ARLukomski

Notts County 2-2 Fleetwood Town - Ice in the veins from JJ

Tranmere Rovers 0-0 Notts County - Encouragement is the word

1st. Milton Keynes Dons When Mike Williamson was appointed in October to replace Graham Alexander, MK Dons were faltering. Sitting 16th in the table with a squad capable of far better, they were underachieving beyond belief. The former Gateshead boss came in and turned it around, implementing his quick, possession-based style that is synonymous with what MK Dons look for when appointing a new coach. Nineteen wins from his 33 league games propelled MK Dons into the promotion picture, but they missed out on an automatic place due to a defence that leaked too many goals, as evidenced by Crawley’s 8-1 demolition of them in the play-offs. Now, lessons must be learned, and MK Dons have overhauled their defensive department. Sam Sherring drops to League 2, having shone for Northampton in the league above. He is playing below his capability and would not look out of place at a top League 1 or lower-end Championship club. Sherring is joined by former Crewe skipper Luke Offord, whose ball-playing ability and leadership skills will play a massive part in MK Dons’ challenge. Crawley duo Laurence Maguire (who was on loan at the Sussex club) and Liam Kelly also arrive. Maguire was part of a defence that won promotion, and Kelly was outstanding throughout the 2023-24 season, with his energy, passing range, and agility. Tom Carroll adds key protection to the defence, and in front of him lies a goldmine of attacking options. Stephen Wearne had 10 goal contributions despite only joining in January. Connor Lemonheigh-Evans adds more creativity and versatility, capable of playing in either the No. 8 or No. 10 role. Tommy Leigh, along with Jack Nolan, was Accrington’s creative source, contributing eight goals and five assists. Leigh’s Accrington teammate Joe Pritchard joins him at Stadium MK. They can still rely on the excellent Alex Gilbey, who provided an outstanding 23 goal contributions, as well as wing-back Joe Tomlinson, who had 13 goal contributions. The biggest impact of not winning promotion was the departure of top scorer Max Dean to Gent for a hefty fee. His sale has been mitigated by the arrival of Callum Hendry, who can link up play as well as score the important goals needed to take MK Dons to promotion. He will be competing with Ellis Harrison and Matt Dennis to lead the line, and with so much creativity behind, who wouldn’t want to start? This is a side that has a clear identity, a head coach who has the ability to go higher, and talent in all areas. They are most people's picks for a reason. 2nd. Port Vale A rollercoaster of chaos is what the 2023-24 season proved to be for Port Vale. A 7-0 thrashing on the opening day was the worst start imaginable, but Vale found themselves in 2nd place by the end of September. What followed, however, was a run of three wins in 20 games, and Andy Crosby lost his job in early February. Darren Moore was appointed on a five-year deal, but Port Vale’s miserable form continued until the end of the season, resulting in relegation back to the fourth tier. Moore has been given the task of rebuilding The Valiants and ensuring they are prepared to fight for a swift return to League One. Despite only achieving two wins, Vale only finished five points off the relegation zone. Vale’s biggest problem was in front of goal. Forty-one goals were one of the lowest totals in the third tier, equal to fellow relegated sides Carlisle and Cheltenham, and only Burton, Cambridge, and Shrewsbury scored fewer. So, adding goal scorers to the forward area was vital this summer. Darren Moore has added regular EFL goal-getter Jayden Stockley as well as the exciting additions of Lorent Tolaj and Ruari Paton. Tolaj shone for Aldershot in the National League last season, winning the Fans' and Players’ Player of the Season awards after scoring 19 goals in the league. He is powerful, quick, and confident in front of goal, with a sweet left foot. Paton scored 22 goals in Scottish League 1 in 2022/23 and 17 goals in the Scottish Championship in 2023/24. An energetic striker who is good with both feet and at winning the ball high up the pitch, the Irishman can also play on the wing if needed. Ryan Croasdale joins in midfield, bringing hard work off the ball and promotion-winning experience. He is joined by League 2’s standout signing, George Byers, a real coup at this level. The opportunity to link up with Darren Moore again was too good to turn down. With Conor Grant, Jason Lowe, Funso Ojo, and the forward-thinking Ben Garrity as options to choose from, Moore has plenty of talent at his disposal to drive Vale’s promotion challenge. Garrity’s ability to make late runs into the box to support the attack will be vital in assisting Tolaj, Paton, Stockley, and young prospect Baylee Dipepa, who impressed during his spells in the first team last season. In defence, Connor Hall returns to Vale Park after winning promotion under Darrell Clarke in 2022, and he is complemented at centre-back by the commanding Ben Heneghan, powerful Jesse Debrah, and club legend Nathan Smith. Ronan Curtis moves to Vale Park, hoping to rediscover the form that made him hot property at Fratton Park. On the other wing, the promising Benicio Baker-Boaitey joins on loan from Brighton. All the ingredients are there for a successful season, but as shown before when having the right things in place, Moore has to prove that he is able to take them over the line. He did it with Sheffield Wednesday. Can he do it here? 3rd. Doncaster Rovers What in the world happened to Doncaster last season? A disastrous start, numerous injury troubles, 20th in March, and then out of nowhere came 12 wins on the bounce and a play-off place. Having won the first leg comfortably, they were quickly caught cold by Crewe and went on to lose on penalties. Grant McCann heads into this season with much of the same squad that ended the last one, which is great for continuity and helps Donny take the momentum with which they ended last season into this one. Jamie Sterry, Richard Wood, Joseph Olowu, and James Maxwell form a fantastic back four, and Wood’s leadership will prove vital in getting Rovers up near the top once again. Tom Nixon has been signed on a permanent deal from Hull, which will offer Sterry competition at right-back, with Maxwell competing with Jack Senior on the left. Owen Bailey showed great consistency during the run-in, and Jamie Sterry and Luke Molyneux’s partnership down the right proved fruitful. Sterry displayed his hard-working and energetic traits, while Molyneux popped up with nine goals and eight assists. Joe Ironside remains the focal point up front and will be the go-to man for McCann again, with the former Cambridge man aiming to hit the 20-goal mark. They have added to the spine of the squad this summer with the arrivals of the electric Joe Sbarra and the tireless Harry Clifton. These two additions give Donny a plethora of options in midfield, which includes Bailey, Ben Close, Zain Westbrooke, and George Broadbent. Replacing the key loanees was Doncaster’s biggest task of the transfer window. Timothy Lo-Tutala, Matthew Craig, and Hakeeb Adelakun made major contributions to Donny’s turnaround in form. Grant McCann has added Chelsea