A Who Cares 2019-20 League One Season Preview

It’s that time of the year where the EFL returns that little bit earlier than the Premier League, and as we’ve already kicked off our coverage for the new season with our 2019-20 EFL CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW it is time for our Who Cares 2019-20 League One Season Preview.

We’re not beneath getting behind the third division usually, lovingly following the League One action every year. But as an Ipswich Town fan, it takes on greater interest this season.

Like our Championship preview, the Who Cares 2019-20 League One Season Preview will be full of slightly useful tidbits and barely interesting information, plus an attempt to pick the final League One ladder in order with points. All to deliver the bare minimum for those with a bare minimum interest in the third tier in Australia, and around the world.

 

STORIES OF INTEREST AHEAD OF THE 2019-20 EFL LEAGUE ONE SEASON

Here’s a few of the more interesting things for those who don’t have the time to properly care about the upcoming 2019-20 EFL League One Season just yet.

NETFLIX STARS IN THE THIRD TIER ‘TIL THEY DIE?

Sunderland became a well known lower division football club through the excellent Netflix series Sunderland ’til I Die, which was meant to chart their progress back to the EPL, not down to League One. But here they are, for a second season.

The third tier can be a hard league to get out of for a bigger club – Leeds Utd took four seasons, EPL new boys Sheffield Utd took six, Southampton took two as well recently. So this being Sunderland’s second season shouldn’t be too much of a concern, yet.

They do have the best squad in terms of current market value, almost triple all the other clubs, except recently relegated Ipswich Town.

Sunderland have support like few others in this division, as the Sunderland-Portsmouth EFL Trophy crowd proved last season, where along with Pompey fans were in the top three crowds in Europe that weekend.

The EFL Trophy lost also highlighted one more crucial thing ahead for Sunderland – their record at Wembley – which is woeful. Eight straight losses in various competitions mean that Sunderland will need to go up automatically.

 

BURY AND BOLTON START THE SEASON OFF MINUS 12 POINTS AND MOST OF THEIR PLAYERS

The lower leagues are always full of stories about struggling clubs, usually due to irresponsible or incompetent owners, but rarely has one league had two such severe cases of busted arse like League One does this season.

Both teams are new arrivals into the division too, dragging their previous issues with them, although unbelievably Bury still managed promotion from League Two despite the off field struggles and not getting paid regularly. Bolton tried their hardest to be worse than Ipswich Town by the end of the Championship season, a mean feat given Ipswich were the worst team in the Football League last season.

Bolton and Bury’s off field issues has seen both club threatened with expulsion, as the governing body EFL seek to confirm if they will last the season. As it is they will start the season off with a 12 point reduction, and both clubs are struggling to field 11 senior players.

It will be a fall from grace for Bolton, EPL regulars not long ago, and now heading for the fourth tier unless a miracle can happen.

 

FOR COVENTRY SEE BIRMINGHAM

Talking of bad owners, Coventry City start this season in a different city for the second time in a decade as they play their home games at Birmingham City’s St Andrews ground for the upcoming 2019-20 League One season.

Coventry’s last trip away from the city was in 2013 when they played home games at nearby Northampton after their owners argued with the owners of their home ground, and the latest move away is due to the club’s owners not agreeing with the stadium owners again.

Despite protests, Coventry fans have to continue to live with the owners who appear to not care very much about their own club (a theme repeated across the three EFL divisions. It didn’t stop them being promoted a season ago to League One, and it didn’t stop similarly troubled club Charlton being promoted from this division last season.

 

BLACKPOOL OYSTON FREE

Talking of bad owners, Blackpool’s were right up there as worst in recent years, and perhaps ever. After a whole range of behaviour that is best classed as alleged to save legal troubles, the Oystons were eventually forced out of the club and the fans can now enjoy the start of a season with their club back.

Like Coventry, the off field shenanigans didn’t stop them moving forward, after a plummet from the EPL to fourth tier that is. Blackpool were promoted into League a seasons ago, and finished 10th last season.

 

HOW WILL THE RELEGATED CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS GO?

Bolton have already been discussed, with their relegation looking like it could be doubled this season.

Next up is our beloved Ipswich Town. After years of mediocrity, and fans complaining about it, Ipswich finally did something about it last season. They produced the worst season in the three EFL tiers and finished dead last in the Championship, winning four games. This is their first season in the third tier in over 60 years where they on their way to winning a First Division title.

The beauty of Ipswich’s situation is that the manager that started the season in 2018-19 (and was eventually sacked after just 14 games) hired a whole range of promising third and fourth division players. Perhaps he knew something in advance. Either way, Ipswich have kept a hold of most of the good ones, and with a few shrewd signing like Norwood who scored a pile of goals for promoted League Two side Tranmere.

The other relegated team is Rotherham United, who have become a yo-yo club between the second and third tiers in recent seasons. They won the playoff final in 2014 and 2018, and maintained Championship status in between. They will be a factor in the top half again.

 

WHAT ABOUT THE PROMOTED TEAMS?

Lincoln City are the most equipped to do well in League One this season, with Lincoln one of the better performing lower league clubs since their promotion from Non League. 

At the heart of it all is the management duo of the Cowley brothers, who have been linked with every decent Championship – League One job the few seasons, and developed the Love Train corner move used by England at the World Cup. There must be a reason the brothers have stuck with Lincoln when they could have had 10 other job in the past few years.

Milton Keynes are back after a season away in League Two, At the very least that means the games against AFC Wimbledon are back on, a point of interest for the media if not Wimbledon themselves. They have the resources, stadium, and respected manager to secure at least mid table mediocrity.

