Report: Pundits gives 3 key reasons why Port Vale are Favorites For The League Two Title after making surprising move
In a League Two that may be viewed as somewhat weaker than usual, several teams will be hoping to win the championship or even just get promoted this season.
It is reasonable to state that the league lost a few relatively “big” teams, all of whom were promoted the previous year. Wrexham’s finances and transfer budget have been well-documented, and the club is now in a position to really challenge in the third tier, while Mansfield Town have been knocking on the door for a number of years. Stockport County, on the other hand, were only a kick away from promotion the season before and rightfully took the title.
Though Crawley Town was among the strongest teams in the division during the second part of the season, there are some mild doubts about them. They appear up against it in League One, just like any side that achieves promotion through the play-offs—just look at Carlisle United the previous season. The focus now shifts to the four teams that were demoted from the third division after three, possibly four, significant teams were promoted.
Carlisle and Fleetwood Town both had extremely difficult seasons last year, but improvements are anticipated. However, there are uncertainties surrounding both teams. The roster of Cheltenham Town has been completely dismantled in the transfer window, and it doesn’t appear like a team that will be vying for promotion in the upcoming campaign. The other side that was demoted was Port Vale, who actually placed lower than both Fleetwood and Cheltenham in the previous campaign. However, the Valiants appear to have the strongest chance of being promoted back into England’s third division right away.
It was evident that the future was a priority as soon as Darren Moore assumed leadership of the team in the middle of February. That may have had something to do with the five-and-a-half-year deal he was given, but there still appears to be a distinct sense of direction. Though, to be fair, Moore was never given the opportunity to bring in the players he desired, he was unable to keep Vale up and they did not really progress under his leadership.
But with the summer transfer market now open, it’s reasonable to argue that, from a player’s standpoint, the club has undergone a significant transformation. This is true even if, as of this writing, only seven players from the team from the previous season are still with the team.
These individuals are Uche Ikpeazu, Lewis Cass, Alex Iacovitti, Jayson Leutwiler, Gavin Massey, James Wilson, and Ryan Loft.
Even though the list includes one or two respectable names, the importance of the arrivals this summer far exceeds the exits.
George Byers’ signing is a significant coup, and his move from Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship to League Two was a complete surprise. There is definitely movement at the Valiants, as they were able to sign him before Oxford United.
Byers, who has played in the Championship for teams like Wednesday and Swansea City for the most of his career,
With the addition of Ronan Curtis, Jayden Stockley, Ruari Paton, and Lorent Tolaj this summer, the forward positions have undergone the most change of any.
