MILLWALL
Manager: Kenny Jackett
Ground: The New Den
Capacity: 20,146
Last Season: The Lions never recovered from a poor start to last season and manager Willie Donachie paid the price with his job in early October. Kenny Jackett steadied the ship but ‘Wall still finished in a disappointing 17th place.
Players In: Ashley Grimes (Manchester City) Undisclosed, David Forde (Cardiff) FREE, Nadim Abdou (Plymouth) FREE, Tony Craig (Crystal Palace) Undisclosed
Players Out: Gavin Grant (Wycombe) FREE, Chris Zebroski (Wycombe)£20,000, Tom Brighton (St Mirren) FREE, Bas Savage (Tranmere) FREE
This season: Twice in the last two seasons Millwall have lost their managers after poor starts to the season so Kenny Jackett must begin well. Jackett hasn’t been too involved in the transfer market though and will be relying on home form to improve on last season.
Key Man: Gary Alexander
It’s a big season for Alexander after a disappointing first season at the Den that saw him find the net just seven times in the league. His presence is still vital for the Lions though and more support from midfield could see Alexander improve his tally.
MK DONSManager: Roberto Di Matteo
Ground: Stadium: MK
Capacity: 22,000
Last Season: The Dons, under Paul Ince, won League Two ahead of Peterborough United on 97 points. They also saw off Grimsby Town in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final to claim a successful double.
Players In: Peter Leven (Chesterfield) FREE, Florian Sturm (FC Vaduz) FREE
Players Out: Lloyd Dyer (Leicester) FREE, Mustapha Carayol (Torquay)Undisclosed, Gareth Edds (Tranmere) FREE
This season: With Paul Ince taking up the chief job at Blackburn, Roberto Di Matteo was swiftly brought in as his replacement. Di Matteo could be seen to be a gamble having no previous experience in a top job but his name alone could be enough to bring better players to Stadium: MK. Many people’s favourites behind Leeds and Leicester for promotion.
Key Man: Keith Andrews
Andrews was the star man in Dons’ midfield last season and at the time of writing has not left the club as expected. If Di Matteo can persuade him to stay, he will be the lynchpin for any success this season once again. Elsewhere, striker Jemal Johnson has bags of pace and could do some serious damage.
NORTHAMPTON TOWNManager: Stuart Gray
Ground: Sixfields
Capacity: 7,500
Last Season: The Cobblers struggled early on last term but bounced back with another terrfic second half of the season. Things looked gloomly in December as we went seven games without a win but the seventh game of that sequence, a 2-2 draw at Nottingham Forest began to turn things around. We flirted with the playoffs but 9th was a positive improvement on the season before.
Players In: Leon Constantine (Leeds) FREE, Luke Guttridge (Colchester) FREE, Abdul Osman (Gretna) FREE, Liam Davis (Coventry) FREE
Players Out: Joe Burnell (Oxford) FREE, Poul Hubertz (Released)
This season: Holding on to key players out of contract and resigning Adebayo Akinfenwa during the close season was a massive boost for Stuart Gray. Add to that the pacy Liam Davis, holding midfielders Luke Guttridgeand Abdul Osman and striker Leon Constantine and we have, on paper, a better squad than the one that finished last season. We’re desperate for a good start to a season this time around so we can be up there from the start. If that happens, anything is possible.
Key Man: Giles Coke
Many will argue Mark Bunn deserves this title but this could well be Coke’s season. The midfielder started to show glimpses of what he’s all about in the second half of last season and along with Osman, Gutteridge and Jackman we playes willing to hold back and let Coke off the leash. With a full pre-season behind him, we could have a hell of player on our hands.
OLDHAM ATHLETICManager: John Sheridan
Ground: Boundary Park
Capacity: 13,559
Last Season: Oldham made a good late charge and nearly made it into the playoffs but finish 8th in the end, a place and a point above the Cobblers. A final day hammering of Crewe was enough to give their fans hope for this season.
Players In: Kevin Maher (Southend) FREE, Craig Fleming (Gretna) FREE, Keiron Lee (Manchester United) FREE, Chris O’Grady (Rotherham) Undisclosed, Dale Stephens (Bury) Undisclosed, Danny Whitaker (Port Vale) FREE
Players Out: Mike Pearson (Barrow) Undisclosed
This season: Oldham got most of their transfer activity cone early in the summer and signing Keiron Lee from Manchester United on a free transfer could bea good bit of business in the future. Kevin Maher will add depth to their midfield whilst the squad that finished last season will be fancying their chances as dark horses this time around.
Key Man: Danny Whitaker
The signing from Port Vale can turn games from midfield and given better team mates than he had last season at Vale Park could turn him into an even better prospect himself.
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