Just over two months of the EFL season remain and everything is still to play for. League One has been amongst the most unpredictable divisions this season, with favourites to gain promotion to the Championship changing on an almost weekly basis.
However, the automatic and playoff picture is starting to look clearer, but the tight table means there are still many clubs vying for both. Anywhere from tenth place upwards will think they are in with a shout of promotion this year, as many teams fail to consistently get results.
Without further ado, let’s dig into exactly which teams could go up automatically this year and who looks set for the dreaded playoffs…
Automatic Promotion Candidates
Rotherham United
It’s been an impressively consistent campaign from Paul Warne’s side, as they look certain to secure either first or second place and return to the Championship at the first time of asking. The Millers currently sit comfortably in top spot, have the biggest goal difference in the league by some distance and have only lost five games all campaign.
Those sorts of figures indicate promotion form and it’s very hard to see Rotherham throwing it away at this stage. It would take a complete reversal of form and that is extremely unlikely. Following relegation, last season, the South Yorkshire club managed to keep most of their players, who weren’t that bad in the division above.
As is often the case for clubs who go down this route, as well as adding sufficient League One quality via the transfer market, they look certain to bounce back straight away.
Wigan Athletic
Wigan have been here and done it many times over the last 10 or so seasons. The League One promotion veterans are at it again, after a summer squad overhaul, bringing in the likes of James McClean, Josh Magennis and Charlie Wyke, as well as former fan favourite Max Power who has come back in fine form this season.
All in all the Latics have done great business, which has enabled them to go from relegation candidates last season (where they finished in 20th place) to the top end of the league. An impressive turnaround considering the short time span and much credit has to be given to manager Leam Richardson, who has overcome several challenges since taking over from Paul Cook in 2020.
Richardson was Cook’s assistant but did such a good job as interim manager he resigned that the board kept him on as his permanent replacement. His side are currently sitting pretty in second place with a bunch of games in hand on everyone immediately below them. Much like the Millers, it’s hard to see them blowing it from here, but you can never say never in football!
MK Dons
What a season it’s been for the Dons under Liam Manning’s stewardship. No matter what happens in the next few weeks, fans will be overjoyed with their teams’ performances this season, as they have well and truly defied all expectations. Like the Latics above them, they also had a superb season transfer wise bringing in an abundance of talent from clubs above them in the football pyramid.
Mo Eisa, Connor Wickham, Ethan Robson and Troy Parrott all came in to make an impact and given their league position, they have made a huge difference to a side that finished mid-table last term.
However, pinching a top-two spot from the Millers or the Latics is a huge task at this stage of the season. The Don’s fate is a little out of their hands and getting an automatic place will rely on Rotherham going in a horrendous run of form or Wigan losing their games in hand. Both are unlikely but not impossible. In any case, settling for a playoff place will still be seen as a massively successful season for the club.
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The Playoff Places Race
Oxford United
United are no strangers to being in the playoff positions this time in the season and they have achieved that feat in the last two campaigns. But last season saw them exit in the semi-finals at the hand of Blackpool, who went on to win at Wembley.
The U’s have boasted a solid League One squad for some time now, and it feels like the natural progression would be to now mount a serious challenge for promotion, but they will need more consistency. If they do go up this year, it will certainly be by the playoffs as they look some way off the top two at this stage.
Although they are currently in a top-six spot, it will be a tough task holding on to that given side below them are not far off at all. Karl Robinson will need all his experience to ensure they get a playoff place as any slip-ups will most likely be punished.
Plymouth Argyle
The Argyle looked like they might go up automatically earlier in the campaign, but they drastically dropped off in form. However, a recent fantastic run (4 wins from 5) has seen them surge into the playoff places, where you wouldn’t bet against them staying.
It’s been some rise since they got promoted back into League One back in 2019/20. A steady 18th place finish last term has allowed them to build up their squad, where they have added more players acclimated to the division, with the likes of Brendan Galloway and James Wilson coming through the door.
The current form will have to be maintained to guarantee playoffs though with lots of clubs vying for those positions. Argyle are in a good position though, with a couple of games in hand on their peers. If they are converted into wins, it’s hard to see them dropping out of the playoff places.
Wycombe Wanderers
Wycombe have perhaps performed as expected on their return to League One. They found Championship life tough last year, after promotion via the much-disputed points per game metric that decided the 2019/20 season thanks to COVID-19. Their fate was confirmed on the final day of last season, as Derby survived and Wanderers were sent back down.
Since then, it’s been almost business as usual in League One, where they have been around the playoff places for some time under Gareth Ainsworth. The fact that’s not changed is no surprise either given they have much the same squad of players as last time.
They have always been a nightmare to play against, with a particular habit of winding up the opposition to the point where they lose their heads. However, form will have to improve dramatically, as there have been far too many losses and draws recently for Wycombe to finish into a top-six position.
Sunderland AFC
It’s fair to say that the Black Cat’s 2022 has thus far, been a complete and utter mess. The club finally looked like it would at least be challenging for an automatic spot before the turn of the year and put an end to four wretched seasons in England’s third tier. They even topped the table just after Christmas, following a 5-0 thrashing of fellow fallen giants Sheffield Wednesday at the Stadium of Light.
Since then, a 6-0 defeat to Bolton saw Lee Johnson get sacked. The club hesitated in appointing his replacement, which involved drawn-out talks with former boss Roy Keane. In that manager less 10 days or so, they lost pathetically to Doncaster and Cheltenham, effectively ruining their hopes of automatic promotion. Alex Neil was then appointed swiftly after Keane ruled himself out, but the Scot has a difficult job turning around a terrible run of form. Fans are rightly furious as they watch the club yet again blow what was a good opportunity to get them back to the second tier.
Neil won’t be to blame if the Mackem’s don’t go up (again) this year, but with an extremely talented squad for this level at his disposal, they still have a chance and need to take it because, in all likelihood, failing will mean a lot of those players will move on next season. The playoffs have never gone well for Sunderland though with many heart-breaking defeats in the past. But for now, the new manager just needs to concentrate on getting the results right again and regain the teams’ confidence levels.
Sheffield Wednesday
Wednesday fans will have just as much right to be as despondent as Sunderland fans, as the club has a massive, passionate supporter base which demands better than playing in the third tier. The South Yorkshire club have endured a patchy season since relegation last term and with a squad boasting the likes of Barry Bannan, you would have expected them to be vying for the top two.
However, it’s not gone to plan and at this stage, a playoff place would be seen as a success given they currently sit outside the top six. Things have improved recently though, with four wins from five and now would be the perfect time to continue with that sort of form. But again, there are lots of clubs in and around them wanting the same thing.
Darren Moore will know his job is on the line if they don’t at least secure playoffs, and that motivation could be the catalyst his side needs to keep the current run going. Their big players need to step up, with more required from the likes of Saido Berahino to help them go back up.
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