2023/24 hasn’t been as comfortable for Leyton Orient as they would have initially hoped. The reigning League Two champions were fancied to make their mark in an open division but took until the 26th August to win their first match and have only won one league fixture at Brisbane Road since. Richie Wellens is known for his successful attacking philosophy as a League Two manager, but is yet to really find the right system for his players in League One. A recent 3-4-3 includes a frontline of Ruel Sotiriou, Joe Pigott and George Moncur from the off. Sotiriou has long been admired for his potential and the Cypriot forward is Orient’s top scorer this term with four. Pigott has contributed just once so far. Moncur feels out of place out wide when he had most success last year in midfield alongside the disciplined Darren Pratley and metronome middleman Idris El Mizouni. Theo Archibald has been dropped back from right-wing last year to a supportive left wing back role. Jordan Graham has provided a handful of assists from right wing back.

Lincoln City won 2-0 against rock-bottom Cheltenham Town at the weekend and find themselves tenth in the current table. The Imps probably deserve more credit for their season so far, possessing one of the division’s better defensive records. Only the big-hitters of Bolton Wanderers and Portsmouth have beaten Lincoln in league matches so far. Mark Kennedy’s 3-4-3 includes Danish goalkeeper Lukas Jensen behind a trio of Irish talent Sean Roughan, central defender Adam Jackson and fellow Irishman Paudie O’Connor. Lasse Sørensen is a converted right wing back who provides an underrated attacking threat and netted both goals against Cheltenham Town. Jaden Brown can play on the left with Coventry City loanee Jack Burroughs acting as cover and competition on either side. Ethan Erhahon is a technical midfielder and a key part of the Lincoln team, often alongside the more dynamic and aggressive Ethan Hamilton. If not for an injury problem up top, Lincoln could be faring even better than they currently do. Reeco Hackett, Teddy Bishop, box-to-box man Alistair Smith, and match-winning talent Daniel Mandroiu rotate their time on the flanks. Injury to main men Ben House and Tyler Walker is currently forcing Mark Kennedy to deploy natural winger Hakeeb Adelakun up top with youngster Jovon Makama his alternative.

Despite Lincoln City’s frontline issues, Mark Kennedy has still formed the Imps into a very competitive outfit. The visitors are priced up as strong outsiders for this game down in East London, and that does not feel right when the Imps have a much clearer identity and shape at this stage of the season. Lincoln are so far unbeaten away at bottom half opposition. They will be targeting an extension of that record on Tuesday night.

Oxford United are a side transformed. Having just done enough to survive last season, the U’s have been backed with quality to assist head coach Liam Manning. The 38-year-old built a huge reputation for his promotion-challenging Milton Keynes Dons side and is seeing his stock rise again with a wonderful Oxford team. Brighton and Hove Albion loanee James Beadle is a goalkeeper who provides quality in possession. Cameron Brannagan and Marcus McGuane are constants in midfield, providing support to attacking midfielder Rúben Rodrigues. The Portuguese star looked like a player well below his natural level whilst in non-league with Notts County, and there is an argument that he still is now in League One. Jamaican left-back Greg Leigh had a star display at the weekend playing at left-wing. Homegrown talent Tyler Goodrham, Josh Murphy, Ipswich Town loanee Kyle Edwards, and bright Everton loanee Stanley Mills all influence on the flanks. Billy Bodin regularly leads the line with young Gatlin O’Donkor growing his output and minutes with each passing season.

A 0-0 draw at home to Charlton Athletic confirmed an unwanted record for Shrewsbury Town. Salop went the entirety of September without scoring a goal in any competition, their only positive results being that draw with the Addicks and a penalty shoot-out bonus-point win over Brighton and Hove Albion U21 in the EFL Trophy. Shrewsbury’s struggles were flagged as the month progressed. New manager Matt Taylor is struggling to set this team alight in a 3-5-2 variation. Aside from bright Nigerian striker Daniel Udoh, Salop lacks sufficient attacking threat and proven firepower. Kieran Phillips and Kiwi striker Max Mata are yet to register a goal since arriving. Midfielders Carl Winchester, Taylor Perry, Tom Bayliss, and Hibernian loanee Nohan Kenneh lack the creative output seen in games last term. Wing-back options Elliott Bennett, Mal Benning and Hull City loanee Brandon Fleming are not having the desired attacking impact in a largely direct setup. It could be argued that central defender Chey Dunkley still possesses one of Shrewsbury’s biggest threats when up for set pieces.

Shrewsbury’s wait for a first goal since the 26th August goes on, and this is not the place they would naturally expect to find it. Oxford sit just a point off top, averaging two goals a game. Shrewsbury on the other hand have just four to their name in 2023/24, a tally only worsened by rock bottom Cheltenham. Yellows could make the scoreline comfortable in this one.

Whisper it quietly, but this could finally be the year Portsmouth get out of League One.

The appointment of John Mousinho back in January raised plenty of eyebrows, a former defender brought straight out of a player/coach role at Oxford United and into the hotseat of one of the third tier’s most expectant sides. Positive backing in the summer transfer market raised hopes, and they are so far being matched. Portsmouth sit top of the pile after ten matches on 22 points and are on a long unbeaten run in the league which stretches back into March of last season. Key to the success of Mousinho’s 4-2-3-1 are the centre back pairing or Conor Shaughnessy and Regan Poole, disciplined midfielder Marlon Pack, Manchester City loan star Alex Robertson in attacking midfield, and key goalscorer Colby Bishop who is supported by lively Norwich City loanee Abu Kamara and Northern Ireland international Paddy Lane. The all-action Joe Morrell supports both Pack and Robertson in midfield whilst Gavin Whyte adds a direct wide option on either flank.

