LEAGUE ONE CLUBS GUIDE: Who's going up? Who's going down? Where will Peterborough United finish?
AFC WIMBLEDON
Signings: Dejie Oshilaja (Cardiff), Kwesi Appiah (Crystal Palace), Cody McDonald (Gillingham), George Long (Sheffield United). Jimmy Abdou (Millwall), Liam Trotter (Bolton).
Prediction: Some good signings should ensure the Wombles stay above ground.
Odds: 33/1
Rating: **
BLACKBURN ROVERS
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Hide AdSignings: Peter Whittingham (Cardiff), Richie Smallwood (Rotherham), Bradley Dack (Gillingham), Ben Gladwin (QPR), Paul Caddis (Birmingham), Paul Caddis (Birmingham), Jayson Leutweiler (Shrewsbury).
Prediction: Rovers have a great chance of an immediate return to the Championship, as long as Dack is back to his best.
Odds: 9/2
Rating: ****
BLACKPOOL
Signings: Curtis Tilt (Wrexham), Peter Hartley (Bristol Rovers), Ollie Turton (Crewe), Max Clayton (Bolton), Nick Anderton (Barrow), Jimmy Ryan (Fleetwood), Callum Cooke (Middlesbrough), Ryan Allsop (Bournemouth), Christoffer Mafoumbi (Free State Stars), Viv Solomon-Otabor (Birmingham), Sean Longstaff (Newcastle).
Prediction: Great effort to get back up, but this squad is more threadbare than the hotel I used up there last season.
Odds: 80/1
Rating: *
BRADFORD CITY
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Hide AdSignings: Adam Chicksen (Charlton), Paul Taylor (Posh), Shay McCartan (Accrington), Dominic Poleon (AFC Wimbledon), Alex Gillead (Newcastle), Jake Reeves (AFC Wimbledon).
Prediction: A lack of goal-power cost them last season so signing Taylor is bizarre. Can’t be as successful this time around
Odds: 12/1
Rating: ***
BRISTOL ROVERS
Signings: Liam Sercombe (Oxford), Sam Slocombe (Blackpool), Ben Williams (Bury), Marc Bola (Arsenal), Tom Nichols (Posh), Tom Broadbent (Hayes & Yeading)
Prediction: Their long pursuit of Nichols suggests ambitions are limited. Just as well really.
Odds: 20/1
Rating: ***
BURY
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Hide AdSignings: Jay O’Shea (Chesterfield), Eoghan O’Connell (Celtic), Joe Skarz (Oxford), Adam Thompson (Southend), Callum Reilly (Burton), Stephen Dawson (Scunthorpe), Phil Edwards (Burton), Jermaine Beckford (Preston), Joe Murphy (Huddersfield), Chris Humphrey (Hibs), Tom Heardman (Newcastle), Tom Aldred (Blackpool), Nicky Ajose (Charlton), Chris Maguire (Oxford), Chris Sang (Wigan).
Prediction: There’s a bigger cast list at Gigg Lane than in the Zulu film. If Beckford stays fit he could fire a promotion push at long odds.
Odds: 25/1
Rating: ****
CHARLTON ATHLETIC
Signings: Billy Clarke (Bradford City), Mark Marshall (Bradford City), Tariqe Fosu (Reading), Jay Dasilva (Chelsea), Ben Reeves (MK Dons).
Prediction: I’ve always enjoyed listening to Karl Robinson after a match, but he’ll be the manager most under pressure if his club starts slowly. Still not a Happy Valley so can’t see a promotion push this season.
Odds: 16/1
Rating: ***
DONCASTER ROVERS
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Hide AdSignings: Danny Andrew (Grimsby), Niall Mason (Aston Villa), Alex Kiwomya (Chelsea), Ben Whiteman (Sheffield United), Issam Ben Khemis (Lorient), Rodney Kongolo (Manchester City).
Prediction: Have a manager who knows how to win back-to-back promotions but squad not good enough.
