaching.

I am just not quite sure how it all fits together yet, it will probably take a while for all these new players and profiles to gel together and for it to become cohesive, and I am not quite sure Taylor and Rovers is a match made in heaven yet.

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18. Burton Albion

What an utterly fascinating summer this has been so far for Burton Albion.

After being taken over by Swedish-based Nordic Football Group, which saw long-serving chairman Ben Robinson’s reign come to end, the Brewers have been extremely busy in the transfer market.

At the time of writing, 20 new signings – yes, TWENTY – have been made by the Brewers in a bizarre combination of players from Holland, Scotland, Sweden and USA as they look to emphatically enter this new era.

How well will this go? Well, that’s the million dollar question and one of things I am most fascinated to find out this season.

For additions like Billy Bodin and Elliot Watt, I can confidently say are good signings, but as for the rest…there are so many unknown quantities.

Throw in a new manager as well in Mark Robinson who has an unbelievable reputation in youth coaching and for developing young players, but failed in his only previous managerial role at AFC Wimbledon, and it’s quite hard to work out what to expect from the Brewers.

They could finish top, they could finish bottom…I’ve got them 18th.

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19. Stevenage

Stevenage were the ‘dark horses’ of League One last season and caught a few people by surprise by flirting with the play-offs before eventually finishing 9th – a very respectable finish for a newly-promoted club.

With Steve Evans departing the club for Rotherham, though, and Alex Revell rather surprisingly being reappointed as manager, I can see this being a much tougher campaign for Boro.

I suppose the thinking behind Revell’s appointment is that he’ll have learned from Evans having worked alongside him for the last couple of years and this will be a continuity appointment for the club.

However, I am concerned by his lacklustre first spell in charge of Stevenage, which saw them struggling towards the bottom end of League Two before Evans catapulted them to success, and question whether he can squeeze as much as out of this squad as his predecessor.

It might be a difficult campaign for Stevenage.

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20. Mansfield Town

After so many near-misses in recent years, Mansfield Town finally managed to get themselves over the line in League Two last season and now will be looking to establish themselves as a third tier club.

Davis Keillor-Dunn was the star of the show for the Stags last season, scoring nine goals and assisting another six in a hugely influential season, and – at the time of writing – have been able to keep hold of him and I have no doubt he’ll be able to step up to this level and continue to be a key player.

There are slight concerns about other areas of the squad, though. Jordan Bowery, who has spent most of his career as a striker, did a great job at right-back last season but you have to wonder that if he might get found out at League One level.

This is also an aging squad – the Stags’ starting line-ups last season often had an average age of over 30 – which, although has served them very well in League Two, may struggle slightly in the third tier.

That said, I have full faith in Nigel Clough as a manager, and although there could be some hairy moments this season, I do think he’ll be able to steer them clear of the relegation zone.

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21. Crawley Town

I was left with egg on my face last season when I predicted Crawley Town to go down from League Two whilst also stating that “I have never been more confident of a team getting relegated” – only for Scott Lindsay to guide them to promotion via the play-offs.

I am desperate not to fall into the same trap this season, but with the staggering amount of key players who have departed the club this summer, coupled with the jump up in quality from League Two to League One, it will surely be a difficult season for the Red Devils.

Don’t get me wrong, I like some of their business; particularly the signing of tricky winger Junior Quitirna from Fleetwood Town who has a very high potential ceiling.

However, it’s so tough to replace the likes of Will Wright, Danilo Orsi, Liam Kelly, Corey Addai, and Kellan Gordon – who were all so crucial to their success last season – and, even if the players they’ve signed are up to standard, it will take a while to gel them together and get them playing the way Lindsay wants.

I’d love to place them higher as they are a joy to watch on their day, but I think survival in League One might be a step too far for Crawley.

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22. Northampton Town

Northampton Town had a solid debut season back in League One last time out, securing a respectable 14th-place after promotion from the fourth tier, but they could be about to suffer from a serious bout of ‘second season syndrome’.

Jon Brady has done a superb job as Cobblers boss thus far, but he’s been in for a challenging summer; losing many of his best performers in Louie Moulden, Sam Sherring, Shaun McWilliams, Marc Leonard, Kieron Bowie, and Louis Appere.

They have made efforts to try and replace those players, but it’s not been easy, and although they have added Cameron McGeehan, Tom Eaves and James Wilson to their squad, but I’m not sure any of them come close to replacing the likes of Leonard or Bowie.

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23. Cambridge United

It feels like a long, long time ago since Garry Monk was a Manager of the Year contender in the Premier League, and unfortunately for him, I can see his managerial decline continuing in this upcoming League One season.

Although it had been three years since we last saw Monk in the dugout prior to him replacing Neil Harris at the Abbey Stadium in March, he clearly hadn’t forgotten the contact details of some of his old favourites.

Michael Morrison and Gary Gardner, who both served Monk well during his stint as Birmingham City manager, have been snapped up this summer; as have some fresh faces in Kell Watts, Shayne Lavery and Taylor Richards among others.

I still have huge doubts over Monk as a manager in 2023, though. If he’s able to recapture some of the magic that earned him a fair few admirers in the early years of his managerial career, he could get the U’s punching above their weight.

But if this goes how I fear it might go, it could end up in relegation back to League Two.

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24. Shrewsbury Town

Prepare yourself for a bad season, Shrewsbury fans. I have the Salop coming rock bottom of League One.

Since Paul Hurst very nearly guided Shrewsbury Town to the Championship in the 2017-18 season, his managerial record has been mixed, having guided Grimsby Town back to the EFL but also enduring difficult spells with Ipswich Town and Scunthorpe United.

Unfortunately, I am finding it quite hard to see Hurst weaving the same magic that he did back in 17-18 with a squad that, quite frankly, looks like one of the weakest on paper in the division.

Some key players have departed, Tom Bayliss and Dan Udoh the most notable, and I’m not sure the business they have done will be enough to drag them away from the mire.

If John Marquis can recapture his best scoring form, maybe that gives Salop a chance, but I fear those days are long gone for the veteran striker.

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