League One Season Preview 2020/21
Welcome to the Argyle Life Ultimate League One Season Preview!
League One begins on Saturday 12 September, with all but seven teams set to play their first league matches since March. With the countdown now measured in hours, we’ve reviewed all 24 teams in depth and made our prediction for what the final league table will look like.
Please note, all previews were written on or before September 9th and transfers may have occured since the time of writing.
From the entire team at Argyle Life, we hope you enjoy this season preview and wish every fan out there the best of luck for the season ahead – enjoy!
Support Argyle Life on Patreon
For years we’ve worked hard to make content for the Green Army, but to help sustain the site we’d love to receive support from anyone who has enjoyed our efforts over the past half-decade.
Accrington Stanley
Manager: John Coleman
Key Player: Ross Sykes
Last season: 17th in League One
Key departure: Jordan Clark
Target: Avoid relegation
Accrington Stanley have been predicted to be relegated for the last five seasons, so yes, this is a fairly lazy prediction. Yet, speak to anybody associated with the club, and they’ll tell you that staying in League One will be their primary goal.
| Read the full review |
Blackpool
Manager: Neil Critchley
Key Player: Sullay Kaikai
Last season: 13th in League One
Key transfer: Jerry Yates
Target: Play-offs
Blackpool have made a plethora of impressive signings which should see them improve greatly on their uninspiring 13th place finish last season. The likes of former Swindon duo Jerry Yates and Keshi Anderson, Bez Lubala and CJ Hamilton should more than provide enough attacking return to push them into the top six.
| Read the full review |
Bristol Rovers
Manager: Ben Garner
Key Player: Max Ehmer
Last season: 14th in League One
Key departure: Johnson Clarke-Harris
Target: Top-half
Bristol Rovers have improved considerably in defence but it appears as though they will struggle for goals again this season, perhaps even more so after the departure of Clarke-Harris, meaning they could find themselves fighting to avoid a return to League Two.
| Read the full review |
Burton Albion
Manager: Jake Buxton
Key Player: Ryan Edwards
Last season: 12th in League One
Key departure: Scott Fraser
Target: Top-half
Burton Albion have managed mid-table finishes since relegation from the Championship so there should be a base there to build towards a play-off push. Yet, a mid-table target may be far more realistic in a season of transition following Clough’s departure.
| Read the full review |
Charlton Athletic
Manager: Lee Bowyer
Key Player: Jake Forster-Caskey
Last season: 22nd in the Championship
Key departure: Lyle Taylor
Target: Play-offs
Charlton Athletic are in a state of turmoil, so okay I understand, it seems ambitious. But, amidst protests and thin squad depth it looked ambitious that they could do it in 2018/19 too. If their takeover goes through soon, they might even have a shot at the automatic spots.
| Read the full review |
Crewe Alexandra
Manager: David Artell
Key Player: Charlie Kirk
Last season: 2nd in League Two
Key transfer: Omar Beckles
Target: Top-half
Crewe Alexandra aren’t exactly the biggest club at League One level, but there’s no reason why Crewe cannot survive with comfort this year. Mid-table seems likely, so why not aim for the top-half?
| Read the full review |
Doncaster Rovers
Manager: Darren Moore
Key Player: Fejiri Okenabirhie
Last season: 9th in League One
Key departure: Ben Whiteman*
Target: Top-half
Doncaster Rovers definitely have some quality in their squad but there is little to be excited by. They are stronger than some sides near the bottom, but it seems unlikely they will be troubling many of the teams near the top of the division.
| Read the full review |
Fleetwood Town
Manager: Joey Barton
Key Player: Ched Evans
Last season: 6th in League One
Key transfer: Callum Camps
Target: Play-offs
Fleetwood Town will look to push on from what was a successful 2019/20 campaign, although I think it’s safe to say a push for automatic promotion would be a tall ask given the significant strength in League One .
| Read the full review |
Gillingham
Manager: Steve Evans
Key Player: Kyle Dempsey
Last season: 10th in League One
Key transfer: Jacob Mellis
Target: Play-offs
Gillingham will be looking to improve on last season and that can only mean a play-off push. Get off to a good start and Steve Evans may just lead the Gills to the second tier for the first time since 2005.
| Read the full review |
Hull City
Manager: Grant McCann
Key Player: Richie Smallwood
Last season: 24th in the Championship
Key transfer: Gregg Docherty
Target: Promotion
Hull City fans might not realise, but I think they’re favourites to go up. They’ve built a good squad, particularly by being very clever in the transfer market. I detailed Greg Docherty as their key signing but I could have picked any of a handful of players.
| Read the full review |
Ipswich Town
Manager: Paul Lambert
Key Player: Freddie Sears
Last season: 11th in League One
Key transfer: Oli Hawkins
Target: Play-offs
Ipswich Town should be looking at the top of the table in theory. However, theory and reality are often far from the same thing. Theory would have had them at the top end of the table last season too, but reality came to bite.
| Read the full review |
Lincoln City
Manager: Michael Appleton
Key Player: Jorge Grant
Last season: 16th in League One
Key transfer: Jamie Jones
Target: Top half
Lincoln City can expect to make progress with Appleton able to shape the club over the summer, however their recruitment hasn’t been as polished as other clubs. A play-off run certainly isn’t off the cards, but finishing in the top half would be an achievement this season.
| Read the full review |
Milton Keynes
Manager: Russell Martin
Key Player: Kieran Agard
Last season: 19th in League One
Key departure: Alex Gilbey
Target: Avoid relegation
Milton Keynes have lost key players but not replaced them and have a rookie manager at the helm. There is still time left in the transfer window to turn it around, particularly with the money generated from player sales, but it doesn’t look good.
