EFL League One has seen a lot of former footballing giants enter its ranks in recent years and as many will attest it’s not easy getting back out.  This season its numbers include Sunderland Bolton & Ipswich, all of whom have played Premier League Football in recent years. It looks like being a tough division again this year but might end up being a shorter season than normal given Bolton & Bury’s woes. Anyway without further ado here is our prediction for the 2019/20 EFL Division One finishing positions:

 

The League One Title Contenders

1st Sunderland

Back-to-back relegations are never a good look; however, Sunderland were expected to bounce back to the Championship at the first attempt last year. But as stated this is a tough division and the Black Cats are still here. To be fair to the current owners and manager they inherited a mess last year and now with a season to adjust and a bit more financial clout (by far the biggest budget in the division) they look set not only to bounce back up but take the title in the process.

2nd Portsmouth

FA Cup winners as recently as 2008, and once Premier League stalwarts (well for a few seasons anyway), Pompey will be looking to go one better this year after losing to Sunderland in the Playoff semi-final last year. They have a manager proven at this level in Kenny Jackett who has won promotion from League One before with Millwall and Wolves.

Losing Matt Clarke & Jamal Lowe who have left for Brighton is a blow, but loanee’s Sean Raggett and Ross McCrorie are back which cushions the loss.  Adding Paul Downing from Blackburn will stiffen their defence a bit too. It could be close but we expect them to challenge and at least grab the second automatic spot.

3rd Peterborough United

Peterborough have been in the Championship recently and have had a bit of success promotion wise in the last few years. The one thing in common to their successes has been having Darren Ferguson as manager and you guessed it, he’s back for a third stint. Goal scoring shouldn’t be a problem with their stable of strikers even after selling Mark Godden, and they have stiffened the defence with the shrewd purchase of Frankie Kent who made 40 appearances for Colchester last year chipping in 5 goals. They should make the playoffs and are not without a chance of the title.

4th Ipswich Town

The Tractor Boys suffered the ignominy of relegation last season and have a few injury worries going into the new season. The good news is that Paul Lambert has been retained as manager so giving them some stability, and they have added a goal scorer in James Norwood who hit 29 goals last season in Tranmere’s successful promotion campaign. Once everyone is fit they should be challenging for automatic promotion, although they might slip off the pace a little early on.

League One Playoff Contenders

5th Shrewsbury Town

Shrewsbury only finished 2 points above the relegation zone last season, but their points total belaid a fairly good set of performances which included 16 draws and a lot of close games. This was reflected in the fact their goal difference was only -8. They only managed 51 goals though and this is was the issue. So what’s behind our optimism? Well, they have had a bit of a clear out but retained their best players and have added to their already formidable defence with a couple of big Centre Backs, and more importantly got another striker, Steve Morrison from Millwall who is a proven scorer at League One level. Thirteen of their Eighteen defeats last year came by the odd goal, so if they can turn a few of those into draws and a some of the 16 draws they had into wins then they could be the seasons’ surprise team.

6th Rotherham United

Rotherham were relegated last season, only managed 8 wins and struggled to score goals. Still, they have kept Paul Warne as manager, cleared out a load of fringe players and raised some money with the sale of Vaulks & Ajayi for over £3.5m combined. £500,000 of this has gone on Plymouth striker Freddie Lapado who scored 18 goals for them, despite their eventual relegation. A drop-in division and a proven striker should make a big difference and the Millers should get back to winning ways. However, they may need this season to consolidate.

7th Blackpool

The Seasiders will be Oyston-less for the first time in over three decades, and now freed from these shackles they are expected to push for promotion. They have reunited with former Manager Simon Grayson – who guided them through the playoffs to the Championship back in 2006-7 and he could very well do the same again. There has been a flurry of transfer activity and the signing of Carluile’s Jamie Devitt looks a good one. Simon may need a season under his belt before repeating his magic of a few years ago but they should be challenging for a playoff place.

8th Fleetwood Town

Blackpools near neighbours and playoff rivals Fleetwood have shown a bit of ambition in the transfer market including signing Paul Coutts who figured in Sheffield United’s promotion campaign. They also have ex Welsh International Ched Evans up front who is a proven goalscorer at this level (he scored 17 for them last season).