youngster Teddy Sharman-Lowe to be Rovers’ No.1, and having not played much at Bromley, he’ll be looking to show the promise that attracted the London club into signing him from Burton. Jordan Gibson joins from Carlisle and will be hoping to replicate his opposite winger Molyneux in the stats to give Donny that creative spark. The big signing is Billy Sharp, who makes an emotional return and will provide the knowledge, know-how, and experience that you need from a player who has played further up the pyramid—a player who can help you in the big moments. Continuity, solid signings, and a club with momentum—this may just be Doncaster’s year. 4th. Carlisle United After the euphoria of Wembley, Carlisle never properly adjusted to life back in League 1, never leaving the relegation zone from late October onwards, and they eventually returned swiftly to League 2. The Cumbrians conceded a whopping 81 goals in the third tier, and steps have been taken this summer to combat that with the additions of Aaron Hayden and Terell Thomas. Hayden is a physical presence who is threatening from set pieces, as shown by scoring double figures for Wrexham in their National League title-winning season. The most important thing is keeping him fit, with injuries having disrupted his 2023-24 campaign. Thomas has plenty of experience in League 1 with spells at Wimbledon and Charlton, and provides an option on the left of the back three. The wing-back positions have great quality to them with Cameron Harper joining from Inverness on the left and Archie Davies, who has been one of, if not the best right-back in Ireland in the last few years, signing from Dundalk. Harper comes with good reviews from Scotland, with 12 goals in his last three seasons from full-back. Davies has the ability to provide attacking intent and defensive balance. Since the start of the 2023 season, he made 278 recoveries, completed 67 interceptions, and won 43 tackles in just 51 games. The central midfield pairing of Callum Guy and Alfie McCalmont will again look to control possession, protect the back four, and dictate games in a pairing that is up there with the best in the division. Owen Moxon’s standout form in the second half of the 2023-24 season is why Carlisle weren’t relegated by a greater margin, with 11 goal contributions, and his connection with the equally impressive Sean Maguire (10 goal contributions in 18 games) is something Paul Simpson is hoping to build upon. Harry McKirdy offers versatility and can play in a front two, as well as on the right wing, and the addition of Jamal Lowe is a real coup. Capable of playing on the wing, as a No. 10 or up front, the Jamaican will bring flair and experience to Carlisle’s attack, which needs to score a lot more goals this time around. If Simpson can rediscover the defensive solidity and strong mentality that carried Carlisle through to promotion two years ago, then it’ll be another enjoyable season for Cumbrians. 5th. Gillingham After starting the season with four successive 1-0 wins, Gillingham slowly faltered, and their season faded away. Neil Harris was sacked in October as Gillingham hoped for a change in style with the appointment of Stephen Clemence. Inconsistent form over the rest of the season saw the Kent club finish in 12th place. Clemence has since been replaced by former Cambridge manager Mark Bonner. Having won promotion before at this level, Bonner knows what it takes to get out of this division, and having achieved promotion with Cambridge, he will be looking to do the same with Gillingham. Having only scored 46 goals last season (the second lowest in the division, only behind relegated Forest Green), options up front were a must. Elliott Nevitt joins from Crewe, having scored 16 goals for the play-off finalists last season, and non-league hotshot Marcus Wyllie signs from Enfield Town. Wyllie scored over 30 goals last season as Enfield won promotion to the National League South. Remaining at Priestfield to complete the striker options are the imposing Josh Andrews and the energetic Jacob Wakeling, who can also play on the wing. Oli Hawkins also stays and may be deployed at centre-back again this season. Bonner has made some smart additions this transfer window with 17-goal Accrington ace Jack Nolan and tricky Huddersfield winger Aaron Rowe both adding a creative spark to The Gills’ attack. Nolan and Rowe’s crossing to supply one of Andrews, Nevitt, Hawkins, Wyllie, or Wakeling could be a good formula. Johnny Williams is the experienced head in attack, and if played in his favoured No.10 role, and he avoids injury, Gillingham should create and score more opportunities than they did in 2023-24. Williams will be looking to play the role that Wes Hoolahan did for Bonner’s Cambridge side in 2020-21. Ethan Coleman and Armani Little will provide an excellent midfield duo, with Coleman dictating the play from deep while Little buzzes from box-to-box, linking defence to attack. Conor Masterson is one of the best centre-backs in the division, and he, along with Shadrach Ogie, should hit new heights under Bonner, who has a good record of developing players. Max Ehmer provides a more experienced head to rely on at the back. Max Clark and Remeao Hutton complete the defence and will forge a good partnership with their respective wingers (most likely Nolan and Rowe). So, Bonner has quality to rely upon, and if he can get them firing in front of goal, The Gills should be looking at a promotion challenge. 6th. AFC Wimbledon In his second season in charge at Plough Lane, Johnnie Jackson led The Dons into a play-off battle in which they fell just short. Whilst Wimbledon’s home form kept them in the running, their inconsistent away form, in which they lost more than they won, led them to a 10th-placed finish, 5 points off the top 7. They also had to deal with the late January departure of top scorer Ali Al Hamadi, whose pace and athleticism were missed during the run-in, as he signed for Ipswich. This summer, they’ve had to cope with the departures of talented academy graduate Jack Currie to Oxford and box-to-box midfielder Armani Little to divisional rivals Gillingham. To combat this, they dipped into the loan market to bring in James Furlong from Hull and once again went shopping in Solihull to sign the hard-working Callum Maycock, who joins up with former teammate Josh Kelly. Alistair Smith also joins on loan from Lincoln to add physicality. This leaves The Dons with a midfield of Little, Maycock, Smith, Jake Reeves, and James Ball. Alex Bass kept the second most clean sheets last season and was part of a staunch rearguard that had the third-best defence in League 2. He was only on loan, though, and The Dons went back into the loan market to sign Owen Goodman from Crystal Palace. Goodman was ever-present in goal for Colchester last season. John-Joe O'Toole signs on a permanent basis to add depth to the defence, which already includes Joe Lewis, Ryan Johnson, and the emerging Ethan Sutcliffe, who impressed in the National League South with Tonbridge Angels. Lewis and Johnson were bought from Stockport and are joined by ex-teammate Myles Hippolyte. His versatility and promotion-winning experience could be key if Wimbledon are to mount a top-7 challenge. Hippolyte is adept on the wing and in central midfield, having played for Stockport several times in a three-man midfield. Wimbledon have plenty of forward options to call upon, with Kelly, tireless target man Omar Bugiel, the emerging Aron Sasu, and new additions Matty Stevens and Joe Pigott. If Stevens can rediscover the form that helped Forest Green to promotion and Pigott can replicate his scoring form from his previous spell at The Dons, then Wimbledon will have what it takes to crack the top 7. Question marks still remain over Johnnie Jackson and whether he can get the best out of the squad, and that may be the difference between success and failure. 