🔵 Predicted Finish: 1st 🤝 Transfers No secret about the financial backing Ipswich have had this summer which has undoubtedly transformed them into title contenders this season. The club were bought by the Gamechanger 20 group in April, with the Three Lions of Brett Johnson, Berke Bakay and Mark Detmer leading a takeover backed by money from a Phoenix-based pension fund. The American owners, it is fair to say, aren't short on cash and have invested heavily in the playing squad so far this summer with ten players brought in and manager Paul Cook has said to expect at least 4 or 5 more before the window shuts. Some very impressive and sizable business already done with Rakeem Harper joining from WBA for a hefty £522,000 and George Edmundson signed from Rangers for a fee believed to be around £750,000. Joe Pigott, Scott Fraser and Conor Chaplin look like further exciting additions in attack with plenty of goals between them sure to make the Tractor Boys more potent going forwards. Goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky looks a fantastic bit of business too as he signs for an undisclosed fee from Salford City. He conceded just 34 goals in 45 games last season, keeping 21 clean sheets in the process and appears an exceptional goalkeeper. Business looks really impressive on the face of it and with more business still to come I am expecting big things from Ipswich this season. Complete overhaul of the squad which was to be expected given the investment and raft of players coming in. Fifteen departures but plenty of those who have left were past their sell by date and Cook won’t be too upset to see them out the door. Andre Dozzell is probably the most high-profile departure as he leaves for Championship outfit QPR for a fee upwards of £1 million. Many of those who have left have joined League Two/lower level League One clubs though which shows overall the squad has improved considerably from last season and once the players gel I think they will be in a very good place. 👉 Verdict Huge ambitions this season for Paul Cook and the new-look Tractor boys who are expecting big things this season. The signings are mightily impressive and if they can bring in a few more to flesh out the squad then they have undoubtedly the best playing squad in the division. The only thing that could possibly cost them is the speed in which the overhaul has taken place with the squad basically completely changing in the space of just two months. However, I expect the immense quality to shine through and I am tipping Ipswich to win League One this season.

🔴 Predicted Finish: 2nd 🤝 Transfers Can Paul Warne make it a hat-trick of promotions from League One? Rotherham have been the definition of a yo-yo club over the past half a decade and they’ve been relatively quiet as they prepare for yet another season in a different division to the one they started the previous season in. Matt Crooks is off to Middlesbrough and although Rangers fans won’t remember him too fondly, as they don’t with many of the players brought in during the same summer as Crooks (2016/17 – the same time the likes of Joey Barton, Phillipe Senderos and Lee Hodson arrived), Crooks has developed into a fine Championship player. Matthew Olosunde will also be sticking in the Championship with Preston but they should be able to deal with the rest of the departures with minimal fuss. They’ll likely look to add a couple more signings before the end of the window but the signing of Shane Ferguson is a good start to their summer business, especially if there’s a little more to come on the incomings front. Hakeem Odoffin and Oliver Rathbone look to be two coming in (they very well may be signed by the time you’re reading this) and both will add a lot of quality to this Rotherham side. Odoffin was probably Hamilton’s second best player in the Premiership last season and Rathbone’s quality from the middle of the park is undoubted at this level. 👉 Verdict I really fancy Rotherham to have another good season in the third tier of English football. They’ve got a squad that’s largely the same as the one that was mightily unlucky to go down from the Championship last season. Michael Smith, Freddie Ladapo and Johsua Kayode make up a fantastic pool of strikers at Warne’s disposal. Odoffin and Rathbone would be excellent replacements for Crooks and Shaun McDonald should they be able to pull off the impressive double deal and should they arrive then there’s no reason why Rotherham won’t be preparing for yet another season of Championship football come this time next year.

🐈‍⬛ Predicted Finish: 3rd 🤝 Transfers Summer after summer it seemed Sunderland were splashing big money to dig them out of their most recent hole, but it’s certainly been different this off-season. So far, Alex Pritchard and Corry Evans have arrived to add some experience and quality to the midfield. Pritchard cost Huddersfield over £10 million three years ago and though it never worked out with them, there’s a player of undeniable quality in there if he can stay fit. Elsewhere the only other first-team arrival so far is the loan signing of Callum Doyle from Man City and the 17-year-old is expected to challenge to become the heir to Dion Sanderson, with the Wolves defender choosing Birmingham over Sunderland this summer. More will come in before the end of the window as the squad does look a little thin on the ground, up top particularly. Last season’s top scorer Charlie Wyke is gone, enticed by the newly monied Wigan. He banged in 31 goals across all competitions last season and that was down in no small part to Aiden McGeady’s return to the side in December. McGeady looks set to stay but Wyke is gone and Sunderland’s striking options don’t look ideal. Ross Stewart will, as things stand, lead the line and though his physique lends itself to being a natural Wyke replacement he’s never been the most consistent of scorers in the professional game. He could get his chance though and with Pritchard and McGeady out wide and the returning Elliot Embleton in the middle he, or whoever Lee Johnson and new owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus decide to bring in to lead the line, won’t be short of quality service. 👉 Verdict Sunderland are favourites for this division but currently don’t look to have a reliant goalscorer in the same way Wigan, Ipswich or Portsmouth do. Stewart is a hard-working target man but it remains to be seen whether he can translate those qualities into goals at a good level. They still look short in defence too so it might need to be a mad dash for Sunderland between now and the end of the month if they’re to finish building a squad good enough to earn automatic promotion from a League One division that is probably as tough as it has ever been since Sunderland dropped into the league. I fear they may just miss out on automatic promotion having left themselves still with a lot to do but there’s quality at the club and players will arrive in time to get them into the Play-Offs.

