29 May 2011
Old Trafford Manchester
From an excitement point of view, the best games in the Football League last season were in League One - and it could be the case again. The reason? Teams endeavour to play attractive, attacking football, borne out of a desire to reach the Championship, with the riches and bigger sides that league brings. That's not to say that League One doesn't have a sprinkling of big guns itself. Indeed, it seems par for the course these days that a couple of big teams will fall through the trapdoor into the third tier. Sheffield United and Preston North End are the latest victims and both will be favourites for an immediate return. But sometimes it's not that black and white; while they boast the strongest squads, much will depend on how their mental state is. Sometimes the hangover of relegation season in League One is a disappointment, it can be a long road back. Just ask Leeds United and Nottingham Forest. Players from these clubs also have to realise that there will be no easy rides at this level. They are in League One for a reason and if they don't approach visits to the likes of Stevenage and Exeter in the right frame of mind, they will come unstuck very quickly.
Old Trafford Manchester
From an excitement point of view, the best games in the Football League last season were in League One - and it could be the case again. The reason? Teams endeavour to play attractive, attacking football, borne out of a desire to reach the Championship, with the riches and bigger sides that league brings. That's not to say that League One doesn't have a sprinkling of big guns itself. Indeed, it seems par for the course these days that a couple of big teams will fall through the trapdoor into the third tier. Sheffield United and Preston North End are the latest victims and both will be favourites for an immediate return. But sometimes it's not that black and white; while they boast the strongest squads, much will depend on how their mental state is. Sometimes the hangover of relegation season in League One is a disappointment, it can be a long road back. Just ask Leeds United and Nottingham Forest. Players from these clubs also have to realise that there will be no easy rides at this level. They are in League One for a reason and if they don't approach visits to the likes of Stevenage and Exeter in the right frame of mind, they will come unstuck very quickly.