Portsmouth’s latest test comes in the form of Wycombe Wanderers, another with a rookie boss in the form of club legend Matt Bloomfield. After a brief shaky start, Bloomfield has guided the Chairboys to five wins in their last seven league matches. The formation has varied between a 4-3-3 and 3-5-2, though right-sided defender Chris Forino has been a constant in defence throughout. Against Carlisle United at the weekend, he was supported by the vastly experienced Richard Keogh and versatile penalty specialist Luke Leahy. Josh Scowen and Freddie Potts form an underappreciated midfield pairing, joined on occasion by Leahy or veteran attacking force Garath McCleary with loanees Harry Boyes and Jasper Pattenden the wing backs. Former Wales international star Sam Vokes registered his second goal of the season against Carlisle, joined in a front two by the direct Brandon Hanlan. Lively Nottingham Forest loanee Dale Taylor, fluid Crystal Palace loanee Killian Phillips and Gibraltar international Tjay De Barr are additional forward options.

Tuesday night provides a great test for the league leaders as a confident Wycombe Wanderers head to Fratton Park. The visitors are growing in strength as the season progresses, but it is hard to ignore the high-flying hosts. It is more than six months since John Mousinho’s Portsmouth last lost a league fixture. A combination of smart tactics and smart substitutions has left them always capable of finding the result to keep their strong run going. Backed by a buoyant south coast crowd, they will be going all out for win seven from game 11.

AFC Wimbledon have genuinely become one of the best sides in the league over the course of one summer. Johnnie Jackson and his recruitment team have created a side that is strong in most facets of the game, allowing them to create chances and they are starting to take them.

The Dons have managed over 1.2 xG in all but two of their league outings. They have scored in every game since opening day, scoring two or more on six occasions. They aren’t slowing down either – they have had a whopping 55 shots in their last three matches with 20 of those being on target – an average of 6.67 per game.

They also enter this game having lost just once this term – against a very strong Stockport County side.

It’s hard not to be positive on them when they are taking on a Harrogate Town side that have been so flaky since their arrival into the EFL, something continuing this term.

They do come into this unbeaten in three matches. However, one was a 1-1 draw with a toothless Bradford City side, another against a Salford City side containing just ten fit senior players and the other a 1-0 win against MK Dons on Saturday in which they had three shots and scored via a bizarre own goal – the hosts had a whopping 27 efforts at goal.

Harrogate have already lost at home against Forest Green Rovers and Barrow this term and face arguably their toughest test of the campaign in midweek, as Johnnie Jackson’s men look to continue their promising start to the season.

Newport County have embarked on a wretched run of form – they head into midweek winless in five having lost three in that time. But, they are still scoring goals.

Since their opening-day loss at Accrington Stanley, Graham Coughlan’s side have scored in all nine league matches. It’s no fluke either, his side creating a minimum of 0.88 xG in each of their last seven and more than 1 xG in five of those.

Of course, they aren’t winning football matches which means that while they are scoring, they are also conceding. Their three victories this season have come against current bottom-five opposition. They have conceded in each of their last six, conceded more than 1 xG in their last three and an injury to James Clarke hasn’t helped matters either – Declan Drysdale is taking time to find his feet after a long injury layoff.

Colchester United know all about defensive changes – only one of the back five that started the season is starting now.

Ben Garner’s U’s are finding their goalscoring feet. They won a bonkers 5-4 encounter with Notts County at the weekend, the fourth consecutive game in which they’ve scored, fourth in seven in which they’ve scored more than one, and fifth in seven in which they’ve created 1.5 xG or more – they created over 4 xG against Tranmere Rovers.

Both teams have scored in each of their last three. Colchester have kept two clean sheets this season – against a Gillingham side showing little attacking flair and a Tranmere side that were simply pathetic on the day. They have conceded more than 1.6 xG in five of their league outings and over 5 xG in their last two combined.

Stockport County are looking like the team everybody expected them to be in pre-season.

Now on the outskirts of the play-off positions, Dave Challinor’s side have won each of their last four league outings, impressively beating top-half outfits in Wimbledon, MK Dons, and Wrexham. They have also scored at least two goals in each of their last six matches and in Isaac Olaofe and Louie Barry, have two players in unbelievable form at the top end of the pitch.

A change of shape has helped. Too many mistakes were being made early doors so Challinor has found a way of getting his best players involved at once – Will Collar and Antoni Sarcevic are both playing key roles as part of a midfield diamond and the defence are making less mistakes.

Forest Green Rovers haven’t been quite as poor as their scorelines suggest. They are creating opportunities and have scored in their last six.

The problem is that they can’t defend. David Horseman’s side have conceded two or more goals in each of their last four and seven of their ten league games this term. They have conceded 1.5 xG or more in six of their last eight and in that time have conceded an average of over 15 shots and six shots on target per game.

When you’re gifting that many opportunities to a side with the quality of Stockport County, you have to expect to be on the losing end.