🔵 Predicted Finish: 4th 🤝 Transfers After narrowly missing out on survival on the last day of the season, Wycombe can be more than proud of their efforts to remain in the Championship and do enter the new campaign in good shape and with their key man still in the dugout. Gareth Ainsworth had been heavily linked to leave the club towards the end of last season with Preston one of the clubs most interested in the Wycombe gaffer but he’s still with the Chairboys and will be expectant at taking his side back up at the first time of asking. He’ll have to do it without last season’s top scorer Uche Ikpeazu who’s off to Middlesbrough, as his abrasive style lends itself well to the second tier of English football. Fred Onyedinma and Josh Knight are also sticking in the Championship too but this Wycombe side has always been more about the collective than any real star names or golden generation. Headed to Adams Park are some decent names in Josh Scowen, Sulley Kaikai and Sam Vokes. Scowen wasn’t always the most appreciated at Sunderland, but his energy will suit being a midfielder for Ainsworth. Vokes never really worked out at Stoke but if he can deliver a goal return similar to some that he managed for Burnley then he’ll be the perfect replacement for Ikpeazu. Kaikai was dangerous in Blackpool’s successful promotion bid at this level last season and should be a hit at Adams Park. 👉 Verdict Wycombe ended the Championship campaign on fire, winning six of their last 11 games to take them within a whisker of staying up, something that few gave them a chance of doing at any point in the season. They’ve held onto the majority of the squad from not just last season but also the team that got them into the Championship in the first place two seasons ago. Ainsworth is a hugely talented manager and could be managing a side with Play-Off aspirations in the Championship if he really wanted to but, for now, he’s more than content with trying to get Wycombe back there. They’ll be one of many sides aiming to bustle their way into the top six and with so many teams expectant of such a finish they will have to have their wits about them. They’re certainly a street-wise team and the fact that there’s not been wholesale changes at Adams Park, like so many of their promotion rivals, should stand them in good stead.

🔵 Predicted Finish: 5th 🤝 Transfers Alongside Ipswich, Wigan’s transfer business has been the most eye-catching in the division and probably throughout the EFL too. Surviving in League One last season was nothing short of a miracle from Wigan and Leam Richardson and in doing so he secured hero status in the town but this season, expectations will be different. Going from starting the season in complete disarray like last year to entering this one with some very exciting signings means there’s pressure on Wigan to not just stay up this time around but to make a real tilt at promotion too. The signings certainly reflect that with the likes of Charlie Wyke, Ben Amos, Max Power, Tom Naylor, Gwion Edwards, Jack Whatmaugh and Stephen Humphrys making for one hell of a statement of intent from new chairman Talal Al-Hammad. Wyke was the second top scorer in the division last season and turned down a new deal with Sunderland to head to Wigan. Whatmaugh, Amos and Edwards could all probably be playing in the Championship this season so expectations will quite rightly be set on promotion. It may come down to how quickly these big signings all gel together but there’s certainly more than enough ability for the talented Richardson to work with. 👉 Verdict The business is certainly eye-catching and it will be interesting to see how Richardson lines up Will Keane, Humphrys, Wyke and Callum Lang (or as many as possible) in the one team but it’s certainly a nicer problem to have than many they faced last season. For me, it’s a lot to ask for this squad to immediately hit the ground running and really push for an automatic promotion spot this season and will likely have to be more content with aiming for the Play-Offs, like so much of this division.

🔴 Predicted Finish: 6th 🤝 Transfers A relatively quiet window from the Addicks by League One standards with just five arrivals at The Valley at the time of writing. Charlton narrowly missed out on a place in the Play-Offs last term after appointing the ex-Southampton and Hull City boss as the man to replace Lee Bowyer. The club will be pleased to bring both Jayden Stockley and Akin Famenwo back to the club following impressive loan spells last season. Craig MacGillivary is an upgrade in goal as he signs from Portsmouth and should prove to be a very decent number one for the campaign ahead. Midfield duo Sean Clare and George Dobson have arrived to inject some more quality into that department. Charlton sources suggest more business is to be done between now and the end of the season as the London club look to ensure they make the playoffs after narrowly missing out last season. The loss of top scorer from last Chuks Aneke will be a blow as he decides to join Birmingham City to link up with former Charlton boss Lee Bowyer. The club also decided to let Darren Pratley, Deji Oshilaja, Erhun Oztumer and Andrew Shinnie leave when their contract expired. All four have found new homes now. A fairly uneventful and drama free window for Charlton so far which after years of uncertainty isn’t a bad thing at all. 👉 Verdict A settled window with decent bits of business to add to a core group of players which are capable of finishing in the playoffs this season. Still feel a bit more business needs to be done between now and the end of the window to further cement their place as a top 6 shoe-in. Adkins knows what he is doing at League One level and has been promoted three times with Scunthorpe United (x2) and Southampton. With Adkins at the helm and a solid core of players I think they just about have enough to go one better than last season and make it into the playoffs this year.

