Section:GDN 1N PaGe:38 Edition Date:190730 Edition:01 Zone: Sent at 29/7/2019 18:06 cYanmaGentaYellowb
- The Guardian Tuesday 30 July 2019
(^38) Sport
Football Sky Bet League Two preview
Title challengers
There is a vast pool of exciting
40-something coaches determined
to make a splash as managers, some
of whom are taking their fi rst plunge
while others, notably Paul Hurst,
are hungry to kick on. Determined
not to allow a 14-game reign at
Ipswich defi ne his reputation, Hurst
has the look of a managerial catch
for Scunthorpe , given his success
at Grimsby and Shrewsbury where
he surpassed expectations, eking
every sinew out of his players. At
Glanford Park, however, Hurst will
have to cope with the expectation
that comes with the territory of
being fancied for an instant return
to League One. The signing of Andy
Butler, who started his career at the
club, seems a sensible addition.
It is impossible to look beyond
Plymouth as serious contenders,
given how they have transplanted
a promotion-winning squad into
green and white. Plymouth are
benefi ciaries of Bury’s fi nancial
troubles , gutting last season’s
runners-up by re-homing fi ve of
their players, as well as manager
Ryan Lowe and his backroom staff.
“I feel a little bit of guilt about it
but we paid good compensation for
them,” said the Plymouth chairman,
Simon Hallett. “The club [Bury]
and its executives got itself into this
mess, the players aren’t getting paid
and they are young men who need
income.” Lowe has also recruited
fellow Liverpudlian Jose Baxter,
who started his career at Everton
and returned from a drugs ban last
season, on a short-term contract.
After spectacularly stalling at the
end of last season, Mansfi eld will
fancy their chances of going one
better, with Nicky Maynard, who
averaged a goal every 140 minutes
at Bury last season, a superb free
transfer, though the video that
accompanied confi rmation of his
arrival made excruciating viewing.
Bradford , too, should be in the mix
under Gary Bowyer; the former
Everton striker James Vaughan
and Clayton Donaldson will cause
defences problems but it was picking
the ball out of their own net that was
a recurring theme last season.
Play-off contenders
Mark Cooper’s Forest Green Rovers
almost snuck into the automatic
places in May and, despite losing in
the play-off semi-fi nals, they will
expect to go close once more having
made huge strides in three years
under Cooper. Losing Christian
Doidge and Reece Brown was a big
yet unsurprising blow and Rovers
have recruited smartly, with Matt
Mills, formerly of Nottingham
Forest, joining his younger brother
Joseph at the club. Up the M5, it
would be a surprise if a new-look
Walsall were not in the reckoning
Lim and the “Class of 92”, with
Richie Towell, who featured for
Rotherham in the Championship last
season, a top signing from Brighton.
Stevenage could be dark horses
under Dino Maamria, if they can
start where they left off last season.
If new signings gel with a youthful
group – Luther Wildin, 21, and
Arthur Iontton, 18, have shone – they
could shake up things. The arrival
of Jason Cowley is intriguing, with
the striker signing from non-league
Bromsgrove Sporting, for whom he
scored 102 goals in 127 appearances.
Relegation candidates
Thirteen successive seasons at
this level is not to be sniff ed at
but Morecambe begin, as they do
every season, up against it. By now,
though, Jim Bentley, the longest-
serving manager in the country at
eight years and 78 days , is used to the
battle. Kevin Ellison will play on past
his 41st birthday but Andy Fleming
has been forced to retire aged 31,
because of a serious knee injury. “He
was the only outfi eld player still at
the club since I played,” said Bentley,
who has signed the defender Tom
Brewitt, who came through the
youth ranks at Liverpool.
Laurent Banide worked with David
Trezeguet and Thierry Henry at
Monaco but after almost a decade in
south-east Asia, he becomes the 12th
manager in four years at Oldham ,
where his role does not include
recruiting players. Paul Scholes lasted
31 days and after another summer of
change – including eight signings – it
is impossible to predict the outcome
of their latest experiment. Elsewhere,
fi nancial unrest still plagues Sol
Campbell’s Macclesfi eld , while
Gabriele Cioffi ’s Crawley have work
to do.
Three players to watch
Danny Mayor, Plymouth
Ryan Lowe endeared himself to
supporters by bullishly telling them
he has signed the “best No 10 in
the league” in Mayor, insisting the
former Bury player is better than
Graham Carey and Ruben Lameiras,
two former Devon darlings. The
versatile Mayor, like Lowe, is
gunning for successive promotions.
Danny Guthrie, Walsall
After a stint in Indonesia, the former
Liverpool and Newcastle midfi elder,
who was born in Shrewsbury, has
returned closer to home following a
trial. The 32-year-old, who made more
than 100 Premier League appearances,
last played in England for Blackburn.
“You need a good balance in League
Two, plenty of energy and a bit of
know how,” said the manager, Darrell
Clarke.
Aaron Collins, Forest Green Rovers
The striker went from McDonald’s
to Molineux in less than two years,
earning a move to Wolves after
impressing at Newport as a teenager
but following his release in January,
the 22-year-old had to rebuild his
confi dence. Collins impressed at
Morecambe, scoring eight goals in
15 games to earn a summer move
to a side serious about chasing
promotion under Mark Cooper.
Plymouth have the
pedigree but look
out for Stevenage
Green and white fl ags should
be fl uttering at the top of the
table while Dino Maamria’s
side have play-off potential
Ben Fisher
Graham Alexander
continues to be
backed by Salford’s
billionaire owner
under Darrell Clarke, while Richie
Wellens can send Swindon close
in his fi rst full season; Zeki Fryers,
formerly of Manchester United, is an
eye-catching signing.
Exeter will be expected to
challenge after falling short last
season and Matt Taylor has freshened
up his squad with nine new faces,
including the former Reading
goalkeeper Lewis Ward and forward
Nicky Ajose. Mike Flynn worked
wonders to guide Newport into the
play-off s on the back of another fi ne
FA Cup run last season but repeating
that feat looks a tall order.
Salford have grand plans but a
fi fth promotion in six seasons may
prove too big an ask. The former
Burnley defender Graham Alexander
continues to be handsomely backed
by the Singaporean billionaire Peter
▼ Danny Mayor (right) is
one of fi ve Bury players to
have joined Plymouth
DAN MULLAN/GETTY IMAGES
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