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MK Dons finished 19th last season but Paul Warne is a good manager and the club have backed him in the transfer market. Aaron Collins has arrived from Bolton for £800,000, a huge fee in the fourth tier, with Will Collar also joining from Stockport.
Of those that have came down into League Two, Bristol Rovers will perhaps be most optimistic of making theirs a short stay. Their manager, Darrell Clarke, knows the division well and has sourced the knowhow of Macauley Southam-Hales and Josh McEachran to complement the talent of Kamil Conteh and the teenager Kofi Shaw.
Chesterfield may still be reeling from defeat in the playoffs after winning eight of the final 13 matches of the regular season. On the bright side John Fleck and Will Grigg are still around, while the qualities of Armando Dobra and some smart loan deals could make a notable difference. Notts County also endured playoff upset last season, and then also lost a key source of goals via David McGoldrick’s departure to Barnsley. The pressure is on Matthew Dennis to replace him, while the acquisition of Sonny Aljofree on loan from Manchester United seems an intelligent move.
Relegation was inevitable for Cambridge, but Neil Harris showed there was light at the end of the tunnel. He has brought greater structure to the team, and with the signings of Dominic Ball and Ben Knight they appear well equipped to challenge at the top.
If last season had ended at Christmas, Walsall would now be planning for life in League One, but instead their form fell off a cliff and they ultimately lost in the playoff final. Learning from mistakes will be key for Mat Sadler’s men.
Momentum is all important in football and Barnet have it after steamrolling the National League. Dean Brennan and his men will not be fearful of anyone in this division, either.
Playoff hopefuls
Re-signing Matty Young from Sunderland is a huge boost for Salford, especially after Curtis Tilt departed to Bradford. Their co-owner Gary Neville wants the club in the Championship and, while that ambition remans some way off, hope is not entirely lost while Karl Robinson remains in charge. Gareth Ainsworth’s track record will also provide Gillingham fans with optimism of fighting for a promotion spot, especially if Bradley Dack can stay fit and Sam Vokes can roll back the years.
Crewe are partial to a run of terrible form, seen last season as they won only three of their final 20 league matches to blow their chances of making the playoffs. Lee Bell has clung on to his job and added the veteran striker Louis Moult to his ranks with the aim of adding goals, and consistency, to a full campaign.
It is difficult to know what to expect from Crawley. They went through five managers last season before ending up with the one that started in the dugout as they dropped down a division. Plenty of players have been sold over the summer with a number of unattached ones coming in the other way including Kabongo Tshimanga, the 28-year-old earmarked to provide crucial firepower.
Finishing 11th was an incredible achievement for Bromley in their first season in the Football League and replicating that would be equally impressive. Grimsby and Colchester just missed out on the playoffs. The former have shown their confidence in their manager, David Artell, by handing him a new three-year deal, while the latter remain under the charge of Danny Cowley who will want his young side to continue their promising evolution.
Relegation candidates
Newport’s decision to play passing football should be commended but it has proven an unreliable method for the players there. They also suffered from set pieces last season and this campaign will be a big test for the former Manchester United youth coach David Hughes in his first managerial role.
Harrogate know how to keep their head above water and did all of their transfer business very early this summer to give themselves the best chance of staying up. Oldham are back in the Football League and have bought in a lot of players who have played at this level before in a bid to remain in the division.
Shrewsbury endured a calamitous 2024-25 League One campaign that ultimately ended in relegation. Michael Appleton has attempted to rectify previous mistakes by bringing in a new spine in the form of Will Boyle, Tom Anderson and Tom Sang and the plan for all concerned should be stopping the rot, rather than looking to achieve an immediate return to League One.
Tranmere have been treading water for some time but acquiring the midfielders Richie Smallwood and Jason Lowe should provide their manager, Andy Crosby, with the knowhow to keep them up. Meanwhile over at the Wham Stadium, the story is a familiar one as Accrington desperately work within their means after finishing eight points and two places above the drop zone last season. Their only two permanent signings this summer have come from non-league and it feels like another difficult campaign awaits.
Andy Whing has shown promise as a coach but his Barrow squad looks a little shallow for anything other than survival. The former Barrow manager Pete Wild is now at Fleetwood where he will need to cope with the loss of Phoenix Patterson and Brendan Sarpong-Wiredu. Cheltenham do not inspire much confidence either and might be at risk after a slow summer.
Youngsters to watch
Matus Holicek, Crewe, 20 Thirty-eight league appearances brought only one goal for the young Slovakian midfielder last season. Given his talents, that is something he will want to improve on this time around.
Kelly N’Mai, Salford, 21 The Dutch-born winger moved to England as a child and trialled with Manchester City and Manchester United but eventually joining Salford. He made his debut in League Two as a 17-year-old and while it has taken time for him to flourish he has talent, seen clearly during loan spells at Warrington Rylands and Chester.
Botan Ameen, Swindon, 18 The Iraq Under-20 international failed to make the grade at QPR, leading to him swapping west London for Wiltshire in search of a professional career. He quickly settled into his new surroundings, scoring twice to send Manchester United out of the FA Youth Cup to bring his name to wider attention, and the striker’s progression has not halted since. Ameen, who turned 18 in April, scored one goal and created two more in 14 games for Ian Holloway’s side last season.