🔴 Predicted Finish: 7th 🤝 Transfers The headlines on the Lincoln transfer front come in the outgoings with the influential Jorge Grant switching League One for newly promoted Peterborough in the Championship. He was joint top scorer for the Imps last season and his absence won’t be made easier to deal with as two more of the players of the past season have left Michael Appleton’s side this summer too. Loanees Brennan Johnson and Morgan Rogers (the man Manchester City reportedly have offered Aston Villa to sweeten the Jack Grealish deal) were important players but they won’t be back. The loan market will once again be key for a side with ambitions of going one better than last season’s Play-Off final loss. Dan N’Lundulu (Southampton) and Lewis Fiorini (Man City) are the two attacking loanees who could have a similar impact this season as Johnson and Rogers did in the last. They might have to hit the ground the running but in the signing of Chris Maguire from Sunderland they have brought in another potential match-winner. Even at 32, Maguire is capable of a bit of magic and comes into add a bit of experience to a young front line. Josh Griffiths is another loanee of which big things are expected, the 19-yaer-old will replace West Brom team mate Alex Palmer between the Lincoln sticks this season. 👉 Verdict It’s another young squad assembled by Appleton but that stood them in such good stead last season. Finding the goals that have left with Grant, Johnson and Rogers won’t be easy but in the arrivals of N’Lundulu, Fiorini and Lasse Sorensen there’s players with similar ceilings arriving that, if they deliver on their considerable promise, could help better last season’s 5th placed finish. But, with some big sides spending considerable money this summer, it will be a campaign that Lincoln will have to squeeze everything out of their squad and even then, it might be a little too much to ask of the Imps to secure automatic promotion, though a Play-Off spot and the promotion lottery that comes with it would be another commendable achievement from a manager who should be managing in the Championship before too long.

🟡 Predicted Finish: 8th 🤝 Transfers Sean Clare and Rob Atkinson have departed and brought Oxford United and Karl Robinson some money to use this summer, though Atkinson was vital to Oxford as they fell at the Play-Off semi-final stage last season. The big centre half has been replaced by the temporary arrival of Jordan Thorniley from Blackpool, the side that knocked Oxford out of the Play-Offs last season. Josh Ruffels has also joined Atkinson in the Championship and will be lining up with Huddersfield this season, he’s been replaced by Birmingham’s Steve Seddon but replicating Ruffels output will be no mean feat for the 23-year-old. Brandon Barker, Olamide Shodipo and Liam Kelly have all left the club after their loans finished and that is a decent amount of quality and minutes from last season lost. Robinson has added some exciting attacking talent on loan though, with Gavin Whyte and Nathan Holland both more than capable of being difference makers at this level. Marcus McGuane, Ryan Williams and Billy Bodin have each signed permamanet deals and could give Oxford the quality needed to make it three successive Play-Off finishes. 👉 Verdict I fear they might not have quite enough to complete the hat-trick of top six finishes and though they’ve been relatively quiet in the window they’ve lost a lot of talent. Atkinson is a big loss and I’m not sure Thorniley is capable of deputising for him. They struggled against the top six last season, picking up just six points from the sides who joined them in the Play-Offs and the two automatically promoted sides, so they’ll need to show they can do more than play nice football and really step up in the big games if they’re to have a successful campaign.

🔵 Predicted Finish: 9th 🤝 Transfers The outgoings at Pompey this summer are surprising with a lot of quality departing the club without so much as a fee being brought in and the majority heading to rivals in League One. Jack Whatmaugh and Ben Close are two players who could’ve brought in decent sums for Danny Cowley to use to bolster his rebuild in his first summer in charge at Fratton Park but both left for nothing to Wigan and Doncaster respectively. They join Andy Cannon, James Bolton, Craig MacGillivray, Ryan Williams in heading out the door on frees, with the majority being picked up by sides likely to be battling Pompey for a spot at the top end of League One. That mass exodus of senior players does mean that there’s space and the wages available for the Cowley brothers to stamp their authority on a squad that collapsed last season and contrived to finished outside the Play-Offs after winning just two of their last eight games. Shaun Williams, Kieron Freeman, Clark Robertson and Ryan Tunnicliffe are experienced operators and should provide a good amount of quality at this level, particularly Tunnicliffe who has yet to play below the Championship in his career. Man City loanee Gavin Bazunu is highly thought of and has already made his full Ireland debut despite still being a teenager and the keeper will hope this season is more successful than the last, a campaign in which he lost his spot as first-choice goalie at Rochdale towards the end of a season that culminated in relegation to League Two. 👉 Verdict Holding on to Ronan Curtis and John Marquis could prove to be massive with both two of the best forwards in League One. Both got into double figures for goals last season and they’ll need to do the same again if they’re to at least make the Play-Offs. My worry for Pompey is the size of their squad and more pertinently, the quality of the names behind the starting XI. There’s the nucleus of a strong first 11 for Cowley but it doesn’t look a side filled with talent ready to take on a 50+ game season, which is surely the target for a side aiming to be playing Championship football next campaign. They’ll likely be active between now and the end of the window but if Pompey are to return to the second tier they still need a few talented bodies through the door.

