League 2 preview

After seeing last season’s walk over by Milton Keynes Dons and Peterborough in League 2 it looks as though we are going to see a League that will be the most competitive in years.

These two clubs spent heavily on players transfer fees and wages and as expected walked into league 1 along with Hereford United and Stockport County.

I call this league this season the most competitive in the county and I’ll be honest I’m finding it difficult to find a winner.

Shrewsbury Town are one of the first clubs up for consideration. Grant Holt is a signing that will pull them from a poor team into a top half of the table club. Whether that will bring them promotion is another story, but if it were Paul Simpson is the man to do it, a man with plenty of experience in this league.

Wycombe Wanderers came close to the play-off final only to be ousted by Stockport and for me looked like a good bet for promotion. This season would have been no different but for two reasons. The loss of Sergio Torres is a big one, a player who I have seen close up and he looks like a super talent his transfer to Peterborough is a blow to Wanderers. The second is a big one. The loss of Paul Lambert as manager is a problem that could come back to haunt them. Peter Taylor has come in and the fear has already risen above Adams Park that Taylor will perform the sort of disastrous things that went on at both Stevenage and Crystal Palace. It is a clean slate for Taylor who like Simpson has had experience at this level, still with a good squad behind him he should recapture the form that saw a play-off finish last time out.

The other club who missed out on the play-off final Darlington are another club who will be looking to make a point as they go searching for promotion. They look a good bet like they did last season. Jitters with a third of the season to go let an automatic promotion place slip away, whether that will be allowed to happen again is unlikely. Tommy Smith showed last season he can set this league alight and I expect no different this season.

Bradford City with a lot of resources behind them are always peoples tip and maybe the singing of the Boulding brothers, particularly Michael could fire them into the promotion they crave. Clearly too big a club to be playing in this division this season could be there turn as it’s as open as ever they could just sneak in there.

At this point I could go on about another dozen clubs and their chance of promotion. To be honest this year there are so many it’s not worth mentioning them all. Chesterfield are another one for me. With Jack Lester always scoring goals they always look a threat and after a disappointing finish last season they will be looking to avenge their play-off heartbreak.

And what of the two promoted teams Aldershot Town and Exeter City. Well for me Aldershot look like a very solid entertaining team. I saw them a few times last season and with a very similar side, minus Joel Grant they could be in for some more success. Their fans will tell you just staying in the division would be enough but for me it could be more than that. I’d hate to give them the curse of saying a top seven finish but if things go there way they could surprise a few.

Exeter will be looking to do the same, and stay in the division. I can see them doing this at no particular struggle. They always look like the sort of team that could get 50 points out of a season. Don’t expect any promotion or relegation issues with this side just consolidation will be enough for the side from Devon.

For relegation my situation has been made easier by the Luton Town’s predicament. The will start the season on -30 and are dead certs to be playing there football in the Blue Square Premier next season. It’s a shame the club have nothing to grab onto; going out of administration is one small glimmer but only a small thread. Mick Harford has mission impossible and you can’t help but feel sorry for the lad.

Rotherham has hit the same sort of problems and a 17-point deduction puts them in big trouble as well. Bournemouth are in the same predicament and it looks like a straight fight between these two sides. Both teams would have been looking higher up the league to finish this year and neither can afford to go down. I’m going to stick my neck out and go for Bournemouth to stay up. They have been in this position before so they know the score, they reacted brilliantly to it last season and I think they could overcome it this time around.

It’s a shame that the fate of these clubs is basically decided before the season has started and that it’s not how the teams perform on the pitch but if you can’t run your club properly then you should have to pay the price.

Champions: Darlington
Automatic Promotion: Bradford City, Wycombe Wanderers
Promotion via play-offs: Chesterfield
Play offs: Shrewsbury Town, Chesterfield, Aldershot Town, Gillingham
Relegated: Luton Town, Rotherham