7th. Crewe Alexandra Crewe were one game away from a return to League 1, but defeat at Wembley prolonged their stay in the fourth tier. Now, Lee Bell must rally his troops for another attempt, but will there be an instant response or a play-off hangover? They have had to deal with the departures of academy graduates Rio Adebisi and Luke Offord. Adebisi has stepped up a league to join Peterborough, while Offord has remained in League 2, signing with MK Dons. Finding value in the market and players who suit the way Crewe are renowned for playing is crucial, especially when the Cheshire club hasn’t got the financial resources that some of their promotion rivals have at their disposal. Leading the back line will once again be Mickey Demetriou, who netted eight times last season from centre-back, and his leadership proved vital in The Railwaymen’s journey to Wembley. Joining him are two new signings: Jamie Knight-Lebel, loaned in from Bristol City, and James Connolly, who has signed on a permanent deal from Bristol Rovers. Connolly had a decent loan spell with Morecambe last season and will be hoping to carry that form into the 2024-25 season. Technician Max Sanders has joined The Alex after spells in League 1 with Lincoln City and Leyton Orient, while Filip Marschall, who had a rather inconsistent loan spell at MK Dons, signs on loan from Aston Villa. As always, Crewe can depend on their successful academy to produce players, and they will go into this season with a batch of players who are a year further into their development and more experienced due to an increase in game time. This includes full-back Lewis Billington, who stepped into the first team last season quite comfortably, Zac Williams, who has had several seasons within the first team squad now, the technical Joel Tabiner, who was in excellent form last season but whose injury coincided with Crewe’s drop in form in the second half of the season, and Matus Holicek, who broke through into the first team last season, making over 20 appearances and can thrive in the attacking midfield role. Completing this core of youth players are midfield duo Charlie Finney and Calum Agius. Top scorer Elliott Nevitt has, however, left for Gillingham. He scored 16 goals last season, and his presence needs replacing. To help combat his departure, Crewe have signed Omar Bogle and Kane Hemmings. If Bogle can perform as we know he can, he can cause opposition defences trouble, and Hemmings has been a consistent goalscorer, even in poor teams, everywhere he’s been. Chris Long has remained at Gresty Road, and if he stays fit, he may improve on the nine goals he scored in 2023-24. Helping to create chances will be the pacey duo Shilow Tracey and recent signing from Cambridge, Jack Lankester. If Bell can get this team ticking as he did last season but with the volume turned up a bit more, Crewe could be in for another tilt at the top seven. 8th. Notts County Well, my club. It’s the hope that kills, as they say. It always seems to feel that way at Meadow Lane. Last season was one of those times. Hopes of another fight for promotion started well, but insufficient summer recruitment, defensive problems, injuries to personnel, a lack of squad depth, and Luke Williams leaving for Swansea all culminated in a false dawn. From November onwards, Notts’ form plummeted. Fans could see that defensive reinforcements were needed last summer before a ball had been kicked, but they didn’t arrive, and the biggest issue of the 23-24 season was the defensive problems. Eighty-six goals conceded was the worst in the league, and despite scoring 89 goals (the second highest), Notts’ porous back line was their undoing. Season-ending injuries to Geraldo Bajrami and Cedwyn Scott early on meant squad depth was strained, and Matty Palmer’s injury at the end of October left a massive hole in the centre of midfield that couldn’t be replaced. Scott Robertson helped plug that gap a little and has endeared himself to the Notts faithful with some excellent performances. Notts needed improved recruitment, and they have got it. The defence and goalkeeping department have been strengthened. Matty Platt arrives from Bradford and is a solid aerial presence but has also been involved in a possession-based passing side before at Barrow. Jacob Bedeau is athletic, quick, and a good one-on-one defender who will occupy the left of the back three. Rod McDonald brings promotion-winning experience from his time at Coventry and Northampton, and Robbie Cundy signs from Barnsley having impressed during his trial period but must overcome previous injuries if he is to play a part consistently. Alex Bass is a major signing in goal. Having kept 16 clean sheets last season for Wimbledon (the second most in the league), Bass also made 58 saves inside the box and 47 high claims. Notts have had trouble with goalkeepers not commanding their penalty area for a while, so Bass’s arrival should help that cause. With Palmer not returning to full fitness until a month or so into the season, it was important to improve the midfield. Notts have added the cultured Curtis Edwards and the promising Jack Hinchy, who had a loan spell at Shrewsbury in League One last season. Squad depth was a problem, but Notts have improved that in the defensive areas and at wing-back. Jodi Jones and Aaron Nemane remain to provide the attacking output but are joined by Crawley’s promotion-winning duo Kellan Gordon and Nick Tsaroulla. Gordon provides a more defensively balanced option on the right, while Tsaroulla provides energy up and down the left. He managed six assists last season and made 151 recoveries. The biggest news is the departure of top scorer Macaulay Langstaff to Millwall. Langstaff scored 70 goals across two seasons for Notts and departs having broken the record for goals in a National League season and the most goals scored by a Notts player in a single season. Notts can still rely on the talents of Jodi Jones (who broke the League 2 assist record in 2023-24), the creative ability of Dan Crowley, the experience of boyhood Notts fan David McGoldrick, and the goalscoring potential of Alassana Jatta, who scored five goals in just over 10 appearances at the back end of last season. The biggest question remains over head coach Stuart Maynard. His record since being appointed hasn’t been good and has led to fans wanting him dismissed. He may have had more of the fans’ backing and more credit in the bank if he had won more games at the back end of last season. The biggest concern for me is the step up. Wealdstone to Notts is a big jump even if it’s only one division. Mid-table National League to a club wanting to go up to League 1. The fact he’s not just coached that Wealdstone team to play