With all of non-league football being deemed null and void due to the coronavirus pandemic, it is possible that the EFL may follow that notion and abide to the FA's controversial decision. Whilst this would be tremendous news for the likes of Stevenage FC, it will be heartbreak for high-flying Swindon Town and Crewe Alexandra. Looking at how this could affect each team, it makes sense to rate every Sky Bet League Two team's season out of ten.
Bradford City- 6- it was a let-down of a season for the Bantams who were tipped for automatic promotion at the beginning of the season following the stature of players brought in by the highly reputable manager Gary Bowyer. However the season quickly became derailed despite a promising start and City have dropped from pushing for the title to being not even in the play-offs. It looks as if another Summer rebuild is required at Valley Parade under new gaffer Stuart McCall.
Cambridge United- 6- the U's will be content with their league position after a shaky 21st place finish last season. The Cambridgeshire side look to have stabilised and are slowly building a good looking squad under manager Colin Calderwood, with the youth of the side impressing (Harry Darling and Leon Davies) and beginning to fight for a place in the first team squad. The signing of Jack Roles, the Wizard, was debatably one of the best signings in League Two this season but their campaign was depleted after Idris El Mizouni suffered a knee ligament injury.
Carlisle United- 5- it was a disappointing campaign for the Cumbrians who could not improve on their 11th place finish this season, but rather dropping down seven places to 18th. Losing the likes of Jamie Devitt and Jerry Yates to league rivals did not help their cause, as their squad was evidently weaker. Manger Steven Pressley lost his job throughout the season and was replaced by Chris Beech in November, but he is yet to have a positive impact since arriving at Brunton Park.
Cheltenham Town- 8- the Robins have had an excellent season and have defied the odds to finish in 5th and challenge for an automatic position. Cheltenham have mastered a Chelsea-style five at the back formation with Chris Hussey shining amongst the defence, and transitioning into the experienced attack of Luke Varney and the hard work of Alfie May it always spelt danger for whoever they were against. Pulling off excellent results against Bradford, Colchester and Northampton, they have really come out of their shells this season and have been the underdog story of League Two.
Colchester United- 8- a side that improved on last season, Colchester missed out by one point on the play-offs last season but currently sit sixth in League Two. With the likes of Kwame Poku, Frank Nouble and Courtney Senior, the U's are one of the most exciting attacking teams in the league and are always backed by an excellent following and atmosphere. Their fluidity in the 4-2-3-1 formation allows the full-backs to push forward whilst playing off of the front men to utilise the space the attackers create. It inevitable that if Colchester are denied promotion this season, they'll be up there and fighting for it next season.
Crawley Town- 7- it's been a mediocre yet positive season for Crawley, who have massively improved on last season with an outside play-off push. Under John Yems they possess one of the most dangerous attacking frontline in the league, with Bez Lubala, Ollie Palmer and Ashley Nadsean. After Yems replaced Gabriele Cioffi, the football instantly improved and Crawley began to climb the table, but it is likely that fans of the club will be pleased that Yems has signed a long-term contract with the club and that he can build his squad under his guidance for next season.
Crewe Alexandra- 10- top of the table and an absolute force to be reckoned with, the Alex have been a joy to watch throughout the season. Utilising their excellent youth policy, manager David Artell has taken advantage of the quality possessed by Perry Ng, Charlie Kirk and Ryan Wintle. They have played some of the most scintillating football in the league and have defied the odds like Cheltenham, as very few predicted for the success of the season. Crewe have evidently had a strong team ethic, as most of their squad has grown together through the youth team and are therefore flourishing alongside one another through pure team spirit and a willingness to fight for one another.
Exeter City- 9- the Grecians have been extremely unfortunate in recent years, having lost in the play-off final twice in the past two years, and it could very possibly happen again as City rest in fourth position chasing rivals Plymouth Argyle in 3rd. Under the leadership of Matt Taylor, Exeter lost the signings of Christy Pym, Hiram Boateng and Troy Brown to higher league oppositions but they were replaced brilliantly by Taylor who welcomed the likes of Johnny Maxted, Tom Parkes, Nigel Atangana and Nicky Ajose to lead the attack. With that a real togetherness and chemistry has been built within the club and hopefully this season will be their curse will be broke and they can come out victorious in the play-offs.
Forest Green Rovers- 6- the financially backed Vegan side lost the quality of Reece Brown and Christian Doidge at the beginning of the season but still made a promising start and making a play-off push early on but soon dropped off despite the signing of prolific striker Josh March and find themselves currently mid-table with a possible rebuild needed for next season to get Mark Cooper's green army back in for the promotion race which was expected from them for this season.
Grimsby Town- 7- the Mariners squad was improved in the Summer as they managed to hold onto the heart of their squad, along with that bringing in a good mixture of quality players, including strikers James Hanson and Matt Green to lead the line. Managed by Mike Jolley until late December, Grimsby enjoyed an excellent start to the season, being the league's top scorers and 4th in the league by the end of August, but soon dropped off and Jolley was sacked after an 'expletive-laden confrontation' with a BBC journalist. He was sacked by the highly-regarded boss Ian Holloway and picked back up their form briefly but it was too little too late.
Leyton Orient- 8- the O's tragically lost their manager Justin Edinburgh at the beginning of the season which sent shockwaves not just through the club but through the world of football. The way Orient have fought this season will have made Edinburgh proud under Ross Embleton, showing fight in tough situations and surviving in a league where they were predicted to struggle.
