EFL season preview: Confident QPR eyeing play-off push but Watford could face relegation fight

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·9 August 2024

EFL season preview: Confident QPR eyeing play-off push but Watford could face relegation fight

Changes behind the scenes at Millwall, while Nathan Jones plots brighter Charlton future and AFC Wimbledon target promotion

The 2024/25 EFL season officially begins on Friday night as 72 clubs and fanbases prepare for another hectic campaign.

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Here, Standard Sport football reporters Dom Smith and Simon Collings preview what the next eight months could have in store for London’s Football League representatives...

Millwall

Neil Harris worked wonders to keep the Lions up last season after replacing Joe Edwards in February. Millwall were one point above the relegation zone when Harris returned from Gillingham, but finished the season in 13th.

The challenge for Harris is to carry on that fine form in what is his second spell in charge, but it has been been a difficult summer off the pitch for the club following the sudden death of goalkeeper Matija Sarkic at the age of 26.

There have been changes behind the scenes, with Millwall chief executive Steve Kavanagh, chief operating officer Billy Taylor and director of football operations and recruitment Alex Aldridge all leaving.

QPR

Fans have high hopes for the new season with Marti Cifuentes at the helm. Hired in October, with QPR sitting 23rd, Cifuentes led them to 18th last season playing an attractive style of football.

The Spaniard was linked with high-profile jobs like Burnley and Sunderland this summer, but stayed put. The squad has been bolstered, with Slovenia striker Zan Celar an exciting signing, and the club will hope to key hold of star winger Ilias Chair.

A play-off push looks a possibility if QPR can continue to keep Cifuentes out of the hands of other clubs. There will be fears of history repeating itself after Michael Beale left for Rangers.

New QPR signing Zan Celar featured for Slovenia at Euro 2024

AFP via Getty Images

Watford

Former England midfielder Tom Cleverley faces his first full season in management after being given the job at the end of last term.

The 34-year-old was named interim head coach in March after Valerien Ismael was sacked and kept the job after guiding Watford to 15th.

Cleverley faces a tough task as star midfielder Ismael Kone has left for Marseille, with fellow key players Imran Louza, Wesley Hoedt and Yaser Asprilla all linked with moves away.

Off the field, Watford tried to raise money in June by selling 10 per cent of the club to supporters and investors. A relegation battle could be on the cards.

Charlton

Getting Nathan Jones in as manager in February was an ambitious ploy that paid off. Following his first pre-season as Charlton head coach, he heads into the new campaign as one of the best bosses in League One.

His task is trying to get a rise out of a team he was unable to haul out of lower mid-table mediocrity last term, though he did steer them clear of any relegation trouble.

The sale of the division’s top scorer last season, Alfie May, to Birmingham is a big miss. So too is the loss of captain George Dobson to newly-promoted Wrexham.

Big things will be expected of incoming midfielder Luke Berry, who joins after a season in the Premier League with Luton.

Leyton Orient

League One looks strong this year, with Wrexham and Stockport’s promotion coupled with Birmingham and Huddersfield dropping down from the Championship.

O’s Chairman Nigel Travis is realistic about the club’s relatively small budget and would see another season of mid-table consolidation after their 2023 promotion as steady success.

It was important for the club’s coughers that when Ruel Sotiriou left for Bristol City in June, an undisclosed fee was paid to Orient despite the striker being out of contract.

New signing Diallang Jaiyesimi has never been as good as he was at Swindon in 2020/21. Taking him off Charlton’s hands, where he lost his way, represents a risk.

Johnnie Jackson will be targeting promotion back to the third tier with AFC Wimbledon

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AFC Wimbledon

This feels like as good a chance as ever for Wimbledon to return to League One. Supporters feel promotion via the play-offs is a realistic aim, having missed out on a top-six spot by just five points at the end of last season.

Omar Bugiel, Josh Kelly and new signing Matty Stevens from Forest Green Rovers make up perhaps the best forward line in the division.

Further back, it remains to be seen how the Dons fare without Jack Currie, the club’s prized academy graduate and starting left-back who has departed to play Championship football for Oxford. Manager Johnnie Jackson is still searching for his favoured formation.

Bromley

Bromley’s 133rd season will also be their first in the Football League. Managed by Gareth Southgate’s former Crystal Palace team-mate and great friend Andy Woodman, there is real hope that the Ravens can not only avoid relegation but even secure a top-half finish.

A push for the play-offs looks a little beyond their squad. That said, securing Danny Imray on loan from Palace and signing centre-back Omar Sowunmi from Sutton United show — on the face of it — shrewd recruitment.

Michael Cheek scored 17 goals in all competitions last term. A prolific scorer in the National League since 2015, can he now step up?