Tranmere Rovers won the playoff final against Newport in May, but are oing to miss the goals of James Norwood, who left for Ipswich. In 189 games for Tranmere he scored 92 goals, including 32 in all competitions last year. This put him on equal terms with Sergio Aguero. They should have enough elsewhere to stay up, but losing that amount of goals is going to hurt.

Bury have already been discussed above, and they will likely be relegated after 12 point deduction. If they survive financially.

 

AND THE TEAMS IN BETWEEN?

There can’t be too many teams left that haven’t already been mentioned, but here are a few of the more interesting cases.

Portsmouth – Big fan base, big chance of going straight up. Won the EFL trophy last season.

Gillingham – Steve Evans is the new manager, and he is quite the…enigma. Worth just watching and listening to him throughout the season. Does have success though.

Fleetwood – Joey Barton is still in charge here, and he did a decent job first up. However he has been charged after a tunnel dispute led to rough-housing against Barnsley last season.

Accrington Stanley – the football equivalent of the little engine that could survived last season, and were even in the top six for a period. Hopefully they continue to defy the odds.

 

BEAUTY IN THE BEAST

A trip through League One wouldn’t be complete with a mention of the great Adebayo Akinfenwa aka The Beast.

He is going around for Wycombe Wanderers in League One again, making AFC Wimbledon look a little foolish if they though he could make it in League One when they got promoted.

The world’s strongest football players still managed seven goals last season, and his contributions helped to keep them up, just.

But it’s not all about the goals, the way The Beast powers through oppositions defensive lines always troubles, but he still has some silky skills for a big man.

It would be great if Adebayo Akinfenwa could lead Wycombe into a rare Championship season, but they might have to settle for survival and FA/League Cup nuisance. Would be great to see The Beast terrorising a EPL backline one more time before he retires.

 

MANAGER TURNOVER

League One can be a brutal place for managers as well.

11 managers lining up this weekend have been in the job for less than a year.

Here’s the breakdown of how long each team’s manager has been in charge. Wycombe’s Gareth Ainsworth is the longest serving.

 

HOW CAN AUSTRALIANS WATCH THE 2019-20 EFL LEAGUE ONE?

Sadly for League One you have to wait for an International break to see any League One action.

But when the top two divisions do take a break, there is usually three games between League One and League Two to sample.

And all of the playoffs in May.

It can be found for Australians on BeIn Sports via Foxtel.

 

Who Cares 2019-20 EFL League One Season Predictions

THE SUPER-JEFF 3000 SELECT-A-TRON

We put in 20 data fields and ranked each team per category, and totaled the points to come up with a reasonably data driven way of selecting the winners and losers of the upcoming season.

We’ve even put the teams in order from 1-24 with potential points scored.

Here are the results….Data sources are (prev season unless obvious) : AvgLast3SeasonsPyramid, ChangePyramid,  Last6Form, PostXmasForm, GoalsScored, GoalDifference, AwayGoalsScored,         Home&AwayDifferential, Shots, WhoScoredRating, ManagerLongevity, Squad Value, Squad Value Change, %Crowd, PlayerLoyalty, Odds, PenaltiesWon, PenaltyConv%, CleanSheets

 

 

THE GURGLER SELECTIONS

Who are we to argue against the SUPER-JEFF 3000 SELECT-A-TRON?

It would be foolish to, but we are going to anyway.

Here’s our selections which requires more arrogant self belief than data.

WINNERS: Sunderland

PROMOTED: Ipswich Town, Lincoln City

RELEGATED: Bolton, Bury, Rochdale, Tranmere

 

Who Cares 2019-20 EFL League One Season Bits & Pieces

Not enough barely interesting, who cares information for you? Have some more.

We find some great tidbits about the season ahead, and more reason for you neutrals to get behind someone or something for the 2019-20 EFL League One Season ahead.

GREAT RIVALRIES

Here’s a few games for the neutrals to keep an eye out for.

AFC WIMBLEDON v MILTON KEYNES – very few have ever forgiven the move of the old Wimbledon to Milton Keynes, least of all AFC Wimbledon who dusted themselves off, started again and eventually bettered Milton Keynes. This is the second time in thee season they are in League One together.

 

FIVE FAVOURITE NICKNAMES

There are some great nicknames throughout the Football League, and here are our five favourites for the season ahead.

THE TRACTOR BOYS – IPSWICH TOWN – delightfully condescending but fun.

THE CHAIRBOYS – WYCOMBE WANDERERS – for local chair making industry.

THE GAS – BRISTOL ROVERS – for a nearby gas plant, but it does sound cool.

THE IMPS – LINCOLN CITY – a Game of Thrones reference.

THE POSH – PETERBOROUGH – from Wiki – Believed to derive from former manager Pat Tirrel proclaiming that he was looking for: “Posh players for a posh team”.

 

FIVE GREAT MASCOTS

Mascots are part of the gameday experience, and some are better than others.

BILLY & BETTY BREWER – BURTON ALBION

CAPTAIN GAS – BRISTOL ROVERS

ELVIS J EEL – SOUTHEND UTD

HAYDON THE WOMBLE – AFC WIMBLEDON

PETER BURROW – PETERBOROUGH UTD

 

FIVE GREAT GROUND NAMES

Below the Premier League, and unlike most Australian sport, the Football League teams still have some great ground names, and they are all not <Insert Sponsor Here> Stadium.  Here our favourite five for the season.

STADIUM OF LIGHT – Home of Sunderland

CROWN GROUND – Home of Accrington Stanley

SINCIL BANK – Home of Lincoln City

PRENTON PARK – Home of Tranmere Rovers

NEW YORK STADIUM – Home of Rotherham Utd