League Two season preview - who is making a playoff run

Crawley Town proved the point last season that anyone can make a run in League Two, defying the odds as the team consensus expected to go down last season by winning at Wembley to secure League One football.

The Adver spoke to people at every club in the division and asked them five questions to see how each team feel going into next season. This article will take you through the middle eight by bookmakers’ odds, with the other 16 teams covered in the other two previews.

The questions were: 1) How did last season go for your club? 2) What are the expectations going into this year? 3) Who is the best player you have signed? 4) Which player should every other club be watching out for? 5) Where do you expect to finish?

Robinson takes charge of his first full season at Salford (Image: Andy Crook)

Salford City – Danny Shepherd, One Up Front Podcast

1. Under Neil Wood we were completely uninspiring and as soon as Karl Robinson took over then the difference was night and day. The intensity and competitive edge went through the roof which saw us maintain a long unbeaten streak which essentially kept us from being relegated.

2 - Karl Robinson openly admits he played an extremely direct brand of football when he first joined to play to the strengths of our target man Matt Smith. After a mass clear-out, the incoming recruits fit the profile of energetic youngsters with high potential for development.

3. There are a few candidates for the best signing but it could be Ben Woodburn. His playing pedigree and versatility could make him invaluable to the squad if we pick up as many injuries as we did during the last campaign.

4 - The player the rest of the league should be watching out for is central midfielder Jez Davies. He was signed last season from Burnley's B team and failed to start a game until this preseason. In the friendly games I have seen him feature in he looks to be an energetic box-to-box midfielder, with excellent dribbling ability and a desire to always be on the ball.

5 - After seeing positive developments from younger players and we have added in some proven EFL experience I think we will finish lower mid-table. Our young squad will have benefitted massively from a full campaign in League Two and could then see us progress towards a promotion push in the season following.

Matt Sadler looking to deliver a playoff run for the Saddlers (Image: Callum Knowles)

Walsall – Seb Taylor, Saddler Seb

1. We progressed and competed at times with the playoffs as well which got that buzz back in the fan base. However, our form really tailed off towards the end of the season. There are some positives to take out of last season but there is still a lot to improve on going into this season

2. We should be aiming for the top three, this will be our fifth season in the fourth division and promotion should be the aim. However, at this present time of writing, we are weaker as a squad so time will tell on the ambition of Trivela and Ben Sadler.

3. Charlie Lakin. He’s a perfect addition for the club. He arrives after a really good loan spell at Sutton United and gave them a chance to stay up with his eight goals and five assists. He looks like a really good all-round player as well.

4. Jack Earing has been very unlucky over the last couple of seasons with long-term injuries. I think when he is fully fit and has a good run of games, he is one of the best midfielders in the league. He can do everything and can show that he really is a top player for the level.

5. The aim from me and most of the fanbase is a minimum top seven. We are slightly weaker than last season as we might lack goals. I think if we can get two top-quality strikers in then it could change everything but at the moment though I think we’ll finish in and around mid-table.

Fleetwood are under new ownership this season (Image: Barrington Coombs/PA Wire)

Fleetwood Town – Ben Knapman, Cods Vlogs

1. Last season was so tough for us as a football club, losing our owner then losing key players throughout the season, going through three managers, not winning in 13, and not scoring in six matches on the bounce at one stage. It got better as the season went on, but ultimately, we weren’t good enough.

2. It’s very difficult to say, we are a smaller club even in League Two, and we’ve lost ten players so far this window, so we’ve cut the budget. We have signed very well so far, but we are slightly short. The aim is to develop our younger players, and hopefully get a few more wins on the board and take it from there.

3. Mark Helm. An attacking midfielder from Burton and ex-Manchester United. He possesses something we have lacked for the last few years, we lacked creativity from that position last year, so we need to improve on that and I think we have.

4. I’d say Brendan Wiredu, our captain, he signed a new two-and-a-half-year deal in January and looks a level above where we were at last year. He is cool, composed on the ball, and a real leader for us. He connects with the fans and is loved by the players too.

5. Midtable. It is hard to judge when you’ve only won ten games in the last 12 months! And I feel we are slightly short on where we want to be at the moment, a top-ten finish for us next year would be nice with maybe a slight push on the playoffs!

Jackson is in his third season at Wimbledon (Image: Andy Crook)

AFC Wimbledon – Tom Large, Dons TV

1. Last year was a tough one, we started so well, Johnnie Jackson got the team playing some really nice football but once again the January transfer window played its tricks on us. We came out of the window slightly weaker and had an Ali Al-Hamadi-sized hole up front for the rest of the season.

2. I think we have what it takes to go up this year. We have recruited players with League Two promotion experience as well as quality and we are building a good squad under Johnnie Jackson and our ever-impressive Head of Football Operations Craig Cope.

3. Our recruitment has been quite good so singling one out would be quite tough, but I would have to say Alistair Smith would be number one for me. He looks like a cracking addition and has lots of good reviews from his previous clubs at this level.

4. I would imagine the rest of the league are aware of how good he is but Omar Bugiel. He is the perfect target man and I would happily argue one of the best at what he does in League One and League Two. We will see plenty of goals and assists from him this year.

