League One’s roll call for 2020-21 includes relative giants like Charlton Athletic, Sunderland, Ipswich Town, Portsmouth and Hull City.
It also includes Wigan (currently at least) who amassed 61 points in the Championship last season and clubs who have shown they can overcome limited budgets and small fanbases to succeed in the third tier like Oxford and Fleetwood.
Even two of the three sides promoted from League Two - Northampton and Swindon - have played in the top flight of English football in the past!
A tough ask then for a Posh team who haven’t even reached the play-offs in the last six League One seasons.
But it’s the plight of the clubs relegated into League One which should give Posh, and any other well-financed and well-run club, hope.
The gap between League One and the Championship is huge, but the circumstances next season will be unique.
Charlton, Wigan and Hull have all experienced severe ownership issues with Addicks boss Lee Bowyer particularly vocal on damage caused by uncertainty.
Hull are an absolute mess with fans turning on unpopular owners and manager Grant McCann after an horrific second half of the season and it’s hard to see them pulling it around very quickly.
Wigan have been shafted by owner shenanigans and EFL incompetence, but if they don’t win their appeal today (July 31) they will face the loss of several key men.
Barnsley will replace Wigan in League One if the Latics win their appeal. The result of the appeal is expected next week.
Here is the current state of play as Posh’s League One rivals...
17.
PETERBOROUGH UNITED: On the surface Posh have as much right as any other League One club to feel confident about the 2020-21 season. They have three wealthy owners, a successful manager in Darren Ferguson (pictured), the nucleus of a strong squad and a recruitment process which is the envy of the lower divisions. But replacing Ivan Toney is a massive, and very difficult, task even for Posh so nothing can be taken for granted. Motivation won’t be difficult at least thanks to how last season ended so expect a strong promotion push. Verdict: Top two.
18.
PLYMOUTH ARGYLE: Argyle’s speedy return to League One has been accompanied by more bad news than good news on the playing front. Key players have already been lost to Posh (George Cooper) and Bolton (Antoni Sarcevic) and up-and-coming manager Ryan Lowe is continually linked to higher-profile jobs. Former Posh loanee Scott Wootton (pictured) is one of a handful of experienced players to have accepted a new deal at Home Park, but the squad is currently looking very thin. Verdict: Big survival battle.
19.
PORTSMOUTH: Pompey are currently fighting - along with Oxford, Ipswich and Sunderland - the proposed League One salary cap which would limit the natural advantage of a relatively huge fanbase, but it’s hard to see how the south coast club don’t at least complete a hat-trick of play-off appearances. Manager Kenny Jackett (pictured) wants to stay on at Fratton Park, but he has lost star defender Christian Burgess who rather surprisingly signed for a Belgian Second Division club. Verdict: Title contenders.
20.
ROCHDALE: One of those most desperate to see last season abandoned, but they appear to have taken the fact the start of the 2020-21 season will take place behind closed doors at Spotland (pictured) in their stride. Dale have some serious re-building to do though having let star striker Ian Henderson and excellent midfielder Callum Camps, a one-time target of Posh, leave while teenage star Luke Matheson will finally join Wolves for good following his January transfer to the Premier League. Verdict: Doomed.