9th Lincoln City

League Two Champions Last season and used to winning following promotions from the Conference and an amazing recent FA Cup run in 2016 -17. Three promotions on the Bounce? Its a tall order given the teams above but they could easily sneak into the playoffs.

On The Fringes

10th Coventry City

Playing 46 away games won’t help their cause and although they have a very good manager and a decent squad. Once they get settled in their own stadium again they will be contenders again.

11th Burton Albion

Played in the Championship two years ago and had an amazing run in the League Cup last year before being unceremoniously dumped out of the competition by all-conquering Manchester City. They have lost a couple of key players to rivals and don’t look to have improved while others in league One have.

12th Oxford United

Good midfield – half-decent defence but lacking goal-scoring prowess pretty much sums up our view of Oxford this year. They finished 12th Last season and we think they will be around mid-table again until they sort out a proven striker.

13th Doncaster Rovers

If their starting Eleven could play the whole season then they would be playoff contenders, however the lack of depth in the squad is a worry. They scraped into the playoffs last year thanks largely to some shrewd loan signings but we see them taking a step backwards this season.

14th Gillingham

Kent’s only league club (well since 1992 when Maidstone went bust) and a bit difficult to get a fix on this year. There has been a fair bit of turnover in the squad, however, we are not sure they have gotten any better. A mid-table zone finish looks on the cards.

15th MK Dons

Overcame a shaky end to the season last year to secure automatic promotion on the final day. They have been quiet in the transfer market and if last seasons poor late form carries over they could struggle. We doubt they will get sucked into relegation trouble, however, they won’t be promoted again either.

16th Tranmere Rovers

They are going to miss James Norwood who helped power then to promotion last year. Until they replace him they will be around mid-table at best.

17th Accrington Stanley

Promoted two seasons ago on a shoestring and did well to establish themselves last year. Team spirit and a stable management team headed by John Coleman who led them into League One should be enough to keep them clear of the relegation zone – helped by the plight of their Lancashire rivals Bolton & Bury.

Looking Over Their Shoulders

18th AFC Wimbledon

Survived by the skin of their teeth last season and will probably figure in the relegation dogfight again this year. Wally Downes will engender the old “Crazy Gang” spirit into the squad and expect some good old fashioned physical route one football from them. This will be their fourth season in League One and they may have been a bit distracted by their excellent FA Cup run last season which saw them reach the 5th Round. Should stay up.

19th Bristol Rovers

With no real home to call their own and little to report on the transfer front its hard to see them bettering last seasons mid-table performance. We think they might take a step back.

2oth Rochdale

Here is the news – New Chairman, new manager, sold one of your best players and your transfer shopping list comprises signing a few under 23 players on loan. Not great reading for a team which only finished four points above the relegation zone last year. Had it not been for ironically, fellow Lancashire sides Bury & Bolton’s financial woes they would probably be going down.

Relegated

21st Southend United

Small squad, money issues and only stayed up on goal difference last year. They have a decent squad but no depth and some of the veteran players may be feeling the effects of the season come March time. It could be a cold winter at Root Hall this year.

22nd Wycombe Wanderers

Gareth Ainsworth deserved to be in consideration for the manager of the year for keeping them up last season, however with boardroom changes no money available for transfers and still no youth system to dip into in the hope of finding a gem, injuries could be a worry. League Two beacons.

23rd Bolton Wanderers

Bolton are one of Englands more historied clubs and as recent as 2007-8 they were playing Sporting Lisbon in the last 16 of the UEFA Cup (Europa League now), however, a second consecutive relegation looks a strong possibility and they will start on -12 points. OK its only 4 wins but the teams around the bottom are bad but not awful and this could prove just too much for them

24th Bury

Promotion last year has been overshadowed by major financial problems. A twelve-point deduction a mass exodus of their better players all on free transfers and no new arrivals has left them with hardly enough of a squad to field a starting line up. Their first two games have been suspended because of this. As things stand they may not even get the chance to compete. Here’s hoping a solution can be found but as things stand we expect then to struggle badly when they finally take to the field.