League Two 2021-22 club-by-club betting guide & final table predictions

1 Bradford

Last season’s 15th-placed finish was deemed a disaster among the Bradford faithful and they will rightly be demanding immediate improvement. The Bantams have prised manager Derek Adams away from Morecambe and his experience, as well as some tasty new arrivals, suggests they could have a starring role to play in the title race.

2 Tranmere

Rovers were beaten in the League Two playoffs last season, but they have entrusted fans favourite Micky Mellon with the job of sealing their third-tier return. Mellon, who guided Tranmere to League Two promotion in 2019 before joining Dundee United, has added star quality to his squad and they should be a force to be reckoned with.

3 Salford

The big-spending Ammies are red-hot favourites for the League Two title and they should contend given their squad depth, experienced manager and sustained backing. Salford finished two points shy of the playoff spots last season but Gary Bowyer, who sealed League Two promotion with Blackpool four years ago, lost only three of his 11 games in charge. He has snapped up Fleetwood’s Josh Morris and Oldham’s Conor McAleny.

4 Exeter

Exeter are regularly battling it out for promotion in League Two and last season was their fifth consecutive top-ten finish. Manager Matt Taylor, who has been at the helm since 2018, should keep the trend going with another prominent finish. The sale of Randall Williams’ to Hull is a blow, but they are strong title candidates if they hold on to highly-rated midfielders Josh Key and Joel Randall.

5 Port Vale

No team ended last season stronger than Port Vale, who picked up 22 points from their final ten games to seal a top-half finish. The Valiants could take another leap forward under the stewardship of manager Darrell Clarke, who has created strong competition for places in every department after an influx of summer arrivals.

6 Mansfield

The Stags have been expensive for punters to follow as they finished the previous two campaigns in 21st and 16th, but once again they figure prominently in the title reckoning. Mansfield operate on one of League Two's biggest budgets and Nigel Clough, who lost only 11 of his 39 games in charge following his November arrival, may be the man to finally make them tick.

7 Bristol Rovers

Bristol Rovers are keeping the faith in Joey Barton despite finishing rock-bottom of League One last season, with his 18 games yielding just three victories. Barton has made some shrewd signings over the summer, raiding former club Fleetwood for Sam Finley, Paul Coutts and Harvey Saunders, but his ongoing court case casts a shadow over their title credentials.

8 Newport

Michael Flynn masterminded a second playoff final in three years for Newport last season and there has been a summer overhaul as they attempt to end their Wembley woes. Josh Sheehan, Joss Labadie, Tom King and Liam Shepherd have left for pastures new but their replacements look right on the money and if the Exiles can fight off the attention for Flynn, then they should be in the mix.

9 Carlisle

A Covid crisis derailed Carlisle’s promotion bid last season and by February they had up to five games in hand of their title-chasing rivals. The Cumbrians struggled as the fixtures came thick and fast, eventually finishing tenth, but a settled campaign could see Chris Beech’s men better those efforts. Zach Clough should thrive at this lower level.

10 Stevenage

Only champions Cheltenham and Salford conceded fewer goals than Stevenage last season and they ended the campaign with the promise of much more to come. Boro lost only three of their final 18 games to close out a 14th-placed finish and another full campaign under Alex Revell, who is improving with experience, could yield greater results. They have added depth and can’t be completely dismissed.

11 Forest Green

Forest Green suffered playoff semi-final heartbreak last term and are embarking on a first Football League campaign without Mark Cooper, who has been replaced by Rob Edwards after five years in charge. Rovers have taken a leap of faith with the appointment of former England U16s manager Edwards. Losing Aaron Collins to Bristol Rovers could also prove costly.

12 Northampton

Northampton supporters have been on an emotional rollercoaster in recent years, seeing two promotions and two relegations across their last six seasons, but a calmer campaign is likely. Rookie boss Jon Brady has a bit to prove having won just five of his 20 games in charge and he has introduced lots of fresh faces - including five players from Scotland - so time may be required.

