There can be absolutely no doubt about it: League Two just got a whole lot stronger.
What Leyton Orient, Stevenage, Northampton and Carlisle achieved last season was phenomenal, for different reasons, and other good sides missed out, yet the standard of football at the top has slipped, incrementally, since 2019-20.
That could change this year, because Wrexham – owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, and managed by Phil Parkinson – and Notts County come up having amassed three-digit points tallies in the National League, and will massively enhance the division.
The same could be said for MK Dons and Forest Green – relegated from League One – who have spent big to back up their ambitions of an instant return, recruiting midfielder Alex Gilbey and defender Ryan Inniss respectively, to offer the bite they missed last year. In Inniss’ case – sent off four times for Charlton – he possibly had a little too much bite last season.
Also coming back down are Lancashire adversaries Morecambe and Accrington Stanley, both aiming to overcome budgetary limitations under the manager who took them up last time, Derek Adams and John Coleman. Doubt them at your peril.
On top of the new teams, there are some sides who were in League Two last season who are different propositions now compared with 12 months ago.
Take Gillingham, for example: they look revitalised under the ownership of American Brad Galinson, and will be expected to build on excellent form in the second half of 2022-23 after another splashing of cash this summer. Colchester, too, benefited from fresh investment in January and have an incredibly talented group, working under a progressive coach in Ben Garner, who led Swindon to the play-offs at this level in 2021-22.
Doncaster, meanwhile, have increased their budget to lure Grant McCann back for a second stint – he guided the club to the 2019 League One play-offs.
The bar is raised, then, for last season’s defeated play-off trio: Stockport have the resources to deliver Dave Challinor’s seventh promotion as a manager, and first in the EFL, Mark Hughes’ Bradford have tied talisman Andy Cook down to a new deal, and Salford have an astute coach in Neil Wood.
The threats come from far and wide, so even usual suspects Mansfield and Swindon are left to rethink their respective squads’ age profiles: the former edge towards a younger look, while the latter have tweaked their model to hire manager Michael Flynn, who likes his older heads.
Harrogate and Sutton are the underdogs, although the former did push the boat out to recruit defender Rod McDonald. Each have stability on their side, under long-serving managers Simon Weaver and Matt Gray. The duo intend to upset the odds once more, likewise Pete Wild’s Barrow, who stylistically mirror their lively, energetic boss.
Elsewhere in the north west, internally appointed Lee Bell and Ian Dawes plot progress at Crewe and Tranmere, after both finished mid-table last term. In Sussex, Crawley’s crypto owners need to curb the wackiness and give Scott Lindsey the space to build, after keeping them up last season.
Grimsby weren’t far off being ready to push for the play-offs, as their run to the FA Cup quarter-finals showed, and they’ve since made a statement signing in Danny Rose (no, not that one). Watch out for the 5ft 8in former Stevenage striker’s leap.
Newport performed as a top-10 outfit after Graham Coughlan’s October arrival and aim to continue that form, while Walsall and Wimbledon feel progress off the pitch should now be backed up on it – gaffers Mat Sadler and Johnnie Jackson are out to prove a point.
League Two will be incredibly competitive – come for the Hollywood stars, stay for the fun elsewhere.
PREDICTION
1 Stockport
2 Wrexham
3 Notts County
4 Gillingham
5 Doncaster
6 Salford
7 MK Dons
8 Bradford
9 Mansfield
10 Swindon
11 Barrow
12 Grimsby
13 Accrington
14 Forest Green
15 Colchester
16 Tranmere
17 Wimbledon
18 Walsall
19 Crewe
20 Morecambe
21 Newport
22 Harrogate
23 Sutton
24 Crawley
WHO WILL WIN THE LEAGUE?
THE ULTIMATE QUIZ
GET INVOLVED TWEET US USING THE HASHTAG #FFTPREVIEW
01 Which teenage Colchester defender was named League Two Young Player of the Season in 2022-23?
02 Which of these ex-Manchester United players does not have a share in Salford City (below): David Beckham, Paul Scholes or Robbie Savage?
03 What’s the name of newcomers Wrexham’s home ground?
04 Who scored four goals for Swindon against Rochdale last term, but still didn’t finish on the winning side as the game ended 4-4?
05 Which is the biggest stadium in League Two this campaign?
06 How many fourth-tier outfits this season are situated within Greater London?
07 Which current League Two side were founded before the Football Association existed?
08 For which British Overseas Territory is Walsall captain Donervon Daniels an international: Gibraltar, Bermuda or Montserrat?
09 Which former Premier League referee is a regular in the stands at Tranmere?
10 Whose saved penalty for Stockport eventually meant defeat in last year’s play-off final?
1. Junior Tchamadeu 2. Robbie Savage 3. Racecourse Ground 4. Charlie Austin 5. Stadium MK (MK Dons) 6. Two (AFC Wimbledon, Sutton United) 7. Notts County 8. Montserrat 9. Mike Dean 10. Ryan Rydel
ACCRIN GTON STAN LEY
LAST SEASON LEAGUE ONE 23rd FA CUP Fourth Round LEAGUE CUP First Round TOP SCORER (ALL COMPS) Tommy Leigh (12)
FAN FILE
ADAM SCARBOROUGH
Last season was very disappointing to suffer our first relegation since 1999, but five years in League One for a club of our size was a great achievement.
The big talking point is which of our best players we’ll hold on to. Rinse and repeat for Stanley fans.
This season will be different because surely we can’t have as many injuries and suspensions as last year. We had 19 out at one point!
I won’t be happy unless we make the Wham Stadium a fortress again, after just six league home wins last season.
Our most underrated player is club captain Seamus Conneely. We miss his influence when he’s not playing.
Look out for local lad Connor O’Brien, a 19-year-old defender who broke into the first team at the end of last term.
I’m least looking forward to Barrow away, which is bound to be on a cold Tuesday night. [Close, it’s a Friday – Ed.]
The opposition player who grinds my gears is our former loanee goalkeeper James Trafford, after a collision in the EFL Trophy semi-final against Bolton which left our midfielder Liam Coyle’s cheekbone fractured in four places.
The active player I’d love to have back is Jordan Clark, if he fancies swapping top-flight Luton for us…
our own Sean