⚪️ Predicted Finish: 10th 🤝 Transfers Well, I’d love to tell you it had been a quiet summer for MK Dons but I’ve been putting off writing this preview as long as possible as Russell Martin looked likely to be heading to Championship Swansea. He’s gone now and they’ve not replaced him yet but, going by the odds for his replacement, it looks like another inexperienced manager will be favoured for Martin’s old job. Losing Martin is a massive blow but it’s one that the board will surely have at least thought about with the former Scotland international being hot property. He had been busy in the window before his departure so whoever comes in to replace him isn’t quite starting from a clean slate. The signings of Max Watters, Troy Parrott, Mo Eisa, Josh Martin and Scott Twine means goals should flow this season, even though they’ve lost their star player Scott Fraser and the 19 goals he contributed to the last campaign as he made the switch to League One’s Globetrotters Ipswich early on in the window. Ethan Robson could help ease the creative burden and I’ve been a fan of the rangy midfielder ever since his brief spell in Scotland with Dundee. He does have recent experience of getting out of this division, helping Blackpool to promotion last season and he’ll hope for a similar end to this campaign as the last. 👉 Verdict The loss of Martin is undeniably massive but he had brought in some interesting names to replace Fraser and Cameron Jerome so there’s a good platform for the new manager to build on. They were playing some nice football last season and were the xG darlings of League One but inconsistency brought a midtable finish. I fear it may be similar this season as a new manager, both to the club and likely to professional management too, and new forward line will take time to find their feet. There is talent in the squad and should a new manager hit the ground running, then the Play-Offs shouldn’t be outwith their reach.

🦉 Predicted Finish: 11th 🤝 Transfers After a tumultuous few seasons Sheffield Wednesday were relegated in the last campaign due, in no small part, to a points deduction but the positive of dropping down a division is that they should have the chance of a hard reset. That’s exactly what Darren Moore has set about doing this summer, despite the club still being under something of a transfer embargo. A lot of the first team squad that have been treated so poorly by owner Dejphon Chansiri have left since the end of the last campaign, with the best part of a matchday squad leaving Hillsborough. The vast majority of departures have been from the experienced core of the Championship squad but talented youngsters Liam Shaw and Osaze Urhoghide have headed north for Celtic, two players who could’ve come in handy this season. The arrivals do look encouraging though. Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Olamide Shodipo, Jack Hunt, Dennis Adeniran and Jaden Brown should all be able to have an impact on the squad and likely the starting XI too. I’m not overly impressed by the signing of Flo Kamberi though. His career has tailed off a fair bit since signing for Hibs in 2018 where he originally scored for fun. Subsequent spells at Rangers, St. Gallen and Aberdeen have yielded one league goal and he looked miles off it at Aberdeen last season. There’s certainly a player in there and Wednesday might need to find it if there to have any hope of making an instant return to the second tier, though it will surely be too early for a team coming off the back of a rocky few years and having lost a lot of experience in this window. 👉 Verdict Sheffield Wednesday do have a suspended points deduction hanging over them this season if they fail to play player’s wages between now and the end of the campaign which could have a massive impact on how they get on this season. Their incomings list looks fairly impressive but they have lost a lot of decent players this summer and it’s a lot, almost certainly too much, to ask of Moore to get this side back into the Championship. As things stand, Barry Bannan, Josh Windass and Dominic Iorfa are all still at the club and each could play a big part at this level should they stick around though I’m not sure relying on the goals of Callum Paterson will be enough for Moore and Wednesday this season.

🔴 Predicted Finish: 12th 🤝 Transfers John Coleman continues to excel at the helm of Accrington Stanley and what an exceptional job he has done in his near seven years in charge. It is widely known that they have one of the lowest budgets in the division yet Coleman continues to guide his side to safety in mid table with 11th their best ever finish to date last season. Plenty of youngsters brought in this summer from the likes of Liverpool, Burnley and Manchester City who are sure to flourish under the likeable Coleman. Two experienced purchases brought in too amongst the raft of youngsters in the shape of Harry Pell and John O’Sullivan from Colchester and Morecambe respectively. Pell looks a top signing with the former U’s captain sure to bring leadership and composure in the middle of the park. Key departures have often hindered Accy in years gone by but as things stand Coleman appears to have been able to keep the core of his group together from last season. Seven departures but none of which will really hinder the team and there is an argument to be said that the club look stronger this season than they did last. 👉 Verdict Accy continue to improve year on year and an 11th placed finish was an exceptional achievement for a club of their size and stature. Squad looks as good as it ever has and Coleman has acknowledged that too by saying it looks one of the strongest he has worked with. Unsure what the ceiling is for the club but a playoff push isn’t completely out of the realms of possibility. However there are some big teams in the league with plenty of quality so I think something similar to last season is the most likely scenario this campaign.