and finish above where people expected them but also got the best out of them while being semi-pro and having limited time in training and video analysis sessions shows there must be a good motivator in there. A good man manager. While Maynard has his faults (which head coach or manager doesn’t?), not all of this is his doing, something which the Notts faithful haven’t fully seen the bigger picture of. We never really got to see a true resemblance of a Stuart Maynard Notts side because of the imbalanced squad, poor defence, and many issues which were present before he even stepped foot inside Meadow Lane. The defensive issues were a result of poor defensive recruitment in the summer of 2023 and not being ruthless enough with squad personnel, something which has been rectified this summer (2024). Notts’ start to 2023-24 saw them in the top three in the first three months, but goals conceded was still a huge problem. Even before he got the job, Notts had conceded five at Sutton on the opening day, three to Forest Green, five to Colchester, four to Mansfield, four to Wimbledon, four to Tranmere, and five to Grimsby. The one game Luke or Stuart wasn’t involved in summed up Notts’ 2023-24 campaign perfectly: five scored, five conceded, taking the lead in the 92nd minute, only to concede in the 95th. After Matty Palmer was injured at the end of October, Notts’ season derailed, and they would win four and lose six of Luke Williams’ last 10 games before leaving for Swansea. Furthermore, Notts’ performances in the opening three months of the season weren’t of the level of a side with ambitions of a promotion push, as shown by the 4-3 home win over Forest Green, where Notts stumbled their way to victory and a place at the summit of League 2 but with an unconvincing performance, proving the Reedtz brothers correct about performance levels throughout the season. Notts fans’ expectations will be to be involved in a promotion battle. Come May, we’ll find out if the objective is met. 9th. Bradford City A club that hasn’t been short of drama over the past few years, expectations are always high, but the club always seems to falter. Mark Hughes’ reign as manager came to an end in early October with The Bantams sitting in 18th place. Graham Alexander was his replacement, but form remained inconsistent until the final stretch of the season, where they took 18 points from a possible 21 in the final seven games. The Bantams ended an inconsistent season on a high note. Pivotal to that late surge of form, which meant they still had an outside chance of a play-off place on the final day, was local lad Bobby Pointon. He scored three goals in that seven-game run and has signed a new two-year deal at Valley Parade. The squad retains quality and players that can help the Yorkshire club make a challenge for the top seven. Brad Halliday, one of the league’s best full-backs, has recently signed a new deal, as has goalscoring midfielder Alex Pattison and the ever-dependable goalscoring frontman at this level, Andy Cook. Cook has hit double figures in each of his last three seasons at Bradford and will be leading the line once again this season. Alexander can also rely on the promising Calum Kavanagh, who signed for the club on transfer deadline day in February and managed five goals in 15 appearances. Bradford have added promotion-winning experience in the form of Stockport duo Antoni Sarcevic and Neill Byrne, as well as Callum Johnson from Mansfield. Sarcevic is a multiple promotion winner from this level, whilst Byrne and Johnson were part of strong promotion-winning defences. Aden Baldwin also arrives from Notts and has effectively swapped with the departing Matty Platt. While Baldwin can have his good moments and is comfortable on the ball, he suffers from too many lapses in concentration leading to unforced errors, having been the central defender in a back three that conceded more goals than any other team last season. Tyreik Wright also joins on a permanent deal from Plymouth, having been on loan last season, and will be hoping to bring a creative spark. The Bantams retain a decent squad, but I would have expected more signings to have been made. While Graham Alexander has won promotion from this level before, his conservative approach and inability to loosen the strings when the need to be more attacking is vital, may stall their efforts to claim a play-off place. However, the biggest issue for The Bantams is Stefan Rupp. Promised investment has only partially materialised, and while the appointment of David Sharpe adds knowhow to the board, Bradford are still a club scratching its head in terms of the direction they want to go in. 10th. Chesterfield After six years away, Chesterfield return to the EFL having cruised to the National League title. Having experienced failure in the play-offs on three separate occasions, The Spireites eased their way back to the fourth tier with no one coming close to challenging them. While many of the big sides in the National League departed before them—Stockport, Grimsby, Wrexham, and Notts all gaining promotion while Chesterfield were in the fifth tier—Paul Cook’s side did what they had to do, beating those in front of them to achieve their target. However, as previous promoted teams before them know, they are coming into a league that will be far more competitive. Having Cook at the helm will be an important factor if they want to continue their momentum and challenge for back-to-back promotions. Cook has won promotion at this level twice before, once with his current club. Chesterfield have retained the core of the team that won promotion, including captain Jamie Grimes, midfield controller Tom Naylor, the experienced Ollie Banks, their multiple attacking options, and former Northern Ireland international Will Grigg. The attacking options have received a boost this summer with the arrival of multiple promotion winner and one of Stockport’s best players in the last three years, Paddy Madden. The Irishman has scored 27 goals in the last two seasons at this level for Stockport. They can also still rely upon Michael Jacobs, Ryan Colclough, Armando Dobra, and James Berry. They recently added Kane Drummond, who impressed at Macclesfield last season. The Spireites will need to learn from teams promoted before them as to what is required to make the step up. Their Wembley conquerors Notts were plagued all season by defensive issues. The Derbyshire club have moved to address this by signing Chey Dunkley from Shrewsbury, who brings experience and leadership, having captained the Shrews last season. Lewis Gordon, Vontae Daley-Campbell, and Devan Tanton will help add competition to the full-back areas, where they retain Ryheem Sheckleford and Branden Horton. Although the signing of Dunkley will be key, I don’t feel like they’ve addressed the centre of defence enough. When promoted, clubs often feel they need to give players who got them promoted a chance at the level above, and while this is sometimes a risk, it is one that can pay off. Keeping the core of players that took you to promotion helps maintain momentum going into the season. The issue is I don’t think they’ve been as ruthless as they could have been. They still have the trio of Jamie Grimes, Ash Palmer, and Tyrone Williams. Palmer was ever-present as Stockport