13 Leyton Orient

Orient made a good fist of things as they finished 11th last season and they have drafted in former Portsmouth manager Kenny Jackett in a bid to develop even further. Finding replacements for departing duo Danny Johnson and Conor Wilkinson, who combined to score 29 of their 53 league goals last season, won’t be easy but Jackett looks a canny appointment.

14 Colchester

It was too close for comfort last season for Colchester, who collected ten points from their final five fixtures to secure survival, but plans appear in place to navigate their way up the table. Hayden Mullins has been rewarded with the permanent job after steering them to safety and has instilled some much-needed experience with Ipswich quartet Luke Chambers, Cole Skuse, Alan Judge and Freddie Sears among those heading down the A12.

15 Harrogate

There was a lot to like about Harrogate’s debut season in the EFL and long-term manager Simon Weaver will fancy his chances of bettering their 17th-placed finish. Town have been able to keep hold of their biggest assets and they have recruited well, adding proven Football League pedigree to a team that was inexperienced.

16 Walsall

Walsall limped to a 19th-placed finish last season but the League Two draw specialists, who played out 20 stalemates, were hard to beat. The Saddlers are heading in a different direction with the appointment of former Tottenham U18 coach Matthew Taylor and, in what is a competitive division, they may have to settle for another minor role.

17 Rochdale

Rochdale’s seven-year stay in League One came to a halt as they missed out on survival by a solitary point, and an immediate return to the third tier looks beyond them at present. Brian Barry-Murphy resigned following relegation and his rookie replacement, Robbie Stockdale, has tough boots to fill. Transfer activity has been delayed and that could see them fall out of the blocks.

18 Crawley

Crawley did remarkably well to post a top-half finish last season but the Red Devils, who have one of the lowest budgets in the EFL, may struggle to match those achievements. They won only seven of their final 24 games, which coincided with the departure of 13-goal striker Max Watters. However, relegation should be of little concern with the shrewd John Yems in the dugout.

19 Barrow

Avoiding relegation on their EFL return was a great achievement for Barrow last term and with those exploits under their belt they should be hopeful of repeating the trick. Mark Cooper, who spent five years in charge of Forest Green, is an excellent managerial appointment, although they must now manage without the services of top scorer Scott Quigley, who has left for Stockport.

20 Oldham

Oldham were the division’s great entertainers last season with 72 goals scored and 81 conceded across their 46 fixtures. Keith Curle has attempted to bolster the league’s leakiest defence with the arrivals of Harrison McGahey, Jordan Clarke and Sam Hart, but the loss of leading marksman Conor McAleny to Salford may mean no real improvement.

21 Swindon

The Swindon takeover has been completed but it may be a difficult start to the season with so few first-team players registered on their books and late business set to take place. The Robins played under four managers as they were relegated from League One last term and their pre-season appointment, John McGreal, resigned after just a month. That unsettled start makes life tough from the get-go.

22 Sutton

Last season’s National League champions Sutton are appearing in the Football League for the first time in their history and manager Matt Gray has an almighty task on his hands. The London club have been forced to replace their artificial surface with a grass pitch and have had to dip into the non-league to reinforce their squad.

23 Hartlepool

Having been starved of EFL football for four years, Hartlepool are back after defeating Torquay in a dramatic National League playoff final penalty shootout. The Monkey Hangers have been unable to keep hold of top goalscorer Rhys Oates and star defender Ryan Johnson, who have joined Mansfield and Port Vale, and influential loanee Luke Armstrong has made a permanent move to Harrogate. A relegation scrap is likely.

24 Scunthorpe

The Iron ended last season in a rut, closing out the campaign on a ten-game winless run and finding themselves only three points clear of the relegation spots at the close of play. Neil Cox remains in charge despite last season's tame finish but with many of their experienced squad members departing Glanford Park, another relegation battle should be expected.

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