| Read the full review |
Northampton Town
Manager: Keith Curle
Key Player: Nicky Adams
Last season: 7th in League Two
Key departure: Charlie Goode
Target: Avoid relegation
Northampton Town might gain from being one of seven teams to have played professional football over the summer but after another big squad turn over and the loss of key players they will probably require some time for the new squad to click.
| Read the full review |
Oxford United
Manager: Karl Robinson
Key Player: James Henry
Last season: 4th in League One
Key transfer: Matt Taylor
Target: Promotion
Oxford United have kept the vast majority of the squad that so narrowly missed out on promotion to the Championship last season. With increased competition for places and squad depth, they should be able to turn last season’s draws into three points.
| Read the full review |
Peterborough United
Manager: Darren Ferguson
Key Player: Siriki Dembele
Last season: 7th in League One
Key transfer: Ivan Toney
Target: Promotion
Peterborough United might have lost Ivan Toney and attacking midfielder Marcus Maddison over the summer but with replacements and existing players already in place to take over, the transition into the new season should be a comfortable one.
| Read the full review |
Plymouth Argyle
Manager: Ryan Lowe
Key Player: Danny Mayor
Last season: 3rd in League Two
Key transfer: Ryan Hardie
Target: Top-half
Plymouth Argyle certainly have the capability to push higher in the league and aim for the play-offs, but they may take time to adapt to better quality opposition, so the club should be happy to enjoy a comfortable finish with great potential to do more.
| Read the full review |
Portsmouth
Manager: Kenny Jackett
Key Player: Ronan Curtis
Last season: 5th in League One
Key departure: Christian Burgess
Target: Play-offs
Portsmouth have the personnel in their squad to achieve a play-off finish, but the struggle to bring in fresh faces so far this summer and pressure from the fans on manager Kenny Jacket means that it may be an underwhelming season for Pompey who continue to be desperate for success at this level.
| Read the full review |
Rochdale
Manager: Brian Barry-Murphy
Key Player: Matty Lund
Last season: 18th in League One
Key departure: Ian Henderson
Target: Avoid relegation
Rochdale probably look like an easy pick for relegation but their side is stronger than some would give credit for. The question is whether they have the goals in them to avoid the drop.
| Read the full review |
Shrewsbury Town
Manager: Sam Ricketts
Key Player: Jason Cummings
Last season: 15th in League One
Key departure: Josh Laurent
Target: Avoid relegation
Shrewsbury Town look a bit more creative now with the change in formation, but when they inevitably ship a pile of goals early on they’ll probably switch back to a more defensive style. Yet, good organisation and efficiency is often very effective.
| Read the full review |
Sunderland
Manager: Phil Parkinson
Key Player: Chris Maguire
Last season: 8th in League One
Key departure: John McLaughin
Target: Play-offs
Sunderland should be aiming for the league title no matter what. Although Sunderland fans still aren’t convinced by Parkinson, I feel that they will have enough to do better than last season and make the play-offs, but it doesn’t seem like they have strengthened enough to reach the automatic spots.
| Read the full review |
Swindon Town
Manager: Richie Wellens
Key Player: Johnny Smith
Last season: 1st in League Two
Key departure: Eoin Doyle
Target: Avoid relegation
Swindon Town will probably end the season in midtable, but the thing is it’s hard to predict that when the team has changed so much. Wellens crafted a superb counter-attacking team, but they have lost literally all of their key attackers.
| Read the full review |
Wigan Athletic
Manager: Leam Richardson
Key Player: Lee Evans
Last season: 23rd in the Championship
Key departure: All of them
Target: Avoid relegation
Wigan Athletic have been decimated on and off the pitch over the summer. Their target for the season isn’t just to survive relegation, but to survive liquidation. Many fans would surely embrace the possibility of starting next season in League Two if it means they have a club to support.
| Read the full review |
Wimbledon
Manager: Glynn Hodges
Key Player: Joe Pigott
Last season: 20th in League One
Key transfer: Ollie Palmer
Target: Avoid relegation
Wimbledon have added Palmer and Woodyard who could propel them to the next level, but odds on they will still fight against relegation. That said, the new stadium has come at considerable expense and there is a record of clubs tending to underperform in their first season at a new stadium. It feels so unusual to them that home advantage tends to disappear.
| Read the full review |
Predicted table
| 1 | OXFORD UNITED |
| 2 | PETERBOROUGH UNITED |
| 3 | SUNDERLAND |
| 4 | BLACKPOOL |
| 5 | HULL CITY |
| 6 | PORTSMOUTH |
| 7 | FLEETWOOD TOWN |
| 8 | IPSWICH TOWN |
| 9 | PLYMOUTH ARGYLE |
| 10 | GILLINGHAM |
| 11 | CHARLTON ATHLETIC |
| 12 | CREWE ALEXANDRA |
| 13 | LINCOLN CITY |
| 14 | BRISTOL ROVERS |
| 15 | DONCASTER ROVERS |
| 16 | NORTHAMPTON TOWN |
| 17 | WIGAN ATHLETIC |
| 18 | SWINDON TOWN |
| 19 | BURTON ALBION |
| 20 | ACCRINGTON STANLEY |
| 21 | WIMBLEDON |
| 22 | MILTON KEYNES |
| 23 | SHREWSBURY TOWN |
| 24 | ROCHDALE |
| Read our writers’ full predictions |