The new Football League season is almost upon us so we have taken this opportunity to focus on SkyBet League Two. We have betting tips for the 2018/19 league winners as well as who we think will grab the Golden Boot.
Okay, so with the World Cup keeping everyone’s attention firmly on football, the truth is it has not been the longest summer for us fans. It might not feel like it, but it is almost three months since the end of the domestic campaign and after football did not come home, we are ready for the new campaign.
The SkyBet League Two may be the bottom rung of the Football League, but it frequently serves up plenty of shocks with loads of excitement along the way. Last season saw Accrington Stanley shock everyone as they romped home to the title and joining them in the third tier is Luton Town, Wycombe Wanderers and Coventry City.
League Two Winners: Notts County
It was a case of what might have been for Notts County last season as they started the season in excellent shape but just fell away as the season passed it’s halfway stage. The Magpies managed to recover to secure a play-off spot but truth be told, they had lost too much momentum and they were never able to re-capture the form which had served them so well in the opening months of the season.
Although he is vastly experienced player, as a manager Kevin Nolan is still learning his trade and another season under his belt should only help him. The former Bolton, Newcastle and West Ham man has plenty of contacts in the game and given that a large portion of his games were played with the captain’s armband, he already has the leadership qualities required for the top job.
Nolan built a pretty dependable base of players last season with plenty of experience in key positions. The loss Shola Ameobi, Alan Smith and Jonathon Forte may be big losses on paper but truth be told, they were in and out of the team and will have been a big drain on resources.
Read More: Championship 2018/19: The Teams Vying for Promotion This Season
The extra money in their coffers now that the experienced trio have moved on has been extremely well spent, and that is especially apparent up front. Kristian Dennis scored an excellent 21 goals for Chesterfield, which is especially impressive when you consider that he played for a side which lost their place in the Football League.
Joining Dennis up front is Kane Hemmings, who spent last season on loan from Mansfield. It was a pretty slow start to the season for Hemmings but he picked up the pace following the departure of former Mansfield boss Steve Evans and Notts County fans will be hoping he can continue the sort of form which saw him score seven times in his last 13 outings.
Not only do the Magpies have an excellent frontline, they also have plenty of strength in depth. Jon Stead is a steady hand who may be used sparingly this term, but he is a blunt weapon and the perfect sort of option to come off the bench when things are not quite going too well. Of course, if blunt force doesn’t work, they also have the creative talents of right winger Lewis Alessandra. With
It is not just up front where County have strengthened either as experienced campaigner David Vaughan has been brought in from Nottingham Forest to sit act as the link from defense into attack. The 35-years-old is in the twilight of his career but he has played the game at the highest levels and his experience will be key in the Magpies pursuit of the League Two title.
Read More: League One 2018/19 Outright Predictions
League Two Top Goalscorer: John Akinde
After ploughing a pretty lonely furrow for Barnet over the last few years, John Akinde has moved on to pastures new and he will now be plying his trade for promotion chasing Lincoln City. The 29-years old had a pretty disappointing time last season and finished the campaign with just seven goals to his name.
However, he was the lead man in a Barnet side which created very little and his figures certainly took a hit from the lack of creativity in the team. That is not to say he didn’t score for the Bees though and it is a testament to his talent that he score 87 times in 166 league matches.
At Lincoln, he is sure to have plenty more chances to prove what he can do and the Cowley brothers have a history of bringing the best out of their strikers.
We do expect Kristian Dennis to run him close following his move to Notts County, but the embarrassment of riches at the Magpies disposal means we do not think he well be a guaranteed starter and this is likely to impact on his chances of claiming the Golden Boot.
Christian Doidge is another who is certainly in the running and should not be taken lightly but the Forest Green Rovers striker has been heavily linked with a move away from the club and clubs the size of Sunderland reported to be among his admirers, it seems unlikely he will still be in the fourth tier come the end of the transfer window.
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