won the National League in 2021-22 but was quickly found wanting at this level, with Stockport moving him on to his current club a few games into the 2022-23 season. Williams wasn’t a regular first choice last season and will be down in the pecking order. Grimes, while club captain, will need to step up his game if he is to lead the club into another promotion attempt, having not had the best of times in his last spell at this level with Cheltenham. Strikers at this level are less forgiving than in the fifth tier, and like Notts before them, their defence could be their Achilles' heel. 11th. Fleetwood Town All of the behind-the-scenes troubles at Highbury have plagued Fleetwood over the last few years, culminating in relegation at the end of last season. This summer, the EFL ratified the change in ownership with Andy Pilley’s son Jamie taking control of the club. Fleetwood only spent three games outside of the League One relegation zone last season, and they were the first three games of the season. From matchday four onwards, they never left the bottom four, with Scott Brown’s tenure as head coach ending in early September and Lee Johnson lasting until the end of 2023. In came Charlie Adam, recently the head of loans at Burnley, and despite relegation, Adam took more points in his 23 games than Brown and Johnson had combined in the first 23 games. In the transfer window, while they haven’t lost many players, they will be without Shaun Rooney, who joins St Mirren; Promise Omochere, who joins Bristol Rovers for a hefty fee; and Junior Quitirna, who heads to Sussex to join Crawley. Quitirna scored four goals in the first half of last season, and Omochere hit six. Nine-goal striker Jayden Stockley moves to fellow relegated club Port Vale, leaving the burden of goals to be borne by the Irish trio: Ronan Coughlan, Tommy Lonergan, and Ryan Graydon, as well as the tricky Phoenix Patterson. Coughlan scored goals aplenty for Waterford in their promotion-winning season of 2023, and Lonergan, with time and development, could turn into a good asset. However, replacing the goals of Jack Marriott, who signed for Wrexham in January, has been tough so far. Brendan Wiredu remains, and his versatility in being able to play in the centre of midfield and defence will be crucial in helping Fleetwood’s effort to stay in and around the play-off race. The midfield area of the pitch was a vital area in which Charlie Adam needed to find new options. Matty Virtue, who has spent most of his career in League One, adds a box-to-box option, and he is joined by Elliot Bonds, signing from fellow relegated side Cheltenham, and the agile Mark Helm, signing from Burton, whom Adam knows from his time at Burnley. The defence has been strengthened with the additions of Zach Medley and James Bolton. The former has received good reviews from his time in Belgium and has the potential to play higher, while the latter has seen multiple clubs in the past seven years but brings plenty of experience from his time in League One with Shrewsbury, Portsmouth, and Plymouth. In my opinion, Adam has the right attributes to become a successful manager, and while this may not be an instant fight for promotion, it will be a season of stability before properly restarting the Cod Army’s engines. 12th. Tranmere Rovers Twelve losses in 16 games at the start of the 2023-24 season cost Ian Dawes his job. Dawes had actually left after only seven games, with Nigel Adkins appointed on an interim basis. While his start wasn’t ideal, from November onwards (when he was appointed on a permanent basis), Tranmere went on to win seven of their next ten games, drawing two and losing only one. This elevated Rovers away from relegation danger, and they eventually finished a comfortable 16th. At the forefront of this upturn was Blackpool loanee Rob Apter, who scored 12 goals and assisted six times in his loan spell. Replacing those goal contributions and creativity is difficult, as Apter also received the Young Player of the Season award for League Two. Adkins’ additions to the team include Omari Patrick from relegated Sutton, who will fight for the wide spots with Harvey Saunders and Kieron Morris. Josh Hawkes will miss the start of the season due to injury. Declan Drysdale returns to the club where he started his career and will add competition to the back line, where Jordan Turnbull and Tom Davies remain. Cameron Norman joins from MK Dons, having won back-to-back player of the year awards at Newport and making 40 appearances as MK Dons reached the play-offs. His pace should be more rewarded in a side with more directness to its play. Up front, Josh Davison arrives from Wimbledon, and while he doesn’t have the most impressive goal record, he can be relied on to provide an outlet for the team. Also signing is Sol Solomon, who hit 16 goals for Marine on their way to promotion from the Northern Premier League. Solomon and Davison complete a plethora of options including club legend Connor Jennings, the physical Luke Norris, youngster Sam Taylor, and the proven Kristian Dennis. Adkins can call upon Regan Hendry in midfield, who played almost every game in 23/24. A promotion winner with Forest Green, Hendry will be at the base of everything good Rovers do, and his presence in the centre will be crucial if Tranmere are to push for the play-offs. Overall, there is fresh optimism compared to 12 months ago and a belief that Tranmere can push on. However, in my opinion, other teams have more attacking prowess, and the difficulty of replacing Apter may cost them. 13th. Colchester United A bit too close for comfort is probably the best way to describe Colchester’s 2023-24 season. For the past few years, they have had their annual poor season until March, when they’d turn into prime Barcelona, win a few games, and finish well clear of the bottom two. Last season was not to be the case, and Danny Cowley slowly but surely guided them into the harbour designated ‘League Two.’ After what feels like the 1000th time fighting relegation from League Two, this season must be about progress for Colchester United. It was important, then, that the summer brought about plenty of change for the Essex club. Danny Cowley has signed some reliable performers at this level as well as the league above, which should provide some stability and toughness for Colchester United. Matt Macey is a solid signing in goal, and the defensive additions of Tom Flanagan and Ben Goodliffe should bring a good amount of physicality. Rob Hunt is a promotion winner from this level before with Leyton Orient and is a tidy addition. Harry Anderson is a player that Cowley has relied upon in the past at Lincoln, as is Alex Woodyard, and he will be fighting for a central midfield spot next to the impressive Arthur Read, who has a wand of a left foot and contributed some excellent strikes last season. Jack Payne is also someone Cowley has signed before and has spent most of his time in the third tier. The pull of the Cowley brothers at this level is highlighted by the capture of Teddy Bishop, who recently left Lincoln. On his day, Bishop is easily good enough to play at the top end of League 1 and maybe even in the Championship. Avoid injuries, and a combination of Bishop, Payne, and Read is excellent. Cowley can call upon a vast array of striker options. Academy graduates Samson Tovide and Bradley Ihiovien will both be crucial. Tovide has been a constant over the last few seasons for Colchester, whilst Ihiovien made his breakthrough last season. This selection is completed by the aerial presence of Conor Wilkinson and Tom Hopper, the young but unproven John Kymani-Gordon, and the experienced Lyle Taylor. While there are a lot of options to call upon, I don’t think it is enough to be asking questions of the top seven just yet. Key players have departed Essex, though. Jayden Fevrier had a standout season in 2023-24, and his physical attributes combined with his pace are a big loss, earning him a move to Stockport, which is where fellow teammate Jay Mingi also left for. Noah Chilvers has moved to Ross County, and Cameron McGeehan has joined League 1 Northampton. The Cowley brothers will give Colchester much-needed stability and solidity, but it may be a season of making small steps forward before they can mount a challenge further up the table. 