League One was a strange division last season, that's for sure. With a small group of teams gunning for the top six places and a good half of the division in a relegation scrap until the final couple of games, this is a difficult league to predict.
One team definitely stands head and shoulders above other contenders at the top of the table though and that's Portsmouth. Unlucky to lose out in the play-offs last season, Pompey have kept the nucleus of last season's squad intact and made a few signings to fill the odd gap and should be a good bet for the title this season.
Rotherham were unlucky to go straight back down from the Championship last time out but crucially they've kept the vast majority of the team that got promoted two years ago intact. If they can get off to a good start, they should be in with a good shout of automatic promotion and ensuring that the yo-yo is geared for another upward swing.
Sunderland seem to be most people's tip for the title for much the same reason as they were twelve months ago but they fell away from the automatic promotion chase badly at the end of last season before losing in the play-off final to Charlton and with the playing budget being cut to reflect a second season in the lower leagues, they may have to content themselves with another go in the end of season lottery. Of teams who could potentially join them there, Peterborough have strengthened their squad after narrowly missing the top six last time out and with a weaker division this time around should be a good shout to go one better this time. Any worries Doncaster may have had over losing manager Grant McCann, the mastermind behind last season's play-off push, to Hull should surely have been soothed by the arrival of Darren Moore, fresh from being very harshly dismissed by a play-off bound West Brom side last season, back at his hometown club. With Moore in charge, Donny should be good value for another push at the top six this time out. Finally, Blackpool could be a dark horse this season. With hated chairman Owen Oyston finally gone, a new manager in Simon Grayson who has got the club promoted out of this division before and some promising new signings, they could be a surprise play-off contender.
Others who could feature in the play-off race include Lincoln who won League Two at a canter last season and with Danny Cowley staying put, could well carry on their momentum into this one. For Ipswich, facing their first season at this level in nearly 60 years, a lot will depend on how they start after last season's relegation disaster. The potential for a top six push is there but with confidence flat on the floor, getting back to the Championship may be a two season job for Paul Lambert and the Tractor Boys. With Nigel Clough at the helm and a solid squad, there's no reason Burton couldn't challenge but it'll mean them gaining some more consistency than they had last season while Coventry's main obstacle is likely to be them currently being stuck in exile again (this time at Birmingham) after yet more arguments between their board and the Ricoh Arena's landlords. With all their troubles off the pitch, mid-table looks most likely for the Sky Blues this season.
Fleetwood showed intermittent promise under Joey Barton last season but with their manager currently facing a GBH case following a dust-up with his opposite number at Barnsley last season, their league position is likely to suffer. I doubt they'll be troubled by relegation but at the same time it looks unlikely that they'll mount a challenge. Shrewsbury suffered the mother of all promotion near-miss hangovers last time out but seem to have made a few canny signings which should see them move up to mid-table safety this time. Likewise Bristol Rovers and Oxford both finished last season strongly after shaky starts and should achieve safety a bit more comfortably this time around while Gillingham look set to repeat last season's mid-table finish.
Of those who might be feeling a bit less comfortable about their prospects, MK Dons and Tranmere should be okay as long as they can keep their good finishes to last season which saw them both get promoted from League Two going. Accrington started last season well but fell away alarmingly before a late run took them to safety and will know full well what they're up against this time around. Rochdale seem to be turning into last ditch survival specialists these days but with a weak lower end to the division this year they should have a fighting chance. Just down the road, Bolton are currently in an absolute mess off the field with the club in administration and starting with a 12-point penalty. With just a handful of players signed up, their only saving grace is that manager Phil Parkinson, the man who masterminded their promotion from this division three years ago, has decided to stick around and as long as he does, they may just have enough to scrape to safety.
Which is not something that can be said of their near neighbours Bury who also find themselves in administration and with a 12 point penalty to start the season with. With a squad currently full of triallists, an untried manager in former Middlesbrough and Watford striker Paul Wilkinson and the future of the club far from certain, it's going to take a miracle for the Shakers to avoid an instant return to League Two, assuming they even make it through the season without folding - truly these are desperate times. Also looking likely to be heading into the bottom flight are Southend who crashed and burned horrifically in the second half of last season. The replacement of manager Chris Powell with Kevin Bond didn't really stop the rot and the Shrimpers survived more by default through how bad other teams were - this time one feels they won't be so lucky. Likewise Wimbledon and Wycombe left it very late to secure safety last time out and with no notable arrivals, they're likely to face an uphill struggle once again this season.
FINAL TABLE
1. Portsmouth
2. Rotherham United
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3. Sunderland
4. Peterborough United
5. Doncaster Rovers
6. Blackpool
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7. Lincoln City
8. Ipswich Town
9. Burton Albion
10. Coventry City
11. Bristol Rovers
12. Oxford United
13. Shrewsbury Town
14. Gillingham
15. Fleetwood Town
16. MK Dons
17. Tranmere Rovers
18. Rochdale
19. Accrington Stanley
20. Bolton Wanderers
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21. Wycombe Wanderers
22. Wimbledon
23. Southend United
24. Bury
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