EFL League One Preview 2020/21 – Shrewsbury Town, Sunderland, Swindon Town and Wigan Athletic

Next up in our League One preview, we focus on Shrewsbury, Sunderland, Swindon and Wigan.

Shrewsbury Town

Last season was fairly underwhelming for the Shrews. With the season decided via PPG, Sam Ricketts’ side ended in 15th place, up three positions from their 2018/19 finish. The main problem was ultimately up front, with the Shropshire side ending as second-lowest scorers in League One.

Perhaps there was more promise at the start of the previous campaign, as Shrewsbury surprisingly toppled promotion candidates Portsmouth on the opening day. While key wins against the likes of Peterborough and Sunderland will live long in the memories of the fans, their inconsistent form was ultimately what led to such a low finish.

Shrewsbury’s FA Cup run was definitely the highlight of their season, knocking out Bradford, Mansfield and Bristol City before taking Liverpool to a replay at Anfield.

Striker Jason Cummings finished as top scorer for the Shrews, scoring just four league goals all season.

Transfers

Joe Murphy, Lifumpa Mwandwe, Kian Taylor and Romain Vincelot were all released by Shrewsbury this summer, with the latter going on to join Stevenage in League Two. Star midfielder Josh Laurent left the New Meadow to join Championship outfit Reading, while Omar Beckles has turned down a new contract at the club and has become a free agent.

The club has been fairly quiet on the transfer front, with just three players coming in. Former Huddersfield striker Rekeil Pyke has joined the League One side on a free transfer, while Glenavon’s Josh Daniels joins him in Shropshire for the 20/21 season. 19-year-old Scott High and Marlon Fossey will also head to Meadow Lane on loan from Huddersfield and Fulham respectively, while goalkeeper Matija Sarkic arrives on loan from Wolves.

Targets

The aim for Shrewsbury will undoubtedly be progression. There are no expectations for promotion or even for the playoffs, but the fans will expect to see more consistent performances. With the jury still out on Ricketts’ long-term future at the club, it’s important that he is settled on a structure and formation that suits the players he has available.

Key Player

If he can stay fit, David Edwards could play a huge part in this Shrewsbury side. The 34-year-old is a key figure in leading the squad on the pitch. Jason Cummings will also be a key player in this side, as the Shrews look to significantly improve their attacking threat.

Youth Prospect

While Donald Love has nailed down his starting spot in Sam Rickett’s side, expect Ryan Sears to have a bigger opportunity in the starting lineup. The 21-year-old has had loan spells at Newtown and Telford, and was called up to the Wales U21 training camp last year. As a more defensive option to Love, he could be preferred if the Shrews change to a 4-3-3 formation.

Sunderland

Few would have expected Sunderland to be heading into their third consecutive League One season given the size and stature of the club. Finishing 8th last season, the Black Cats narrowly missed out on the playoffs in a season where they would’ve expected to have been automatically promoted.

Jack Ross, who started the season as manager, was sacked in October after a 2-0 loss to Lincoln City. New manager Phil Parkinson has steadied the ship, and will be in charge of rebuilding for next season amidst a potential takeover of the club.

With nine league goals last season, Sunderland’s top scorer Chris Maguire will be expected to spearhead the attack.

Transfers

Sunderland released a whole host of players, including Jack Baldwin, Joel Lynch, Kyle Lafferty, Ethan Robson, Tommy Smith and Alim Öztürk. Jon McLaughlin moved on a free transfer to Rangers, while 18-year-old Bali Mumba was sold to Championship side Norwich City.

The wage cap introduced for League One and League Two clubs has undoubtedly limited Sunderland’s transfer activity. Nonetheless, Auden McGeady, Bailey Wright, Morgan Feeney and Remi Matthews have all arrived at the Stadium of Light on free transfers. The Black Cats are still hoping to get a deal over the line for free agent Danny Graham, while defender Arbenit Xhemajli moved to the Stadium of Light after a successful trial period.

Targets

Once again, promotion is crucial for Sunderland. With the financial limitations in the third and fourth divisions, it’s critical that Sunderland earn promotion in order to attract top players and properly rebuild.  The board will expect it, the manager and, players will expect it, and the fans will certainly expect a return to the second division.

Key Player

Lynden Gooch. The 24-year-old has been at Sunderland since their Premier League days and has been a key player since their relegation. Recording 10 goals and one assist in League One last season, there’ll be a lot of pressure on his shoulders to fire the club to promotion.

