With AFC Wimbledon beating Walsall in the League 2 playoff final earlier today - the teams in League One are confirmed for next season. They are as follows.
AFC Wimbledon
Barnsley
Blackpool
Bolton Wanderers
Bradford City
Burton Albion
Cardiff City
Doncaster Rovers
Exeter City
Huddersfield Town
Leyton Orient
Lincoln City
Luton Town
Mansfield Town
Northampton Town
Peterborough United
Plymouth Argyle
Port Vale
Reading
Rotherham United
Stevenage
Stockport County
Wigan Athletic
Wycombe Wanderers
Many trips await us up North as a result. I think there will be less quality in the division compared to the season just gone so will be another interesting dynamic as to what could happen.
Disagree. I think the competition will just as tough. Luton, Cardiff, Bolton, Huddersfield, Blackpool and Reading will all most likely finish above us.
To counter - Cardiff be totally defunded because their owner is a whacko. Huddersfield spent something like £6m in January and then sacked a good manager yet to be replaced adequately. Bolton’s squad is quite poor for their standards and they ended the season poorly with a toxic atmosphere. Luton require a clear out, but yes I agree they should comfortably finish as title winners - not so sure Matt has the experience to guide them to that. Reading can’t be funded by Couhig as much as we will be by Lomtadze. Etc.
Far too early to confidently predict where any of the clubs will land. We will sign about 15 players and we won’t be the only L1 side doing that by any means.
I don’t see any of the four coming up making a big impression. One or more of the former Champ sides will likely challenge but big/bigger teams can often get stuck in L1 for a few seasons before getting it right. Barnsley, Blackpool, Huddersfield, and Peterborough each had ‘sleeper’ seasons (much like Charlton had been doing for a few years) and could rise again. Time will tell whether us, Stockport and Orient can regroup and mount another promotion bid.
Bradford are a big team with large crowds, can see them doing well, Plymouth and Luton we know from old and both will be well funded. Reading have done really well despite all the challenges and will have impetus.
We’ll be unbeaten in 19…top the table for ages, get found out by the stats, finish sixth and lose to Luton in the playoff semi-final.
Or perhaps not.
Why no new players?
You’re forgetting that it will finally be a Mike Dodds team (recruited by the Management group) all ready to contribute, none of your Bloomfield and Ainsworth cast offs. Our XG will skyrocket or at least be sort of around the same as the first half of this season and we will have more control of the big moments.
If they re-open the kiosk in the Beechdean the future looks bright..
Because they can spend far more money than anyone else due to their parachute payments, their current players are better than ours (after their January window acquisitions) and they have a manager that plays positive football.
Bizarrely (maybe it’s because the football season has now finished and I don’t have to suffer watching Doddsball for a few months) but today I have flipped towards looking forward to next season.
I doubt the start of it will be particularly entertaining but I’m reasonably confident that we will start with MD as head coach and I think on balance that’s the right thing for us to do.
I have my usual low expectations in terms of league position and have the feeling it will be a rather interesting and unpredictable season.
Luton will have a turnover in excess of £53M next season due to the parachute payment from the Premier League.
The next three biggest turnovers will be Bolton, Cardiff and Plymouth with turnovers easily less than half at around £21M, £18M and £17M, subject to player sales.
Our turnover will be lucky to hit £7M for next season, though this could jump significantly if Kone was sold.
For obvious reasons I’m not too worried about promotion prospects. I just want to see talented players living up to their full potential, enjoying their football and scoring a few goals.
