On Friday, the English Football League returns with Luton Town hosting AFC Wimbledon, a match that you’d be forgiven for being confused that it’s a league match. After suffering their second consecutive relegation, Luton Town, a Premier League side just two seasons ago, are now in League One, while Wimbledon secured promotion to League One after winning the League Two playoffs last campaign. Two clubs moving in opposite directions, it’s a great way to break into one of the toughest grinds of English soccer, escaping the English Football League.
With three divisions of 24 teams each, the slightest slip can see giants fall into a spiral that is quite hard to get out of. Sunderland may have completed their climb back to the Premier League, but looking around the divisions, Luton Town, Bolton, Huddersfield Town, Wigan Athletic, and Cardiff City are just some of the big names mired below the Championship, looking to claw their way back to the Premier League. But what are a few things to know about the League One and League Two seasons before they kick off?
You can watch EFL action all season long on Paramount+.
Giants falling
Luton Town aren’t the only new residents of League One after the Hatters were relegated from the Championship. Cardiff City also joined them after only winning a division-low nine matches. The Bluebirds haven’t been in the Premier League since the 2018-19 season, and this will be another season without a Welsh club in the top flight, which has been the case since their relegation. Swansea City and Wrexham are the closest to getting to the Premier League, but Cardiff will want to make sure that this stay in League One is a short one.
The financial differences between this division and the Championship are drastic, and long stays can put bigger clubs on a road of no return to the top flight. Cardiff will need to bounce back quickly, and while Luton don’t have the same financial strength as the Welsh side, soon the parachute payments from their Premier League relegation will run out. At that point, even with the renovations and investment that they were able to make while in the top flight, it will be a long road back to the top.
Can Paul Mullin bounce back?
Priced at +2000 to win the League One Golden Boot, the Wrexham legend is now on loan at Wigan Athletic. Despite Wrexham’s promotion to the Championship, last season was a lost one for Mullin as he struggled with injuries, but now he’ll have a chance to get things back on track. From 2020-24, Mullin had four consecutive seasons with 24 or more goals between two divisions. While League One has been a division that he has struggled in historically, a strong performance could get him right back into the mix at Wrexham or on the radar of other teams to find a permanent home. There will be plenty of challengers for the Golden Boot with Huddersfield’s Alfie May (+500), Wycombe’s Richard Kone (+1200), and Lincoln City’s James Collins (+2500) all expected to be around the scoring leaders in the division, but Mullin will have plenty of motivation to outdo them.
So, who could be the next Wrexham?
While the Hollywood-backed stars had unique circumstances to outspend the competition and make it to the Championship, it’s hard to make a comparison to them outside of teams that have already been in the Premier League. Even their Welsh neighbors Newport County don’t have the financial backing to keep up, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a club dotted in League One that could turn things around. Perhaps it is Blackpool, who are the top spenders in the division, bringing in midfield reinforcements in Jordan Brown and George Honeyman. Led by Steve Bruce, they have a manager who knows a thing or two about promotions and even managing in the top flight, which is important for coping with a long season in the league. Their spending numbers may not be on par with Wrexham’s, but be on the lookout for Blackpool this coming season.
Will MK Dons continue to fall?
Considering their history as being the original Wimbledon FC who relocated to create a club, it’s fitting that AFC Wimbledon are now above Milton Keynes Dons FC in the English pyramid. But now Paul Wayne will have the task of helping push them back up the pyramid with limited resources. They did make it to the Championship in 2015 and have had some talented players, including midfielder Dele Alli, come through the ranks during their history, but now their hopes are pinned upon Aaron Collins (+500 to win the Golden Boot). The Welsh forward scored 12 goals with Bolton last season, and when he has been healthy, he has been a scoring threat for whatever club he has represented. In League Two, all a team needs is something to get hot at the right time, and there’s a chance to move up, and that’s just what MK Dons will be looking for.
Americans in the EFL
The Championship may be loaded with American players, but when it comes to League One and League Two, Americans are few and far between. Lyndan Gooch is still with Huddersfield Town, Ethan Horvath is with Cardiff City, and Donovan Pines is with Barnsley. Unlike last season, when Gaga Slonina was with Barnsley and Charlie Kelman was lighting it up for Leyton Orient, it’s hard to see any of these players making it into Mauricio Pochettino’s plans with the United States men’s national team, but stranger things have happened. Horvath does have 10 caps for the USMNT, but he hasn’t made an appearance since the Copa America, where he played 45 minutes in a loss to Panama when Matt Turner went out with an injury. The USMNT picture for the number one keeper is a murky one, but Horvath would need to at least make it back to the Championship to return to the mix.
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