⚪️ Predicted Finish: 13th 🤝 Transfers The first side we touch on who were promoted from League Two last season and I have few doubts about Wanderers ability to compete in League One this season. Ian Evatt who struggled at first to get his team playing last season has certainly turned his team’s fortunes around as he got his side in to the final promotion spot in League Two. Some very impressive business too on the face of it and Bolton no doubt look like a team on the up under the ownership of the impressive Sharon Brittan. Declan John and in particular Josh Sheehan look like exceptional bits of business and are sure to improve the squad further. They were lacking goals last season and the addition of the exciting Xavier Amaechi and Amadou Bakayoko should help bring more threat in the final third. Evatt will be pleased to have kept his core group of players together and the squad in my opinion haven’t really lost anyone of any note from last season. There was interest in some of their key players including the likes of Ricardo Santos but Evatt seems to have convinced his players on the project and the club as a whole are going from strength to strength. 👉 Verdict Momentum is certainly with Bolton, a team which won 16 of its final 22 games in League Two to drive into the automatic promotion places last season. A strong summer in terms of transfers and in Ian Evatt look to have a manager who is developing into one of the best in the EFL. A little risk placing them so high given they are newly-promoted but I don’t think there is much chance of them being relegated this season and in all honesty are more likely to be fighting for a playoff place. All things considered, midtable seems the most likely finishing place for an impressive Wanderers side this campaign.

🔴 Predicted Finish: 14th 🤝 Transfers Richie Wellens took the job in May having left Salford City back in March following a fairly underwhelming spell in charge. He has been quick to air his concerns to the clubs board that the squad is looking a little thin and reports suggest will discuss plans with talent identification manager Graham Younger and chief executive Gavin Baldwin before meeting with chairman David Blunt to check on finances in the coming days. Injuries have further hampered his plans with the news that both Jordy Hiwula and Fejiri Okenabirhie will miss the start of the season. Wellens has said he is happy with about 12 players in the squad but they are ‘missing a bit of an underbelly’. Eight players brought in thus far with some decent captures including Tommy Rowe from Bristol City and Jordy Hiwula from Portsmouth. Matt Smith who joins on loan from Arsenal is a highly-thought of technical midfielder who enjoyed a fine loan spell with Swindon last season. Seven departures so far and Wellens has confirmed there will be no more leaving the Keepmoat this summer with numbers within the squad looking relatively thin. Club legend James Coppinger has finally hung up his boots at the age of 40 after an outstanding 689 appearances for the club. Reece James departure will be met with disappointment as he leaves the club to join Championship outfit Blackpool. The versatile left back had been offered fresh terms by Rovers as he approached the end of his deal but indicated his desire to await potential offers from Championship clubs. 👉 Verdict Fourteenth last year and transfer dealings haven’t impressed me enough to think there will be a major improvement on that this season. The club have lofty ambitions and I feel in a couple of seasons time with the right business can once again challenge for promotion to the Championship. Feels like a transition season for Rovers who have lost a number of important players especially those who were on loan last season such as Tyreece John-Jules. Late injuries have hampered them but I am confident they will be fine and use this season as a building block for seasons to come.

🔵 Predicted Finish: 15th 🤝 Transfers Decent season for Gills last year as they finished in tenth following a very strong second half of the season under the management of the experienced Steve Evans. Business looks decent enough and Evans has brought some exciting players in, particularly on loan despite the club notoriously have a pretty low playing budget. Goalkeeper Jamie Cumming joins on loan from Chelsea and should prove to be an inspired signing with the youngster having enjoyed a brilliant campaign on loan at Stevenage last season. Rhys Bennett is a very decent capture from Carlisle and the experienced Olly Lee returns on a permanent basis having spent some of last season on loan at the club from Scottish outfit Hearts. Former Arsenal and Birmingham City player Dan Crowley is also on trial and if he finds his A game is a supremely talented player at this level. Steve Evans has publicly labelled the spending in League One this summer as ‘ridiculous’, going on to say "Nobody will give us a chance in League 1 but the money is getting out of control, the spending is ridiculous and I am not talking about any particular club. There are clubs who have got huge wage roles, huge, 10 times more than us." Some important from departures over the summer, most notably you would say is Jordan Graham who leaves to join Championship side Birmingham City. During his time at MEMS Priestfield Stadium, Graham made 44 appearances and scored 13 goals and was an integral part of the first-team last season. A couple of other important first-team players decided to leave too with number 1 goalkeeper Jack Bonham joining up with Stoke City and first choice left back Connor Ogilvie moving on to Portsmouth. Squad on the whole probably looks slightly worse than it did last season but not too much of a downgrade. 👉 Verdict I don’t think Gillingham are a bad side at all and I also don’t think they have got particularly worse compared to last season. However League One appears very strong this season with plenty of money being splashed about as Steve Evans has acknowledged. As a result I feel Gills will fall a few positions this season due to the general strength of the league going up considerably. Fifteenth seems a fair estimate for the Gills this season.

