PRESTON look anything but ordinary boys in League One title race

League One

Football
Published: 08/08/2014

The absence of Wolves means that League One should be a lot more open this season and I can not see any side dominating the way the Midlands club did last year. BET365 have Sheff United the 5/1 favourites after coming seventh and making the FA Cup semi-finals. The Blades had a season of two halves last time out, the first under David Weir was a disaster that saw them deep in relegation trouble, the second under Nigel Clough saw a remarkable run of just five defeats from their last 30 league games.

Another side who went well after changing manager were Bristol City. The Robins fans were not initially pleased by the appointment of Steve Cotterrill but he came along and he lifted them to 12th. I think this season they can push on for a play-off slot especially as they have prolific scorers in Sam Baldock and Jay Emanuel Thomas while Korey Smith is a nice add in midfield. That being said though odds of 15/2 is giving nothing away.

I am shocked to see that two sides who finished above Sheff u and Bristol City last season below them in the betting with Preston available at 8/1 and Leyton Orient 9/1. The Lillywhites lost just seven games last season (second placed Brentford lost eight) beforer coming unstuck in the play-offs. If they they can covert some of their many draws into outright success then they could be the team to stop. Simon Grayson is a proven manager at this level having got promotion with Blackpool, Leeds and Huddersfield while the Lillywhites have had an impressive pre-season beating Burnley and drawing with Leicester. Grayson has done a great job in the transfer market adding Jordan Hugill from Port Vale, Kyel Reid from Bradford and Jamie Jones who was a talent between the sheets for rivals Leyton Orient.

Speaking of Orient that is another side who are being overlooked at 9/1. The London side will be heartbroken at not coming up last season having set the early pace before falling off to third. New owner Francesco Becchetti means that Russell Slade now has a budget to compete with the other sides in the division and signings like Jobi McAnuff and Darius Henderson suggest a club set to push on to better things.

Peterborough will likely be in the mix for the top six though 9/1 is not a price that appeals especially when you consider Posh have lost key players in Tommy Rowe and Lee Tomlin. MK Dons at 16/1 might appeal to some though this is a side through finishes of 5th, 8th and then 10th last season sugges that they are a club going backwards. The three relegated sides from the Championship come next in the betting with Doncaster 16/1 hopes. Rovers have done well in League 1 in recent seasons though Paul Dickov might find his hands tied until the ownership mess is sorted. Danny Wilson is an experienced pro and knows this division well. If Chis O’Grady can be replaced then the Tykes might go well though 16/1 does not appeal. Yeovil at 20/1 have to rebuild though Gary Johnson is a man I would trust to do so though it make take a season or two to get right. At bigger prices I am willing to take a chance on Port Vale at a massive 9/1 to finish in the top six. The budget might be a little tighter at Vale this season but they still have Micky Adams who knows the division well and Tom Pope at the club. This is a side that finished ninth last season and to price them among the no hopers is something of an insult.

RECOMMENDATION: Preston for the title, ew, 8/1, bet365
Leyton Orient for the title, ew, 9/1, bet365
Port Vale to finish in the top six, 9/1, bet365

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Any odds displayed within this article were correct at the time of publishing (08/08/2014) but are subject to change.

08/08/2014     © Frixo 2024

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