5. I am going to be unhelpful here and say somewhere in between Title Challengers and play-off chasers.

Flynn takes over at Cheltenham (Image: Barrington Coombs/PA Wire)

Cheltenham Town – Jon Palmer, Gloucestershire Live

1. Cheltenham did well to take it to the final day of the campaign when you consider the 11-game goalless run at the start, which set an unwanted EFL record. Darrell Clarke came in and made them competitive, almost immediately, but in the end, they fell agonisingly short of staying up, losing at Stevenage on the final day.

2. Michael Flynn will want to push for an immediate return to League One and he has been impressive since taking over from Clarke. It feels like the beginning of a major transitional period for the club, but at this stage, a top-half finish would represent a successful first season for Flynn.

3. Scot Bennett looks like an excellent addition and he is a potential new club captain following the summer departure of Sean Long.  Bennett is a great professional and natural leader - someone who has been there and done it for many years and he's always impressed in League Two games against Cheltenham. 

4. Former Bedford Town forward Liam Dulson has impressed during the pre-season games and is a player Flynn has admired for some time. It'll be interesting to see how he handles the step up, but he's certainly an exciting talent.

5. This is hard to predict until the transfer business is complete, but a season of mid-table consolidation looks like the most likely outcome. Many clubs have suffered the drop to League Two and struggled again. After so many changes on and off the pitch in a short space of time, that's exactly what Cheltenham must avoid.

Former Gillingham boss Clemence takes over at Barrow (Image: Callum Knowles)

Barrow AFC – Gary Foster, NWE Mail

1. It was a bit of a rollercoaster during the season – at one point you thought they were going to clinch a playoff spot, then they looked like missing out, then there was a chance again. However, towards the end of the season, things fell off a cliff a little bit.

2. With the appointment of Stephen Clemence, the club have made no secret that they are going for a big change in style from the Pete Wild era. You have to give Wild huge credit for where he got the club to but I’m excited to see just how far Barrow can go this season.

3. It’s still early doors in pre-season so it’s hard to say, but from the club’s point of view, they are hopeful they can turn a rough gem in Katia Kouyate into a player to be reckoned with. I think the club view turning talented acquisitions into saleable assets as the next step for progression.

4. Given how we expect Clemence to play, Connor Mahoney could be one who catches the eye. He is highly thought of by Clemence who worked with him at Gillingham, he can provide the ammunition for others, while also weighing in with his fair share of goals.

5. The club are chasing a play-off spot while daring to dream of promotion. The aim under Wild was to become a regular top-ten side. Now the club are looking to better that. Can they do it? I think it will be tough but I don’t think a top seven finish is beyond them.

Ex-Town striker Davison has joined Tranmere (Image: Callum Knowles)

Tranmere Rovers – Matt Jones, Broadcaster

1. Last season was not a good year for Tranmere - comfortably the worst of our four since returning to League Two. Thankfully, Nigel Adkins came in to rescue things, because at one stage, the National League was looming large after a horrific start to the campaign.

2. Nigel Adkins is a better boss than Tranmere have had of late. He has bags of experience and contacts and is perhaps more suited to being able to manage the modern-day player. His win percentage was a significant improvement on Ian Dawes and if he continues that way then good things could follow.

3. The biggest move was bringing in Sam Finley from Bristol Rovers. Midfield has been a problem area, for several years. Nobody in there has grabbed games by the scruff of the neck and his signing gives me confidence that they will be able to win those battles more frequently.

4. Confession; I have never seen Josh Williams or Sol Solomon play. However, I have spoken to their respective managers at Connah's Quay and Marine, and both are so highly rated. Neil Gibson said Williams would "surprise a few people" and Solomon is somebody who I know Neil Young thought was a big talent, and he scored some big goals for Marine.

5. Given the signings elsewhere, I think they will improve on the lowly finish of 2023/24, but without a good right winger, that improvement might not be significant enough to take them into the top seven. If Tranmere make astute additions, they could trouble those playoffs. For now, I'll say tenth.

Payne and Hunt have joined Colchester this summer (Image: Callum Knowles)

Colchester United – Jonathan Waldron, Colchester Gazette

1. It was a testing campaign for the U’s. Ben Garner left after a poor start before Matty Etherington endured a miserable couple of months in charge. Danny and Nicky Cowley helped to improve the team’s fortunes, but it went down to the final day and they will be hoping for a big improvement.

2. The Cowleys have shown earlier in their careers that they can build a successful side in League Two, leading Lincoln City from the National League to promotion to the third tier. They now have a squad that is moulded in their identity, with new signings who have performed well under them in the past.

3. Lyle Taylor has the potential to shine in League Two. He was playing in the Premier League not so long ago and started under the Cowleys at Concord Rangers. He has been signed not only for his goals but also as a bit of a mentor to Samson Tovide and Bradley Ihionvien, who have the potential to flourish.

4. Jack Payne is already well-established as an attacking midfielder but was left at a crossroads after his departure from Charlton Athletic. He is another who shone under the Cowleys before and could prove to be a real influence for his new club.

5. I would expect Colchester to push for a play-off place, this season. They will feel that they have the players and coaching staff in place to make a challenge in the top half of the League Two season for the first time since the 2019-20 season.