14th. Walsall Mat Sadler’s first full season in charge of Walsall was mixed. They temporarily sat in a play-off place but faded away. Now Sadler’s aim has to be to take that next step, which includes having a more possession-based team. The Saddlers, on average, had the least amount of possession in the league with 42.7%, while also having the third least accurate passes. Despite scoring 69 goals, they still badly lack a goalscorer, which could be the difference between mid-table and the play-offs. Losing Isaac Hutchinson will not help that cause. The now Bristol Rovers midfielder had 27 goal contributions in 2023-24, and a creative outlet as good as that at this level is hard to replace. To help replace Hutchinson’s influence, they have signed Charlie Lakin from Burton, who had a stellar loan spell with Sutton last season, contributing 8 goals and 5 assists during his time at Gander Green Lane. At full-back, Connor Barrett arrives from Fylde. A player who is comfortable in a back four or at wing-back, Barrett provided 11 assists last campaign and deserves his move into the EFL. Having lost Jackson Smith to Barnsley, the Saddlers moved to secure the loan of Tommy Simkin from Stoke. Simkin had an excellent loan spell at Solihull in the early part of the 2023-24 campaign, eventually being recalled and making Stoke’s matchday squad. This could be a breakthrough season for Ronan Maher, who shone on loan at near neighbours Rushall Olympic. Jamie Jellis will be hoping to break into the Saddlers’ first team after joining in January from Tamworth, a midfielder with an excellent work rate. The biggest issue for Walsall, though, is the lack of firepower in the goals department. Danny Johnson hasn’t been able to replicate the form he showed during his loan spell at the Bescot. Jamille Matt is a dependable aerial presence at this level, but he hasn’t been able to produce the form that made him a success at Newport and Forest Green. Added to the frontline is Josh Gordon, who has had a spell at the Bescot before, but his loan spell last season was far from successful, with only 1 goal in 21 appearances. While goalscorers can be hard to find in the transfer market, it is something Mat Sadler will need to address if the ambitions of owner Ben Boycott are to be achieved. 15th. Grimsby Town While his spells at Crewe were about evolution and not revolution, it is the opposite for David Artell at Grimsby going into this season. The former promotion-winning player and manager leads the Mariners into a season where their change in style will be the biggest aspect. Artell’s Crewe side was known for its fantastic passing game, and that is something the former Malta international will look to implement at Blundell Park. Like many, the summer was hugely important. Grimsby needed a new number 1, and they prised Jordan Wright away from near neighbours Lincoln and added Lewis Cass to a defence that was far too leaky last season. Cass has won promotion before with Hartlepool, Port Vale, and Stockport. However, it’s the capture of Cameron McJannet from Derry that I am most impressed with. One of the best talents in the League of Ireland, McJannet is fairly good in his aerial duels despite being only 5’11” and, since the start of 2023, has had over 75% pass accuracy, showing his credentials as a ball-playing defender. George McEachran signs to give more balance to the left side of midfield, and the former Chelsea youth player has a lovely passing range. He made 39 appearances for Swindon last season, managing a passing accuracy of 85%, someone who will suit Artell’s style perfectly. There is real intrigue and excitement at the signing of Jason Dadi Svanthorsson from Breidablik. Svanthorsson has made 5 appearances for Iceland and was a regular goalscorer and creator for his club. It will be interesting to see how he links up with Charles Vernam and reliable frontman Danny Rose. Rose will lead the line again this year, having scored 15 goals in the previous campaign. He has a good record at this level, but Grimsby’s strength in depth, not just up front but in other areas, may hold them back. As of writing, I fully expected the Mariners to have signed more than just 7 players. It is a season of transition, though, and while that may sound cliché, it is the truth. They will take steps forward, but progress will be steady and not gigantic. 16th. Barrow So, Pete Wild has left. After taking The Bluebirds to within inches of the play-offs, the former Halifax manager has departed Cumbria. Barrow have made a few waves in the last two seasons, thanks to relentless energy on the pitch and smart recruitment off it. In comes former Gillingham manager Stephen Clemence, who will aim to continue Wild’s good work. Clemence oversaw inconsistent form at Priestfield, and they were never able to mount a late-season challenge for the play-offs as a result. Clemence has added to the squad this summer, with the notable signing of Connor Mahoney from his former club Gillingham. Wyll Stanway is a solid acquisition from Chester after he impressed with 24 clean sheets last season. Sam Barnes and Theo Vassell have been added to the defensive ranks, with Barnes a promising signing from Blackburn, where injuries prevented him from breaking into the first team. Barnes and Vassell will be vital in supporting Niall Canavan after the departures of James Chester and George Ray. Dom Telford and Emile Acquah remain up front, where they will be given competition by Katia Kouyate from Everton and frequent non-league goalscorer Andy Dallas, who hasn’t yet had a look-in at Barnsley. Barrow’s midfield has plenty of good options with Robbie Gotts, Kian Spence, and Dean Campbell. Spence, in particular, impressed with 9 goals and 6 assists. However, Ben Whitfield, who has been crucial to The Bluebirds’ success over the last two seasons, has departed for Burton, and Mahoney will be tasked with replacing his influence. The problem for Barrow has been collapsing mid-season. In 2022-23, they were in a play-off position halfway through the season, but they had fallen to 14th by mid-March and could only recover to finish 9th. After 24 games last season, they were in 4th place, but after the turn of the year, their record was PLD 22, W6, D6, L10. Will the change in the dugout stop their challenge for the play-off