League Two season Predictions – Gab Sutton

Of League Two’s ante-post promotion favourites, Chesterfield have the fewest question marks. Managed by the vastly experienced Paul Cook, the Derbyshire outfit have plenty of knowhow on the pitch in Janoi Donacien, Chey Dunkley, Kyle McFadzean, Ryan Colclough and Will Grigg.

They’ve added fresh legs to that, in Ryan Stirk in midfield and Lee Bonis in attack, while fan favourite flair winger Dilan Markanday returns permanently from Blackburn, to link up with attacking midfielder Armando Dobra.

As much as Chesterfield are the safest bet for promotion, Grimsby and Colchester offer us the best value; both 11/2 for the top three, or 7/2 and 5/1 to be promoted, respectively, either automatically or via the Play-Offs.

Town and ColU missed out on the Play-Offs last season on the final day – and are two of the 12 clubs who had their current manager in charge for the whole of last season, so, from a continuity perspective, David Artell and Danny Cowley’s sides are in the best positions, having retained the bulk of playing personnel.

Barnet don’t have as big a budget as other clubs who have won promotions, and they don’t have a squad that leaps off the page player-for-player, but the collective spirit and attacking style imposed by Dean Brennan could take them a long way.

The North (of) London outfit play a front-foot style, and as well as playing good football with advanced wingbacks, they’ll also very aggressive against the ball – making them strong on defensive transitions.

Accrington Stanley are a common pick for relegation, and there may be value in that if star forward Tyler Walton’s links with a move to Northampton have substance.

The Reds had some good moments last season, like the 3-0 victory at Chesterfield and the 5-0 thumping of Newport, while the likes of Devon Matthews, Ben Woods and Walton all stood out.

All in all, though, it felt a little underwhelming for a fanbase used to seeing their team punch massively above its weight, and what remains is a thin squad with 10-14 players who might be good enough for the EFL, but no reliable depth.

For a chunkier price, meanwhile, Shrewsbury are 9/1 for a bottom two finish. Michael Appleton is a good developer of high-potential talent, as he proved at Oxford and Lincoln, but he wouldn’t choose to work with a squad of older profiles, of which nobody has glamorous youth backgrounds.

So, if you put a lot of weight on whether the gig is the right fit for the head coach, as opposed to their objective ability, Shrewsbury could be a mismatch.

The Shrews were relegated from League One last season, and fans are already getting impatient with owner Roland Wycherley and Director of Football Micky Moore.

Patience is something the fanbase will need, while Appleton tries to get his ideas across to a squad that aren’t entirely used to them, and the teething problems could exacerbate pre-existing tensions.

Will Grigg has top scored in the division above before with Wigan and is 16/1 for his experience to show and I back him ahead of Aaron Collins. Collins has scored 52 goals across the last four seasons with Bolton and Bristol Rovers, winning League One Player of the Year with the latter in 2022-23.

Just behind him is last season’s golden boot winner, Michael Cheek, at 14/1, with the veteran currently remaining at Bromley – although there may be late bids for his services.

Elsewhere, Alassana Jatta is 20/1 after hitting 16 for Notts County last season, as the physical frontman looks to adjust to life under Martin Paterson. Emre Tezgel is rated very highly at Stoke, similarly to Nathan Lowe, who starred in the first half of 2024-25 with Walsall.

Meanwhile, don’t look past James Norwood, who hit 29 at this level with Tranmere in 2018-19 and now rocks up at Fleetwood; the veteran comes with risk, after injuries last season, but he’s hoping that his trip to America for specialist surgery could help him reclaim top fitness – and the results of that could be ominous for fourth-tier defences.

Jonny Stuttle at Walsall could be one to watch, too; the Saddlers play two up top, which means he’ll have another striker in Aaron Pressley alongside him to win headers and occupy defenders, which could free up the Bournemouth loanee to poach.

Alternatively, target man Will Goodwin joins Colchester on loan from Oxford, and could benefit from Oscar Thorn’s pinpoint crossing from the right.