Macclesfield Town- 3- a forgettable season for the Silkmen, financial aspects have damaged Macclesfield on and off of the pitch. With players and managers leaving Moss Rose due to the club's financial difficulties, the squad struggled to function as a unit and being distracted by not being paid for their jobs it took its toll, as Town sit 22nd in the league following a point deduction.
Mansfield Town- 3- wow. The Stags were predicted to be fighting for promotion this season after losing out in the play-off semi finals last season to eventual winners MK Dons. With the lethal strike-force of Danny Rose, CJ Hamilton and Nicky Maynard, the Stags on paper were dangerous with a just as built defence consisting of Matt Preston and Krystian Pearce. After manager John Dempster was sacked and replaced by Bristol Rovers boss Graham Coughlan, fans were eager to see what he could do with the team after succeeding with the Gas in the league above, but he is yet to have a positive effect on the team.
Morecambe- 3- every season Morecambe are tipped for relegation and every season they somehow just avoid it; this season was no different. The Shrimps only avoided relegation following Bury's dissolve at the beginning of the season and it's ripple effect, but nonetheless had to deal with plenty of change as manager Jim Bentley departed the club after eight years at the club and was replaced by Derek Adams in November. However, like every season, it looks likely that Morecambe will need serious improvements in the Summer if they are to successfully compete next season in League Two. But overall, their performances weren't good enough this season and fans of the club are not pleased with the club's current state.
Newport County- 5- it was a disappointing season for the Welsh side who could not replicate last season's play-off push and instead sat in the back end of mid-table. Despite having one of the best managers in the league, the quality of the squad appeared depleted throughout the season and Michael Flynn will be eager to get the Exiles back fighting for promotion next season. It is also sad to hear that their training facilities have been broken into in these challenging times.
Northampton Town- 8- the Cobblers started their season off slow but quickly came into the league in a slow climb up the table. They finished the season just within the play-offs under boss Keith Curle, who utilised the qualities of Harry Smith, Jordan Turnbull and Alan McCormack to build an outstanding squad that, if it was maybe improved by one or two crucial signings, could be fighting for the title rather than the play-offs.
Oldham Athletic- 3- Oldham have dug themselves into a hole under the poor ownership of Abdallah Lemsagam, who successively made questionable decisions on his managerial appointments. Beginning off by bringing in French gaffer Laurent Banide, who had an abysmal win ratio and had never succeeded when managing a club. Upon realising his mistake, Lemsagam opted to sack Banide and bring in Dino Maamria; who had just been sacked by bottom of the league Stevenage. Along with that, the disliked chairman also plunged the Latics into financial difficulties, causing part of the stadium to be closed and administration lingering in the air, Oldham have until the 21st of April to agree a deal to buy Boundary Park and stave off administrators, or their club could be doomed and the loyal fans of the club could be about to see their beloved club die as another Bury or Bolton. In terms of performances, Oldham have lacked quality and bode a woeful -13 goal difference due to a lack of goal scoring prowess and defensive leadership.
Plymouth Argyle- 9- sitting in the automatic promotion spots, Ryan Lowe's side began the season in style defeating top of the league Crewe 3-0. The Devon side dropped off slightly but soon put together a string of results to propel themselves forward and have been one of the best sides in the league, with the quality of finishing undeniable. The forward force of Ryan Hardie and Dominic Telford have been pivotal in Argyle's success this season and they will be hoping to be playing a step higher next season.
Port Vale- 8- the Vale haven't been great in recent seasons since their relegation from League One but have really started to show promise in recent months under John Askey. Along with this they also put together a memorable FA Cup run which was eventually halted by Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. With the mixture of experience with Tom Pope and Leon Legge alongside the youth urgency of Nathan Smith and Adam Crookes, the squad seems well fitted and meshed this season.
Salford City- 6- due to their financial backing from the 'Class of 92', the Ammies were expected to be fighting for promotion this season thanks to the high-profile squad of Ritchie Towell and Adam Rooney, but failed to do so and found themselves in an underwhelming 10th position.
Scunthorpe United- 5- since coming down from League One last season, the Irons failed to adapt to League Two and have struggled to cope with the style of football played. They were suprisingly planted to the bottom of the league for a short period of time but have slowly started to rectify things but unfortunately not to a point where the season can be classed as positive, as United currently sit in 20th place with a poor, underwhelming team who will surely be re-shaped in the Summer.
Stevenage- 1- bottom of the table, putting in dire performances, being below two sides who could potentially be facing administration and having had three managers so far this season, the Stags will be looking to forget this season as soon as possible. With it being likely they will stay up due to the National League's null and void decision, it will be interesting to see where Stevenage go from here, as an entire rebuild job is needed immediately at Broadhall Way.
Swindon Town- 9- a promotion season, Swindon have been an ever-present in the promotion run and possessed one of the best squads in the league. Manager Richie Wellens possessed Eoin Doyle, who was at one point the top scorer in Europe and Jerry Yates. There was a scary moment in January when Bradford recalled Doyle and Rotherham recalled Yates respectively but Swindon coped, bringing in Hallam Hope and succeeding for the short stint before the Robins brought Doyle and Yates back to the club.
Walsall- 5- similar to Scunthorpe, Walsall also struggled to adapt to the aspects of League Two since relegation but managed to stabilise themselves in a mid-table position. It is inevitable that they will be back next season with a refreshed squad and take on the league, but the main target for Darrell Clarke in the Summer will be to hold on to attacker Wes McDonald who stood out as the bright spark for Walsall all season and even scored a goal of the season contender.
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