places? We shall see. 17th. Swindon Town As usual with Swindon’s recent history, off-the-pitch matters have dominated proceedings. Clem Morfuni and The Robins’ fans have a strained relationship at best and a broken one at worst. Problems between the Aussie and the supporters were evident throughout 2023-24, ending with the fans calling for a change in ownership. Morfuni remains in charge at The County Ground, and recently Mark Kennedy, formerly of Lincoln, has stepped into the head coach role. Kennedy’s Lincoln side kept 18 clean sheets in 2022-23, conceding only 47 goals, but they also scored the same amount that season, failing to score in 16 matches and ending the season with 20 draws. He left Lincoln in October last year with The Imps in 16th position. While Kennedy may bring some defensive solidity, it remains to be seen if he can take The Robins away from the bottom third, where Swindon recorded their lowest-ever finish. Recruitment needed to be strong, and thankfully, it has been solid. Experience arrives in the form of promotion-winner Ollie Clarke and aerial presence Grant Hall. Another aerial presence arrives in the striker department with Harry Smith signing from Sutton. Defensive signings were needed, and to many people’s surprise, promotion-winner Will Wright has been signed from Crawley. Wright was outstanding for Scott Lindsey’s side last season with his ball-playing ability, athleticism, and threat in both boxes. Rosaire Longelo is a promising addition from Accrington, with the pacey full-back able to get forward and support attacks from deep. Miguel Freckleton has had good loan spells with Wealdstone and Chesterfield and will be looking to kick on further, with the next step being League Two football. Overall, it’s been a decent window for Swindon, and with them retaining midfield controller Saidou Khan, quick forward Paul Glatzel, and livewire Aaron Drinan, things could look up on the pitch. However, if things don’t become stable off the pitch, Swindon may not progress as far forward as they’d like. 18th. Bromley Newly promoted to the Football League for the first time in their history, Bromley swap places with near neighbours Sutton and have also taken centre-back Omar Sowunmi. While it can be a shock for some teams to be at this level for the first time, no club has ever gone straight back down. The Ravens have a good head coach in Andy Woodman and are better prepared for this level than people think. They have the required physicality to make the step up comfortably. Along with Sowunmi, they have re-signed Kamarl Grant from Millwall to add to skipper Byron Webster and defensive stalwart Callum Reynolds. Deji Elerewe, who had a previous loan spell at Hayes Lane, joined permanently in January and is another promising player from Charlton’s academy who has proven himself in the National League with Bromley and Wealdstone. They have a good passer in Ashley Charles, the versatile Jude Arthurs, and former loanee Lewis Leigh to rely on in central midfield. Further forward, they’ll be relying on the quick and creative Louis Dennis and Corey Whitely, as well as the dependable Michael Cheek, who finally gets a shot at league football after always being a consistent NL goalscorer. Fellow forward Levi Amantchi, signed from Maidstone in January, has had an impressive pre-season, and Marcus Dinanga had a great season with Gateshead in 2023-24, winning the FA Trophy and providing plenty of goals for The Heed. With stability and a plan to make Hayes Lane a difficult place to visit, Bromley should be fine in their first season in the fourth tier. 19th. Cheltenham Town Cheltenham couldn’t have started last season any worse, and their goalless start set the tone for their season and eventual relegation. Darrell Clarke has left Whaddon Road and has been replaced by Michael Flynn, who had success at Newport but not so much with Walsall or Swindon. He started well with the latter, but a promising start faded away. However, the most significant changes have been off the pitch, with a new director of football appointed. Former manager Gary Johnson has been put in the role, and while he knows the club, I am sceptical about this appointment. Although he still has a good eye for a player, Johnson’s final two seasons at Torquay were extremely disappointing, and he and Flynn have been known to sign players they’ve worked with before. As is the case with keeper Joe Day, full-back Arkell Jude-Boyd, battling centre-mid Harry Pell, and versatile Scot Bennett, all of whom have joined The Robins after having played for either Flynn or Johnson. More experience arrives in back-to-back promotion winner Luke Young and 6’2 frontman Ryan Bowman, while The Robins have looked to non-league gem Liam Dulson, who scored 26 goals for Bedford, to boost the forward line alongside Bowman. In my opinion, Cheltenham are the weakest of the relegated teams and will need the creativity and potential of Jordan Thomas, who could become a real standout this season. Overall, though, the squad lacks depth, and changes in the staff who haven’t had the best experiences at their recent clubs may mean Cheltenham will struggle. 20th. Salford City Salford were in trouble in January, but Karl Robinson managed to steer them away from the relegation zone to relative safety within the final few weeks of the season. It was the North West club’s toughest season since being promoted from the National League, and they’ve lost key players this summer. The goals of Callum Hendry and the creativity from deep of Elliot Watt have both departed The Peninsula Stadium, and they will need Junior Luamba and new recruit Cole Stockton to fill the void left by Hendry. Ossama Ashley will need to be ever-present, and while they have Ryan Watson and Matty Lund in the ranks, Watt’s creativity will be hard to replace. The Ammies have recruited a future England international in goal in Matty Young, who will be pivotal this season, having excelled on loan at Darlington. He is backed up by the experienced Jamie Jones. More experience arrives in the form of James Chester, who joins Stephan Negru on loan from Oxford to form a strong defensive unit, which also includes Curtis Tilt. There is plenty of experience in the Salford ranks, and Karl Robinson may bring stability to the club but not necessarily progress. After leaving Oxford, his stock has taken a knock, and he sometimes hasn’t extracted enough from a squad that should have done better. This, combined with possible squad depth issues and a club that switches managers and philosophies faster than a traffic light changes, could mean the most difficult season in their short EFL history. 