LEAGUE ONE
As the Cowley brothers look to continue Lincoln’s rise up the leagues, the pressure’s on Sunderland boss Jack Ross to shake off their Wembley misery
Eyes down for a full house of crisis clubs having a race to the bottom
League One looks a curious case, with 12 of the participating clubs engulfed in a relegation battle well into the previous campaign.
In 2018-19, English football’s third tier was defined by its extraordinary tussle to beat the drop, which saw 12th place hovering three points above the trapdoor as late as mid-march.
If we add relegated Bolton, Rotherham and Ipswich to those that eventually retained their status, it’s fair to say that half of League One will be looking to move on from disappointing seasons.
As ever, the bookies’ list of favourites is made up of some fallen giants down on their luck.
Many predicted that Mick Mccarthy’s departure from the dugout spelt trouble for Ipswich, but the Tractor Boys can take plenty of inspiration from Southampton, Sheffield United, Wolves, Huddersfield, Brighton and Norwich, who have all springboarded back from this division up to the Premier League in the last 10 years.
Under Jack Ross, Sunderland managed to finish fifth in a four-horse race before falling to Charlton in the 94th minute at Wembley. The pressure will be on the Scot to improve both the football and the results early on, otherwise the passionate Mackem faithful will be sure to voice their displeasure. After all, this was supposed to be a one-year stay in League One.
Other promotion hopefuls include Rotherham and Peterborough, the latter having been typically busy in the transfer market – but despite constantly lofty ambitions, the Posh haven’t finished better than 9th in any of their previous four campaigns.
A mid-season slump derailed Portsmouth’s title charge, but it’s hard to see them far from the top this time around with Kenny Jackett at the helm.
Of the chasing pack, the most intriguing may well be Lincoln, who have managed to retain the services of the Cowley brothers (below right) despite admirers from all corners of the country.
The same was once said of Karl Robinson, who now needs his Oxford team to walk the walk for a manager who seemingly never stops talking the talk.
League One often acts as purgatory for managers, but Simon Grayson knows more than most how to clamber out of it, and his return to reborn Blackpool looks a potentially interesting one.
As for the scrap at the bottom, it would take a brave man to predict with any conviction, but it could be a tough league to be relegated from should Bolton and Bury’s (lack of) fortunes hobble survival chances. The old Red Rose rivals’ most important battles seem to be off the pitch: the former will start the season on at least -12 points after entering administration, while Bury’s own off-field issues cost them manager Ryan Lowe and many key players pretty much before their promotion champagne had gone flat.
All of Wycombe, AFC Wimbledon, Accrington and Rochdale will see their budgets dwarfed by others in the league, and seem the likely ones to be looking over their shoulders later on in the season.
As ever, there will be plenty of drama and stories to keep an eye on in the enigmatic third tier of English football, and we haven’t even mentioned Joey Barton.