🛤 Predicted Finish: 16th 🤝 Transfers In their first season back in League One during the 2020/2021 season, Crewe had a solid campaign, finishing the term 20 points clear of the relegation zone with everything about their performance confirming and validating their midtable position. The challenge now for David Artell and his team is to consolidate their position in League One and ensure they continue to build season on season. They finished 12th last season and from what I have read and heard, they would be pleased to get something similar this season. Five players through the door this summer with some decent enough looking business completed by the club. Hoban joins from Aberdeen with almost 8,500 minutes of experience in the Championship and Scottish Premiership. If he can stay clear of injury, he is a very capable signing and will slot in nicely at centre-back. Shaun MacDonald joins from Rotherham and will bring experience and knowhow in the middle of the park. Chris Long is another who comes from Scotland as he joins from Motherwell. Long doesn’t have the most prolific of scoring records but is a big, physical striker and potentially could thrive in League One. They have lost two ever-present players from last season – Ryan Wintle and Omar Beckles have moved onto Cardiff and Leyton Orient respectively. This in addition to the January departures of Harry Pickering and Perry Ng means Crewe have lost 4 key players in the space of just 8 months and they will prove extremely difficult to replace. 👉 Verdict From what I have read, success this year for many at the club will be securing safety, anything above that should be considered a bonus. It is after all just their second season back at this level of football, steadying the ship is integral before attempting to push on. Feel they are too good to go down and somewhere between midtable and 18th seems like the most feasible league finish for Crewe Alex this year.

🔵 Predicted Finish: 17th 🤝 Transfers The Dons have made seven additions to their squad this summer with Darius Charles, George Marsh, Zaki Oualah, Aaron Cosgrave, Luke McCormick, Aaron Pressley and Henry Lawrence all coming through the door at Plough Lane. Wimbledon boss Mark Robinson has stated he is pleased with the business done by the club this summer. Many are excited by the capture of young striker Aaron Pressley in particular with the young striker highly thought of following an impressive spell with Brentford ‘B’. Wimbledon have gained plaudits for their courage to build a young squad combined with a sprinkling of experience but it remains to be seen whether this bold transfer strategy will pay dividends come the end of the campaign. The departure of Joe Pigott is obviously a major blow for Wimbledon with the striker moving to League One promotion hopefuls Ipswich Town on a free transfer. His departure was expected however so has given Robinson time to plan without him. Pigott bagged 22 in all competitions last season, including 20 in the league which is very healthy return and no doubt his departure will be a big loss for Dons. 👉 Verdict Business on the whole looks impressive was some exciting captures from the youth set-ups of Spurs, Brentford and Chelsea this summer. Replacing the goals from Pigott will be hard if not impossible for Wimbledon but overall I feel they are better set to deal with the perils of League One football than they were last season. A lower bottom half finish seems most likely for the Wombles who have built a very likeable team under Mark Robinson.

🔷 Predicted Finish: 18th 🤝 Transfers The return to the dugout for Steve Cotterill was one of the feel-good stories of the past EFL season. He made a massive impact when he came into the club and continued to manage the side remotely with help from his assistant Aaron Wilbraham while in hospital for 49 days suffering from Covid-19. He’s opted to have a quieter summer on the transfer front than many of the Shrewsbury bosses that have come before him, prioritising quality over quantity. Elliot Bennett and Luke Leahy arrive with both capable of playing as wing-backs or more centrally, with George Nurse adding some depth at wing-back too. Ryan Bowman was never prolific in Scotland for Motherwell but had a good record for Exeter before heading to Shrewsbury and they’ll need goals from the 29-year-old in what is a small Shrews squad. They’ve managed to hang onto Nathanael Ogbeta so far this window, with the former Man City youth an important part of this side. Peterborough tried hard to sign the 20-year-old but another season of consistent first-team football at League One level could accelerate Ogbeta’s progress and he should really establish himself at New Meadow this season. Harry Chapman has returned to parent club Blackburn and he will be missed, as will Ro-Shaun Williams but it’s a largely similar side to last season, even if it is a little light on numbers for my liking. 👉 Verdict They should have too much to avoid the drop and it’s clear to see Cotterill has a good rapport with his squad and club’s fans but they will need to get more ruthless in front of goal. They scored just 50 goals last season, a tally that was only better than the relegated duo of Bristol Rovers and Northampton of the sides below them. Whether Ryan Bowman has it in him to make the step up to scoring at this level I’m not sure, he has a good record at Exeter but his Premiership performances suggest the higher the level the less of a return we’ll see from him.