Odds: 22/1
Rating: ***
FLEETWOOD TOWN
Signings: Kyle Dempsey (Huddersfield), Harvey Rodgers (Hull), Conor McAleny (Everton), Connor Ogilvie (Spurs), Jordy Hiwula (Huddersfield), Lewis Coyle (Leeds), Aiden O’Neill (Burnley).
Prediction: The Cod Army probably pushed the boat out to keep Rosler on board. Feel they over-achieved last season though.
Odds: 18/1
Rating: ***
GILLINGHAM
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Hide AdSignings: Gaby Zakuani (Northampton), Luke O’Neill (Southend), Alex Lacey (Yeovil), Tom Eaves (Yeovil), Conor Wilkinson (Bolton), Billy Bingham (Crewe), Liam Nash (Maldon & Tiptree).
Prediction: The Gills will be in deep water this season and I don’t see them surviving.
Odds: 80/1
Rating: **
MK DONS
Signings: Conor McGrandles (Norwich), Ousseynou Cissé (Tours), Wieger Sietsma (Heerenveen), Ethan Ebanks-Landell (MK Dons),Gboly AriyibiGboly Ariyibi (Nottingham Forest), Aaron TshibolaAaron Tshibola (Aston Villa), Ryan Seager (Southampton).
Prediction: Their struggles were a mystery last season, albeit a very amusing one. They could be the ones laughing this time around.
Odds: 16/1
Rating: ****
NORTHAMPTON TOWN
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Hide AdSignings: Billy Waters (Cheltenham), Leon Barnett (Bury), Sam Foley (Port Vale), George Smith (Gateshead), Daniel Powell (MK Dons), Leon Lobjoit (Buckingham), Dean Bowditch (MK Dons), Regan Poole (Man Utd), Ash Taylor (Aberdeen), Yasir Kasim (Swindon), Matt Crooks (Rangers), Aaron Pierre (Wycombe), Chris Long (Burnley).
Prediction: I was ready to condemn the Cobblers this season, but then they enjoyed a Chinese takeaway at boardroom level. Jammy devils.
Odds: 28/1
Rating: **
OLDHAM ATHLETIC
Signings: Dan Gardner (Chesterfield), Craig Davies (Scunthorpe), Rob Hunt (Brighton), Courtney Duffus (Everton).
Prediction: More boring to watch than Alastair Cook. It usually helps them escape trouble though.
Odds: 100/1
Rating: **
OXFORD UNITED
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Hide AdSignings: Charlie Raglan (Chesterfield), Scott Shearer (Mansfield), Fiacre Kelleher (Celtic), James Henry (Wolves), Jonathan Obika (Swindon), Dwight Tiendelli (Swansea), Xemi (Barcelona B), Michael Williamson (Wolves), Jake Payne (Huddersfield), Ricardinho (Gabala).
Prediction: Signed a four-letter player from Barcelona whose surname begins with an X. This X stands for anonymity and a mid-table finish.
Odds: 14/1
Rating: ***
PLYMOUTH ARGYLE
Signings: Ryan Edwards (Morecambe), Ruben Lamieras (Coventry), Lionel Ainsworth (Motherwell), Gregg Wylde (Millwall), Robbert te Loeke (Achilles ‘29), Joel Grant (Exeter), Aaron Taylor-Sinclair (Doncaster).
Prediction: Will have good momentum from last season. Green army could be going forward again. Certainly won’t struggle against relegation.
Odds: 33/1
Rating: ****
PORTSMOUTH
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Hide AdSignings: Luke McGee (Spurs), Nathan Thompson (Swindon), Tareiq Holmes-Dennis (Huddersfield), Brett Pitman (Portsmouth),
Prediction: Wouldn’t back them at these odds, but this remains a big club for League One and they have a manager with a great track record at the level as well as the best goalkeeper in the division.
Odds: 9/1
Rating: ****
POSH
Signings: Josh Tibbetts (Birmingham), Danny Lloyd (Stockport), Ricky Miller (Dover), Jack Marriott (Luton), Jonathan Bond (Reading), Michael Doughty (QPR), Liam Shephard (Swansea), Alex Penney (Nuneaton), Steven Taylor (Ipswich), Idris Kanu (Aldershot).
