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League Two 2015/16 preview: Portsmouth, Luton favourites, Accrington to struggle

Burton Albion promoted from League Two

With the new Football League season fast approaching, we take a detailed look at what to expect from League Two. Who will go up? Who will go down? Which players are worth keeping an eye on? Read on to find out...

Battle for promotion

Portsmouth - 4/6 for promotion with Sky Bet

In a division like League Two, it is rare to see such a remarkably well-backed favourite. Portsmouth, though, are unlike most other fourth-division sides.

With a huge fan-base and not-too-distant memories of Premier League football, Pompey are desperate to climb back up the pyramid. After another disappointing season, in which they finished mid-table, the club have rolled the dice and paid League One Chesterfield compensation to bring Paul Cook in as their new boss.

A highly-rated manager reasonably new to League football, it is a gamble but one that is expected to pay off given his previous success, taking Chesterfield from the same position to League One. There are expectations of automatic promotion on Cook's shoulders but it is likely the south-coast side will be at the right end of the league come May.

Paul Cook led Chesterfield to promotion from League Two last season
Image: Paul Cook led Chesterfield to promotion from League Two before leaving for Portsmouth to try and do the same

Luton - 6/4

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In the 2013/14 season, Luton were promoted back to the Football League, and last season saw them come agonisingly close to reaching the play-offs in League Two.

In the end, they missed out by one position - three points - and the natural progression for John Still’s side would be to go one better this term.

They would have made the play-offs had it not been for a run of seven consecutive defeats through March and April, and if they can eradicate that mistake, you’d back them to be among the promotion-pushers next season.

Luke Rooney goal celeb, Luton Town v Bury, FA Cup, December 2014
Image: Luton are second favourites for promotion and are likely to come close

Oxford - 13/8

Oxford United boss Michael Appleton had told fans the club would get their business done early, and the arrivals of Liam Sercombe, Kemar Roofe, Ryan Taylor, Sam Slocombe and George Baldock at the start of the window show he stayed true to his word.

Appleton, although another man still new to the managerial game, has already held some high-profile positions, most notably two very short spells with Blackpool and Blackburn.

He lasted 65 days at the former and 67 at the latter but appears to have settled down with his new club in Oxfordshire. In his first season in charge, they finished 13th but after a full pre-season, Appleton will surely have stamped his mark on the team ahead of the new campaign.

Fight to avoid the drop

Accrington 7/2 for relegation

As far as Accrington Stanley legends go, John Coleman is up there with the best of them. He managed the club for 13 years until 2012, before returning last season to take charge in League Two. He has devoted his life to Stanley, but resources are limited at a club with little money and a capacity of just 5,057.

The Crown Ground outfit are 7/2 to go down with Sky Bet, but will be hoping to spring a surprise and secure their safety for another season.

Image: John Coleman is an Accrington legend but he has a tough job on his hands to keep them up

Newport County 4/1

The Welsh side have an English legend in charge this season in the form of ex-Three Lions international Terry Butcher. The Newport boss is remembered for being battered and bandaged against Sweden in 1989, and his team are surely going to find themselves with some battle scars of their own come May.

With a high-profile manager and a ninth-place finish behind them, on the surface it looks rosy for Newport, but dig a little deeper and all is not as it seems. Les Scadding, the chairman who won a £45m Euromillions jackpot in 2009, has stepped down and there is some doubt over whether the club will be financially stable enough to stay in the Football League.

Butcher’s appointment at the end of last term excited fans, but they have been left unsure of the club’s future over the last month.

Dark horse

Northampton 3/1 to be promoted

Under Chris Wilder, Northampton Town are a team on the up. For the past few seasons, they have had to live in the shadow of MK Dons, their noisy neighbours from just down the M1, but now might be the time for the Cobblers to impress, too.

When Wilder arrived in January 2014, Northampton were facing the prospect of non-league football, but he managed to guide them to safety, before kicking on last season to secure a 12th-place finish.

Everything is set for them to challenge in the upper echelons of the league. They have signed highly-rated goalkeeper Ryan Clarke from Oxford and have added well in both defence and midfield.

Northampton Town:
Image: Northampton Town have been in MK Dons' shadow but they are dark horses for promotion in 2015/16

Players to watch

Regan Poole (Newport County)

The 17-year-old defender, who has recently had trials at both Liverpool and Manchester United, signed a professional contract with Terry Butcher's Newport County in July.

Pacy, strong and comfortable on the ball, the Welshman coped superbly having been thrown in for his debut at just 16, and could form a big part of Newport's push to consolidate themselves in the Football League. 

Conor Chaplin (Portsmouth)

Winner of League Two's Apprentice of the Year award for 2015, Pompey forward Chaplin has made just one start for the club. But he has impressed enough in pre-season with three goals to suggest manager Paul Cook will throw him into the fray as the club look to continue their rebuilding project.

Chaplin is not blessed with height, but the nippy, confident forward has a bright future ahead of him.

Kemar Roofe (Oxford United)

Slightly less under the radar is Oxford's 22-year-old midfielder Roofe, who scored 17 goals and made 10 assists in 35 games for West Brom's U21 side - and eased United's relegation concerns with six goals in the latter stages of last season.

After a string of loan spells, he moved to Oxford permanently in May and is likely to continue being a handful for defences up and down the division as the Us look to consolidate their place in the fourth tier.

Image: Kemar Roofe eased Oxford's relegation concerns with six goals in the latter stages of last season before joining permanently

Opening weekend fixtures (August 8 – 3pm)

Accrington v Luton

Wimbledon v Plymouth

Bristol Rovers v Northampton

Cambridge v Newport

Exeter v Yeovil

Hartlepool v Morecambe

Leyton Orient v Barnet

Image: Hartlepool, whose fans are shown dressed as smurfs, face Morecambe at home on the first day of the season

Mansfield v Carlisle

Oxford Utd v Crawley

Portsmouth v Dag & Red    

Stevenage v Notts County

Wycombe v York

Opta facts

- Wycombe lost three times as many games at home (6) than they did away from home (2).

- Carlisle were shown eight red cards, more than any other side.

- Mansfield were the only side not to be awarded a penalty in League Two last season.

- Hartlepool had fewer shots than any other side last season (327).

- Jamie Cureton was involved in 26 goals for Dagenham & Redbridge last season (19 goals, 7 assists), more than any other player for a single club in League Two. Cureton was also the division’s highest scorer without scoring from the penalty spot (19).

Image: Jamie Cureton was involved in 26 Dagenham & Redbridge goals last season

- AFC Wimbledon's Adebayo Akinfenwa conceded 134 fouls last season, at least 40 more than any other player.

- No side missed more penalties in League Two last season than Accrington Stanley (3).

- Northampton were shown more yellow cards than any other League Two team last term (88).

- Yeovil have been relegated or promoted in each of the last three seasons, suffering relegations in each of the last two seasons.

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