21th. Harrogate Town Simon Weaver has done a good job at getting Harrogate competing and being comfortable at this level in the four years they’ve been here. They started slowly last season, but an improved defence contributed to a positive season in which the Yorkshire club nearly broke into the top half. George Thomson was excellent for The Sulphurites last season, scoring 16 goals and getting 8 assists. Creative midfielder Matty Daly also chipped in with 9 assists, and both will need to be on top form again if Harrogate are going to continue their progress this season. However, this summer has been quiet on the signing front. Only three players have arrived at Wetherby Road, with athletic full-back Zico Asare and wingers Stephen Duke-McKenna and Ellis Taylor joining from QPR and Sunderland respectively. Meanwhile, aerially dominant Rod McDonald has left, as has pacey winger Abraham Odoh. Peterborough’s new signing had a fantastic season, and his pace and creativity will be sorely missed. McDonald and Anthony O’Connor formed a dominant defensive partnership capable of defending their box well. Harrogate’s midfield has sufficient depth with the likes of Levi Sutton, Josh Falkingham, and Dean Cornelius joining Thomson in the centre of midfield. The striker department is the most concerning aspect, though, as Josh March hasn’t had the same impact as he did in his first spell at the club, and while Jack Muldoon has been a consistent performer, they can’t rely on him all the time. The lack of investment in the goals department, while other teams have improved, may see Harrogate looking over their shoulders. 22th. Morecambe Speaking of less comfortable situations at football clubs, we turn to Morecambe and the chaos caused by Jason Whittingham, who has undone all of the good work done by the directors and staff responsible for the everyday running of the club. The Shrimps’ financial mismanagement meant they lost nearly their entire playing squad in the close season and were unable to make a signing until 12 July. As of writing this, they’ve signed 14 players (excluding Yann Songo’o, David Tutonda, and Jordan Slew, who were already at the Mazuma Stadium last season) and lost 16 players. The players lost include central defensive duo Farrend Rawson and Jacob Bedeau, wing-back Joel Senior, and goalscoring midfielder JJ McKiernan. Morecambe announced most of their signings in one go. Arriving are goalkeeper Harry Burgoyne, full-backs Luke Hendrie, Ross Millen, and Adam Lewis, central defenders Jamie Stott, Max Taylor, George Ray, central midfielders Tom White, Callum Jones (on loan from Hull), Paul Lewis, and Harvey Macadam (on loan from Fleetwood), winger Ben Tollitt, and strikers Hallam Hope and Lee Angol. Jamie Stott had a good season with Halifax in 2023-24, as did George Ray at Barrow. Ray, in particular, is aerially dominant and will provide much-needed physicality to replace Rawson. This could form a much-needed solid backline, especially as the other end of the pitch seems scarce on goalscoring quality. Charlie Brown may take over where Michael Mellon left off but will need to step up and produce the potential he showed at Chelsea at a younger age. Slew, Hope, and Angol haven’t been prolific in their last few seasons at various clubs. Morecambe will have been a popular pick for relegation in most predictions, but the club and Derek Adams relish playing the underdog and will do all they can to prove everyone wrong. However, financial mismanagement and inconsistent recruitment may lead to Adams leaving again and seeing the Shrimps finally biting the bullet. This will be nail-biting. 23th. Accrington Stanley John Coleman has made Accrington the club they are today, and his second spell as boss came to an end last season after a dispute with owner Andy Holt. Coleman’s departure left a sour taste in the mouths of Stanley fans, and suddenly things seem a little less stable at The Wham Stadium. Coleman’s assistant John Doolan was appointed interim manager in March and has since been given the job permanently, with former Morecambe boss Ged Brannan joining as assistant. Developing players has always been a critical part of Accrington’s identity in recent years, and with Alex Henderson, Dan Martin, Connor O’Brien, and Ben Woods either breaking into the first team or being on the fringes of it, there is room to grow the next promising batch of young players. Stanley’s summer has seen important players move away, including technical no.10 Tommy Leigh and versatile Joe Pritchard, both leaving for Stadium MK. Jack Nolan, who contributed 17 goals and 8 assists last season, has left for Gillingham, and quick full-back Rosaire Longelo has also moved to Swindon. That is a significant portion of talent that has left, and Doolan’s side will need players to step up to replace the lost creativity and goals. Boston duo Kelsey Mooney and Jimmy Knowles, who contributed 34 goals between them in The Pilgrims’ National League North promotion-winning season, have been signed, along with Southport winger Tyler Walton. Michael Kelly is a safe pair of hands in goal, and Farrend Rawson will bring an aerial threat, especially from set-pieces. Zach Awe has arrived on loan from Southampton and has good ball-playing ability to complement Rawson’s physicality. Coleman is a big loss, and whether Accrington can maintain the same stability without him remains to be seen. They still have the experience of Seamus Conneely and Shaun Whalley to call upon, but key players haven’t been replaced, and they will need their younger players to step up and develop quickly if Stanley are to avoid falling through the trapdoor. 24th. Newport County I predicted Newport to finish in the relegation zone last season, and they ended well clear without ever being in that conversation throughout 2023-24. However, things change in football, and matters at Rodney Parade seem a little less comfortable than before. Not to the extent of other League Two clubs (we’ll get to them), but their decision-making in the off-season leaves much to be desired. Graham Coughlan left in June with pre-season on the horizon, and no head coach was announced until almost a month later. Nelson Jardim, who has been an assistant at both Birmingham and Swansea, was appointed as part of the coaching staff on 2 July, but two weeks later found himself as the new head coach. There is a target of transitioning from a more direct style of football to a possession-based game, something the South Wales club tried to do a few years ago with James Rowberry. Recruitment has seen the average age of the squad reduced, with Cameron Antwi, Jacob Carney, Joe Thomas, Kai Whitmore, Cameron Evans, Michael Spellman, and Matt Baker all still in their early 20s. Antwi comes with potential from Cardiff, and Baker has had two loan spells at Rodney Parade before. Anthony Glennon and Courtney Baker-Richardson are two arrivals more familiar with League Two surroundings. A lot will be required, though, from a spine of Nick Townsend, James Clarke, and Aaron Wildig. Will Evans, who hit 21 goals last season, has departed for Mansfield and is the biggest loss this transfer window for the South Wales team. His departure will leave a significant gap in their goal tally, with heavy reliance on Baker-Richardson. Luke Jephcott hasn’t made an impact yet, still without a goal for the club, and the new players will need time to settle in. Mickleover goal-getter Oli Greaves will have to step up quickly if this is the case. This could go one of two ways: it could be a master-stroke, or it could be too much of a risk. With a sudden change in direction just before the start of pre-season and a side dependent on their experienced core while the new players bed in, Newport may have to revert their style if things go wrong. The Pride of Nottingham would like to thank ARLukomski for writing this comprehensive League Two pre-view, placing where he feels teams may finish. Give him a follow on X.com (formerly Twitter).