Prediction: Lost last season’s top scorer, reigning player-of-the-year and the man who should have been player-of-the-year. Signed a bunch of players with no League One experience. I’m worried, but then I spent an hour in the company of a confident, ambitious chairman...
Odds: 22/1
Rating: ***
ROCHDALE
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Hide AdSignings: Brendan Moore (Torquay), Jordan Williams (Barrow), Reece Brown (Bury), Brad Inman (Posh), Kgosi Nthlhe (Stevenage), Matt Done (Sheffield United).
Prediction: Continue to surprise every season. They’ll miss Mendez-Laing which is a sentence I never thought I’d write.
Odds: 28/1
Rating: **
ROTHERHAM UNITED
Signings: Darren Potter (MK Dons), Michael Ihiekwe (Tranmere), Ryan Williams (Barnsley), David Ball (Fleetwood), Josh Emmanuel (Ipswich), Kieffer Moore (Ipswich), Jamie Proctor (Bolton).
Prediction: Can’t see Millers grinding out results to reach play-offs.
Odds: 25/1
Rating: ***
SCUNTHORPE UNITED
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Hide AdSignings: Cameron Burgess (Fulham), Matt Gilks (Wigan), Rory McArdle (Bradford C), Funso Ojo (Willem II), Devonte Redmond (Man Utd).
Prediction: Rumoured to be offering big money, if so they haven’t spent it that wisely so far. Last season’s late collapse might still be haunting them.
Odds: 18/1
Rating: ***
SHREWSBURY TOWN
Signings: Jon Nolan (Chesterfield), Lenell John-Lewis (Newport), Arthur Gnahoua (Kidderminster), Ebou Adams (Norwich), Zak Jules (Reading), Daniel James (Swansea), Carlton Morris (Norwich), Craig MacGillivray (Walsall), Niall Ennis (Wolves), James Bolton (Gateshead).
Prediction: There’s a reason bookmakers drive big cars and live in flash houses. They know which teams are going down.
Odds: 80/1
Rating: **
SOUTHEND UNITED
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Hide AdSignings: Stephen Hendrie (West Ham), Michael Turner (Norwich), Michael Kightly (Burnley), Rob Kiernan (Rangers), Amadou Ba (Le Havre).
Prediction: Strong and powerful last season and added a couple of decent players. Manager Phil Brown could be glowing come May, and not just because of his sunbed sessions.
Odds: 20/1
Rating: ****
WALSALL
Signings: Luke Leahy (Falkirk), Jon Guthrie (Crewe), Mark Gillespie (Carlisle), Nicky Devlin (Ayr), James Wilson (Sheffield United).
Prediction: Even the Wizard of Oztumer won’t save the Saddlers. Indeed Harry Potter, Merlin and Paul Daniels wouldn’t have enough magic to help them.
Odds: 50/1
Rating: **
WIGAN ATHLETIC
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Hide AdSignings: Chey Dunkley (Oxford), Terrell Thomas (Charlton), Christian Walton (Brighton), Gavin Massey (Orient), Callum Elder (Leicester), Noel Hunt (Portsmouth), Ivan Toney (Newcastle).
Prediction: No parachute payments this time around, but still wealthy compared to most in League One and money usually talks.
Odds: 7/1
Rating: *****
PT FINAL TABLE PREDICTION 1 Wigan
2 Portsmouth
3 Blackburn
4 MK Dons
5 Southend
6 Bury
7 Charlton
8 Scunthorpe
9 Bradford City
10 POSH
11 Plymouth
12 Oxford
13 Rotherham
14 Doncaster
15 Bristol Rovers
16 Fleetwood
17 Rochdale
18 Wimbledon
19 Oldham
20 Northampton
21 Walsall
22 Gillingham
23 Shrewsbury
Rating Guide: ***** Champions; **** Strong promotion contenders; *** Mid-table obscurity; ** Relegation candidates; * Doomed.