Youth Prospect

Look for 21-year-old Elliot Embleton to be given an opportunity to cement his position in Sunderland’s first team. In a season where the Black Cats will be restricted due to the wage cap, the attacking midfielder can show his creative value in the squad without Sunderland needing to invest in someone else.

Swindon Town

Things couldn’t have gone much better for Swindon Town last season, who were promoted as League Two champions on PPG.

While Richie Wellens’ side were always one of the promotion favourites, nobody expected them to dominate the league as much as they did. Their return to League One will be much harder, especially after the departure of multiple key players.

This includes League Two’s top scorer Eoin Doyle. The 32-year old scored 25 league goals in the last campaign and rejected League One offers to move to recently relegated Bolton.

Transfers

Doyle was one of the two high-profile attacking departures, with Keshi Anderson  leaving for League One rivals Blackpool on a free transfer. Goalkeeper Luke McCormick returned to Plymouth Argyle, while Jacob Bancroft, Will Henry and Joe Romanski were among those released.

The Robins have seen the return of Diallang Jaiyesimi on a permanent deal after being released at Norwich, with Jack Payne and Akinwale Odimayo joining for free from Lincoln and Reading respectively. Stephen Ireland and Tom Nichols have been on trial, while Brett Pitman joined the club after a successful trial period.

There’s a strong focus on loan signings at the County Ground. Tyler Smith (Sheffield United), Matthew Smith (Arsenal), Matej Kovar (Manchester United) and Jonny Smith (Bristol City) will all link up with Richie Wellens’ side until the end of the season.

Targets

It’s tough to say what a realistic target would be for Swindon Town. The departures of key players such as Eoin Doyle, Keshi Anderson and loanee Jerry Yates (who scored 44 goals between them last season) will be huge in the Robins’ next chapter. Nonetheless, Richie Wellens has the capability to rebuild and stabilise the club in League One. Expect a similar path to that of Lincoln City – consolidating a spot in the third tier before pushing on for bigger and better things.

Key Player

The main aim for Swindon will be to replace the goals lost by the departures of Eoin Doyle, Keshi Anderson and Jerry Yates. That will mainly fall onto the shoulders of Sheffield United loanee Tyler Smith, who’s set to earn a starting role up top at the County Ground.

Youth Prospect

19-year-old Matthew Smith joins on loan from Arsenal with high expectations. The midfielder hasn’t featured for the Gunners, but made the bench in a Premier League game against Southampton towards the end of last season.

Wigan Athletic

Wigan Athletic are in complete disarray, with the future of the club in serious doubt. The Latics were placed into administration by their new owners less than a month after the takeover had taken place, resulting in a 12-point deduction and subsequent relegation.

Wigan’s squad is down to bare bones, with 15 first-team players under contract and the prospect of more leaving in the coming weeks.

Unfortunately, the 2013 FA Cup winners’ league position isn’t a result of their performances. Wigan had some of the best form in the Championship after Christmas, having only lost twice between 28th January and the end of the season.

Transfers

Administrators have taken charge of transfers at the DW Stadium and have limited Wigan’s transfer activity. Dan Gardner and Viv Solomon-Otabor are the only signings so far, joining for free from Salford City and CSKA Sofia respectively.

The club’s financial situation has been eased somewhat by the sale of multiple players. Antonee Robinson, Joe Williams, Jamal Lowe, David Marshall and Kieffer Moore were the main departures, while the likes of Chey Dunkley and Leon Balogun were able to leave for free. Most recently, Josh Windass returned to Sheffield Wednesday while Cedric Kipre joined Premier League side West Brom.

Youngsters Jensen Weir, Alfie Devine and Joe Gelhardt all left the club to join Premier League sides in Brighton, Tottenham and Leeds respectively.

Targets

Survival as a club is, of course, the absolute top priority for Wigan. Beyond that, staying in League One will be paramount for the Latics, who seem destined for a scrap at the bottom end of the table. A drop to League Two may be likely for the Lancashire side, but the longevity of the club will be the main issue for everyone involved.

Key Player

Captain Sam Morsy will undoubtedly be the star player for Wigan this season. The 28-year-old is the most likely to stay at the DW Stadium amidst the mass exodus at the club, having racked up over 150 appearances over four years at the club. His leadership will be vital for Wigan in their battle for survival.

Youth Prospect

It seems that the vast majority of Wigan’s U21 and U18 players will be pushed to the first team for the coming season, so it’s tough to pick a standout youth player ahead of the start of the new campaign. 22-year-old Tom Pearce made just 14 Championship appearances for Wigan, and could be in line for more opportunities in League One should he stay with the Latics.