In the first article of our new feature “Around One”, we take a look at Crewe Alexandra, Gillingham, Ipswich Town, Milton Keynes Dons, Portsmouth, Sheffield Wednesday, and Sunderland, as well as this week’s transfers in League One.
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Crewe have suffered another blow with the retirement of defender Tommie Hoban, who only joined the club on 1 July. It has been an unlucky start to the season for Crewe, having also lost young striker Tyreece Onyeka to a long-term ankle ligament injury and highly rated midfielder Charlie Kirk to Charlton. David Artell’s squad was then decimated by a sickness bug ahead of Tuesday night’s game at Oxford: “It has been difficult with the players we have lost and having to bring new ones in. These things can take time and then we had to deal with Covid issues in pre-season and then what happened in the build-up to the game on Tuesday with illness.”
Our old friend Steve Evans has been talking budgets again, emphasising that he needs all 16 of his players to remain fit (he actually has 21 according to the club website) if Gillingham are to compete against what he calls ‘serious financial muscle’ elsewhere in League One. He even believes debt-ridden AFC Wimbledon have been spending money: “They have a very decent budget this season and have actually bought a player or two.”
New Ipswich manager Paul Cook is already under fire from a section of supporters after a muted start to the season. Ipswich have signed 16 new players so far and may take longer to gel than some fans are willing to accept. For his part, Cook believes his squad is almost complete: “We’re delighted with the squad we’ve got now and if that’s what we go with, then I’m sure we’ll all be happy.” Fans are less likely to be happy with one point from three games.
MK Dons have caused something of a surprise by appointing the relatively unknown Liam Manning to the Stadium MK hotseat. Manning has previous coaching experience with West Ham’s development squad and one season managing in the Belgian second division. He will be the first manager in MK’s history to take the slightly pretentious title of head coach. There may not be too many changes to the way they play: “This is an ambitious Football Club that believes in playing a certain way – a way that the fans are used to and demand and one that I believe in too. We also have a squad full of quality and exciting players, who I can’t wait to get to work with.”
It never rains but it pours for new Portsmouth winger Jayden Reid. Having been ruled out for the season with a cruciate ligament injury picked up during a pre-season game at Luton, Reid has now had his operation delayed after he caught Covid along with a couple of his teammates. Off the field, the capacity of Fratton Park has been reduced to 17,696 as the club commences a £10 million refurbishment of the ground.
On the subject of capacities, the largest grounds in League One this season are: Sunderland 49,000, Sheffield Wednesday 34,835, MK Dons 30,500, Ipswich 30,311, Bolton 28,723, Charlton 27,111, and Wigan 25,133. The smallest ground in League One is Fleetwood Town at 5,327.
Sheffield Wednesday striker Josh Windass has signed a new contract, ending speculation that he could be on his way out of Hillsborough.
The contract dispute between Sunderland and Denver Hume may have been resolved now the new season is under way. Hume has been removed from the first team listings on the club website although no official announcement has been made.
This week’s transfers:
Daniel Adshead (19), midfielder, Norwich to Gillingham (season loan)
Frederik Alves (21), defender, West Ham to Sunderland (season loan)
Tolaji Bola (22), defender, Arsenal to Rotherham
Sam Booth (20), goalkeeper, Crewe to Leek Town
Nathan Broadhead (23), forward, Everton to Sunderland (season loan)
Cameron Burgess (25), defender, Accrington to Ipswich
Tom Carroll (29), midfielder, Queens Park Rangers to Ipswich
Dennis Cirkin (19), defender, Tottenham to Sunderland
Sam Cosgrove (24), forward, Birmingham to Shrewsbury (season loan)
Hayden Coulson (23), defender, Middlesbrough to Ipswich (season loan)
Andy Dallas (22), forward, Cambridge to Solihull Moors
Flynn Downes (22), midfielder, Ipswich to Swansea
Courtney Duffus (25), forward, Bromley to Morecambe
TJ Eyoma (21), defender, Tottenham to Lincoln
Ethan Galbraith (20), midfielder, Manchester United to Doncaster (season loan)
Jordon Garrick (23), midfielder, Swansea to Plymouth (season loan)
Shayon Harrison (24), forward, AFC Wimbledon to Morecambe
Charlie Kirk (23), midfielder, Crewe to Charlton
Ben Knight (19), forward, Manchester City to Crewe (season loan)
Khanya Leshabela (21), midfielder, Leicester to Shrewsbury (season loan)
James McClean (32), midfielder, Stoke to Wigan
Joe Morrell (24), midfielder, Luton to Portsmouth
Sylla Sow (25), midfielder, RKC Waalwijk to Sheffield Wednesday
Terell Thomas (25), defender, AFC Wimbledon to Crewe
Louis Thompson (26), midfielder, Norwich to Portsmouth
Scott Wootton (29), defender, Plymouth to Morecambe
Writer: Scotimp
Around One – 20 August 2021:https://t.co/L0r4Aci5at#Pompey #SWFC #SAFC
— Vital Lincoln City (@VitalLincoln) August 20, 2021