🟡 Predicted Finish: 19th 🤝 Transfers Transfers galore in the past 12 months at Burton as Hasselbaink continues to be heavily backed by the club's chairman Ben Robinson. Not surprising really given how well the Dutchman has performed at the helm since taking over at the beginning of the year where he guided the Brewers to safety thanks to an exceptional run of form. Twelve more players were brought in this window with the emphasis clearly on improving the defence which was far from convincing last season having leaked 73 goals. Business looks good with Cameron Borthwick-Jackson and Adedeji Oshilaja sure to improve their back line. Meanwhile Louis Moult and Jacob Maddox look clever captures in attack but just a shame that Moult will miss the opening five months of the season having picked up a serious ankle injury. Business looks reasonable but the amount of players coming in the last 12 months reaches numbers close to 30 which isn’t the ideal situation and comes with high elements of risk. I think the club and Hasselbaink will be fairly pleased with the departures from the club this summer with plenty of older players on fairly hefty contracts departing the Pirelli Stadium. Neil Eardley, John-Joe O’Toole, Stephen Quinn and Luke Varney are some of the names who all at 32+ the club won’t be too disappointed to lose. 👉 Verdict As previously mentioned, an extraordinary job from Hasselbaink and co when he took over in January took the club from bottom of the league to a steady 16th place finish in League One last season. The club, for me in the second half of the season were punching above their weight and it would be wrong to expect that their form in the second-half of last season can be replicated for the entirety of this campaign. I think they are good enough to steer clear of relegation but a playoff push which some pundits have been touting seems a little too ambitious for the Brewers in my opinion.

🔴 Predicted Finish: 20th 🤝 Transfers The third and final team we focus on who were promoted from League Two last are Cheltenham Town. The champions last season and most consistent team in League Two for over two years gets its chance in the league above under the skilled stewardship of Michael Duff. Very quiet summer for the Robins thus far with just three incomings, none of which can be considered particularly marquee signings. They recently opted to sign midfielder Dylan Barkers from Alvechurch after a successful trial period. He arrives alongside goalkeeper Owen Evans and midfielder Elliot Bonds which in paper is an underwhelming window although it is clear Duff trusts the players who got him promoted last season. Similarly to incomings, very few outgoings from Whaddon Road this summer with just five departures, none of which can be considered high-profile. Tom Chamberlain, Chris Clements and Alex Addai have all been released while Dan Bowry and Tahvon Campbell have moved on to the National league. Quiet window from Cheltenham though and no doubt Duff is putting all his faith in the squad which performed so well last season. 👉 Verdict The Robins will be hard to beat and use all the skills in their armoury to ensure they steer clear of relegation this season. A solid defence combined with unique set piece routines including a monster Ben Tozer long throw means many teams won’t enjoy their trips to Whaddon Road this season. The Robins kept 21 clean sheets, making them the strongest defensive unit out of all the sides making the jump to the third tier. I feel a bit more business needs to be done by Duff with the squad looking a little short in certain areas but their style of play means they could flourish as one of the leagues underdogs rather than a favourite as they were last year. Expect them to have enough to avoid relegation this season.

🟢 Predicted Finish: 21st 🤝 Transfers A complete overhaul of the defence was needed and Ryan Lowe has certainly done that this off-season. Will Aimson is the only starter from the back line that’s departed but Lowe has added Dan Scarr, James Wilson, Macauley Gillesphey, Brendan Galloway and James Bolton to bolster a back five that conceded 80 goals last season, the second highest tally in the entire division. Elsewhere, the arrival of Jordan Houghton and bringing Adam Randell back from loan should give Plymouth a bit more protection in front of a ropey defence. Ryan Broom is solid acquisition from Peterborough on loan and gives Lowe cover for both the centre of the park and the right wing back role. I’d be interested to see if Lowe opts to bring in another striker too. He prefers two up top and with Luke Jephcott, last season’s top scorer, a regular Wales Under 21 call-up Lowe might want to add to an already talented crop of strikers to help Niall Ennis and Ryan Hardie out if Jephcott continues to deputise at national level. 👉 Verdict It was very much a campaign of two halves for Plymouth last season with them looking genuine Play-off contenders at the start of February, though the second half of the season was calamitous. They won just three times over their final 18 games of the previous League One campaign and had that run started a week or two earlier then they could’ve been in serious relegation danger, eventually finishing just six points above the bottom four. That run won’t be easily forgotten and though a very exciting front line should have enough goals in them to beat the drop it might be a tough season for Argyle.

