League Two: Luton can march straight through the basement
Published:Luton Town and Cambridge United both ended their respective five and nine-year Football League absences with promotion back to League Two last term.
And ahead of the new season we’re examining their chances of success in the basement division with Luton in particular fancied to sail through the fourth tier.
Can the Hatters seal back-to-back promotions?
Meet the League Two newboys
Luton Town (8/1 to win the league, 7/4 to win promotion)
John Still’s Luton outfit have a squad ready-made for a successful comeback among English football’s top 92 clubs.
Although the loss of last term’s 30-goal top scorer Andre Gray is a blow, Luton have moved quickly to add quality in other areas with the re-signing of former Ipswich midfielder Andy Drury a key move.
And having romped to the Skrill Premier title last season, amassing 101 points in the process, the Hatters look set to stay in the winning habit.
No side will relish a trip to the Kenilworth Road fortress, a venue where the Bedfordshire side lost just two league games in 2013-14.
Their away form was similarly impressive, registering only three defeats from 23 outings, and with such solid foundations they’re our pick to go up again.
Cambridge United (25/1 to win the league, 6/1 to win promotion)
Top of the table last Christmas and looking good to go on and win the Skrill Premier, Cambridge eventually squeaked over the line and up the ladder to League Two via the play-offs.
Beating Gateshead 2-1 at Wembley in May capped a memorable season for the U’s having also lifted the FA Trophy earlier in the campaign but the nervy nature of their elevation dampens some enthusiasm for another promotion assault.
There’s no doubt that life in the Football League will be a lot tougher.
Cambridge can’t afford another mid-season capitulation for starters, especially if they harbour any serious ambitions of reaching League One at the first time of asking.
But with a strong base to build-on, including the likes of experienced defender Ian Miller and former Manchester United midfielder Luke Chadwick, boss Richard Money knows his squad have the tools to do more than just cope with the new challenge that awaits them.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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