It’s the second weekend of the League One season, and there are already some interesting stories to tell.
There are a lot of big hitters in League One this season, and only three can be promoted, meaning a wasteland of shattered dreams will be left behind in May. However, in August, it is a meadow of hopes and aspirations laid out in the warm summer sunshine, slowly dying off, one game at a time.
Some of those big clubs struggled last weekend, others got off to the sort of start their fans expect. But which games in League One catch our eye this season? EFL pundit Gary Hutchinson has kept an eye on the second tier for five years now and is offering insight into two of the weekend’s biggest games.
Reading v Wigan Athletic
The two crisis clubs from last season are seemingly on the up and up. Wigan might still have financial obligations, but they’re a side who were within touching distance of the top six last season, even with a points deficit. They were defeated by Charlton on the opening day, and lost to Barnsley on penalties in the League Cup. Losing Charlie Hughes is a big blow, and they need a result to lift spirits.
It’s different at Reading, who held Birmingham on the opening day and were unlucky not to get the win. They’re now in the final stages of a takeover by Rob Couhig, which can only be a good thing; they’ve got a decent XI, but need squad depth, and in Ruben Selles, they have a solid coach.
Gary: This is a fascinating clash between two clubs who are moving away from the troubles that dogged them last season. I really like Reading and Ruben Selles, he did a superb job last time out, and for my money, was the best manager in League One.
I can see them piling misery on Wigan, who had a difficult first week of the season. They’ll be okay in the long term, but I expect the Royals to sign off from a decent week, League Cup aside, with a home win.
Reading 2-0 Wigan Athletic
Blackpool v Stockport County
Blackpool only missed out on the top six courtesy of a final-day defeat at the hands of Reading, but there’s been an air of uncertainty over their start this season. Losing to Crawley on the first weekend of the season was a huge surprise, and their 4-0 League Cup win against 10-man Burton didn’t really say anything about their prospects.
As for Stockport, they’re back in League One after a horrible journey that took them to places such as Vauxhall Motors and Hednesford, so facing off against the Tangerines will be a delight. It’s almost twenty years to the day that the two last met at Bloomfield Road, with Stockport winning 4-0. A win in this encounter would put pressure on Neil Critchley early.
Gary: Of all the promoted teams, Stockport look the most likely to grab a top-six spot. They’ve kept a lot of their side together, although they are suffering injury problems early in the season.
Blackpool are not convincing, and they weren’t at the end of last season. This one has all the hallmarks of a draw, and there’s no doubt which set of fans would be happier with that outcome.
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