🐟 Predicted Finish: 22nd 🤝 Transfers Simon Grayson was a once highly-thought of manager in the English game especially during successful spells in League One with Leeds, Preston and Huddersfield where he earned promotion. Recent years haven’t been so fruitful with the football he plays at times a little uninspiring and becoming more and more predictable as the years go by. He has been at Fleetwood for 4 months and his task this season in grim reality is to keep the cod army in League One. Grayson has brought 8 players to the club this season as he looks to ensure Fleetwood aren’t dragged in to a relegation battle. Amongst his signings are some favourites from his former clubs including the vastly experienced Anthony Pilkington who joins from Indian outfit SC East Bengal. Plenty of youngsters brought in too as Grayson attempts to lower the average age of a squad that has previously looked a little old and leggy. Darnell Johnson, Harry Wright, Ryan Edmondson and Callum Morton have all joined aged 22 and under. Grayson though isn’t necessarily the best at working with younger players so it will be a case of waiting and see how he gets on with his new youthful looking squad. No secret that chairman Andy Pilley is making cutbacks this season and there have been plenty of high profile exits from the club including Glenn Whelan, Mark Duffy and Paul Coutts. Squad at least on paper I would suggest looks slightly weaker than last year. Wes Burns is another departure that is sure to hurt Fleetwood with the player joining up with League One promotion hopefuls Ipswich for an undisclosed fee. Burns could have become a free agent this summer, had Fleetwood not exercised an option in his deal to extend it by 12 months, but this move is understood to have triggered a hike in wages which looked unsustainable for a Fleetwood side likely to be cutting its budget this summer in the wake of the Covid crisis. He moved permanently to Fleetwood in January 2017 and, during his four-and-a-half years at Highbury, netted 23 goals in 176 games as he emerged as one of his club’s best players and a top-end League One performer. 👉 Verdict The situation at Fleetwood from the outside looking in at least doesn’t look particularly positive. The league looks incredibly strong this year and Fleetwood are a team to me which are in danger of being dragged into a relegation battle. Pilley continues to want to cut the wage bill with high earners being moved on at regular intervals. Ched Evans and Paddy Madden have been signs of that in the past and plenty more reported high earners have been moved on this summer. An interesting stat that I heard is that only seven players remain at the club who played more than 1200 minutes (equivalent to 13 full games) last season. The squad is clearly on the decline in my opinion and I expect them to really struggle this campaign as a result.

🦐 Predicted Finish: 23rd 🤝 Transfers After one of the most unexpected promotions in the EFL in recent memory, Morecambe have had a busy summer as they prepare for their first season in the third tier in the club’s history. Derek Adams didn’t waste too much time in bidding farewell after securing promotion via the Play-Offs with the former Ross County manager sticking in League Two with Bradford. He’s been replaced by a manager I rate highly in Stephen Robinson. The former Motherwell gaffer is tactically flexible, but he’ll almost certainly favour a counter-attacking style this season with Morecambe the bookies favourites to finish bottom and make an immediate return to League Two. They haven’t sat on their hands and accepted their fate though and have made some intriguing signings this window, though the departures will hurt. Yann Songo’o, Liam McAlinden, Carlos Mendes-Gomes and John O’Sullivan are all players that need replacing, especially Mendes-Gomes who deserves a shot at Championship football after a stellar campaign in the fourth tier, not that that will make his departure any easier to deal with. What will though is the arrivals of Josh McPake, Alfie McCalmont, Greg Leigh and Wes McDonald. McPake has sky-high potential and really impressed at Harrogate last season, his ability to change games could be pivotal this year if Robinson is going to have a good chance of keeping his new team in the division. 👉 Verdict Losing Adams isn’t ideal but at least his departure was done early, as was the appointment of Robinson. The sale of last season’s top scorer Mendes Gomes was tough too and it does make me a tad worried as to where the goals may come from this season. Cole Stockton is a terrifically hard-working number nine and loves little more than putting himself about but he’s not the most prolific, with last season being the only campaign he’s got into double figures for league goals at a single club. It’s going to be a tricky campaign and I wouldn’t be shocked to see them prop up the division but clubs like Accrington Stanley have shown that you don’t need to throw millions of pounds at your team to make a good fist of this league.

🟡 Predicted Finish: 24th 🤝 Transfers Remarkable feat by both Cambridge and young coach Mark Bonner last season it getting the U’s promoted to League One for the season ahead. The squad exceeded all expectations and similarly to Wycombe in the Championship last season, it is hard not think they could be slightly out of their depth in the English third tier for the season ahead. Business looks okay but hardly convincing and not sure Bonner and the club have done enough as of yet to fill me with confidence that they are able to compete. James Brophy is an exciting capture and Sam Smith has the near impossible job of replacing Paul Mullin in attack. Jensen Weir from Brighton is something of an unknown but is highly thought of on the South Coast. Weir becomes United’s seventh signing of the summer, with Lloyd Jones, James Brophy, Shilow Tracey, Jack Lankester, George Williams and Sam Smith the other signings to date. Well, only one real man to mention on the departure that front and this is of course 33 goal striker Paul Mullin who made the slightly controversial decision to drop down to the National League to join Wrexham. Mullin is quite simply irreplaceable and the telepathic relationship he had with Wes Hoolahan will be impossible to replicate. Retaining Joe Ironside is a big bonus but going up a division without a man who scored around 40% of their goals last season is something I am just not sure they will be able to contend with. 👉 Verdict Tipped by almost all major podcasts to finish bottom of League One this season and unfortunately for Cambridge fans I agree with them. Bonner and the club have done exceptionally well to even reach League One but I just feel this is a step too far. I am sure Bonner will stick with his philosophy of playing football and they have enough quality to pick up results along the way. They relied so heavily on Mullin last season and without him I just don’t see where the goals are coming from, 24th and relegation for Cambridge seems a likely scenario from League One this year.