This League One season has already thrown up a lot of surprises. Newly promoted sides thriving, freshly relegated teams struggling, it’s fair to say that no one expected the table to look like it does.
Five points separate 15th and 24th so it’s anyone’s guess as to who will be relegated come the end of the season. But a good place to start is the teams who are currently in the relegation zone.
Blackpool
The side who currently sit bottom of the table, Blackpool have made a torrid start to the campaign. Before the season began, expectations for the Tangerines were high given the quality of their squad and the fact that they finished 9th last season and 8th the season before.
But they have not lived up to these lofty expectations so far. From their first seven league games of the season, they took only four points.
They would beat Barnsley in their eighth but haven’t won a game since then. Following a 2-0 defeat at home against AFC Wimbledon, Steve Bruce’s time was up and he was relieved of his duties.
It took the club a while, but Ian Evatt was recently unveiled as their new Head Coach. Evatt won’t need much time to get used to his new surroundings having played at Bloomfield Road previously.
One of the first things he will have to address is the teams’ defence, with only Leyton Orient having conceded more than their 21. For reference, Burton who are 22nd have conceded 16 goals and Port Vale who are 19th have conceded 12.
Given the quality of Blackpool’s squad and the fact that they are only 5 points off of 15th place, Blackpool should be able to survive.
Peterborough United
Whilst I think Blackpool will be fine, I am very worried for Peterborough and have been since pre-season. After a summer where they let a lot of their best players go, many of whom on free transfers, it is not surprising that Peterborough find themselves second from bottom.
Whilst Blackpool’s struggles are mainly on the defensive side, Peterborough’s are mostly at the other end. They have scored the fewest goals in the division, only finding the net 9 times, hardly surprising when you let all of your best attackers leave.
To their credit, in their last 5 games, they have picked up wins against Wycombe Wanderers, Plymouth Argyle and Burton Albion. If they continue to beat the teams around them, they might be ok, but there is still a long way to go.
Burton Albion
Burton Albion have been circling the drain for the last two seasons now, finishing 20th on both occasions. Last season was especially memorable as they were 9 points from safety at one stage, only to survive relegation with a game to spare.
This season however, their time may be up. On the plus side they have conceded far fewer goals than the other teams in the relegation zone, but they are also the second lowest scorers in the division.
The Brewers need to find some consistency. They recently managed to beat Cardiff and Bolton, two of the best teams in the league, but then they lost a relegation 6 pointer at home to Peterborough.
League One is very competitive this season, so they will need to rely on more than just the occasional upset if they want to be in the division next season.
Plymouth Argyle
Certainly, the most surprising team who currently occupy a relegation place, Plymouth were a Championship side only last season. However, their activity in the transfer window, or lack of it, left their fans very angry.
Similarly to Burton, Plymouth have struggled to find consistency. One week they beat Luton 3-2 away from home and the next they lose at home to Peterborough.
Looking on the bright side, they have scored 17 goals which is as many as 2nd place Stevenage, but they have conceded 21 times which is as many as bottom of the table Blackpool. Given the amount of money they bought in over the summer, they should have the means to make improvements in the January transfer window should they still find themselves in this predicament.
If they are still in this predicament by January, it is unlikely that Tom Cleverley will still be at the helm. With that being said, Argyle should be fine.
Other Candidates To Be Relegated
So, if I think that Blackpool and Plymouth will survive, who do I think will be relegated? Well, it’s very difficult to say at this stage, but I do think that it is hard to look past the likes of Exeter City, Rotherham, Leyton Orient and Doncaster Rovers.
