2023/24 Football Season Preview geegeez.co.uk

They're only just through the group stages of the Women's World Cup and it's kick off time for the Football League on Saturday (Friday night, in fact). What follows is my once a year foray into the footy where I try to find a sustaining ante post multiple to keep us warm through the next nine and a half months. We've had good times and bad times down the years, and this one is more likely to be a zero than a hero, truth be told. But before I share where I'm guessing this season, let's have a quick squint at the previous campaign.

Last Season: Pass the Sick Bucket...

I rolled with a yankee this time last year, and it didn't go especially well, I'm afraid. My four picks were:

- Premier League Dual Forecast: Man City-Liverpool at 8/11 (1st-5th, Liverpool finishing fifth after a lamentable two-thirds of a season was a minor miracle - never had a chance)

- Championship Promotion: Burnley at 7/2 (1st: made all, pulled clear, comfortably)

- League One Promotion: Bolton at 4/1 (5th, lost in play-off semi-final)

- League Two Promotion: Mansfield at 9/4 (8th, missed play-offs on goal difference)

After the Premier League bet sunk pronto - again - we got a fair run for, ultimately, no money with Burnley always looking strong and both Bolton and Mansfield teasing us remorselessly. In truth, neither of the latter pair threatened the auto places and we (me, and you if you followed me in) got just about what we deserved. But we did nearly get more than we deserved!

Last year's post is here, if you want to do that to yourself.

2023/24 Picks

No more yankees, not this year anyway, and I'm dodging the Premier League, too. I was tempted to put Bournemouth up for relegation because I think it'll take a while for Iraola to impress his style on the squad; but there are plenty of drop candidates - and I get that market wrong every year, even being 'smart' enough to avoid the obvious promoted clubs (who look weaker this term but are priced accordingly). Nope, no EPL for me this time. Instead, I'm having a cut at a perm trixie, and it's probably fair to say it's a tad ambitious...

Championship Promotion

The market is perennially made by the Prem droppers, and Leicester do look strong bounceback contenders. But I'm far less sold on Leeds and especially Southampton. The best team not to get promoted last term, especially after Christmas, was Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough. He's done admirably so far, and has kept the squad together as well as adding one of the best keepers in the division from last year. There's a fair chance that 28-goal Chuba Akpom might move on (Sheff Utd strongly linked) but even if they don't keep him Carrick's rolodex grants him the pick of the Premier League's youth ranks in the loan market. They ought to go well with a good start.

League One Promotion

I've doubled up in both League One and League Two this season, hoping to hit one in each section, dreaming of getting the lot. First pick here is Portsmouth, a team who are pretty much always thereabouts. They were a little underwhelming last season, granted, finishing only eighth after a first half where they accrued a moderate 31 points. They'll need to start better, then, which is not a gimme given the number of players they've brought in; but if they gel, the likes of Christian Saydee, who did well on loan at Shrews (from Bournemouth) last season, and experienced cat Will Norris can offer a bit of extra quality at either end of the pitch. Colby Bishop had a breakout season last time, bagging 20 goals, and he'll be aiming to improve on that.

Blackpool. Relegated from the Championship last year, they have cashed in on top scorer Jerry Yates, who has been signed by Swansea for £2.5m. That theoretically gives manager Neil Critchley a fat wallet with which to go shopping. He returned in May having previously got the Tangerines promoted, and will need to secure a striker as a priority. Kyle Joseph will be part of that goalscoring solution, arriving from Swansea - though he was on loan at Oxford last season - as will the less than prolific Shayne Lavery, but Critchley will be looking for more firepower. Lavery and new signing Albie Morgan have been lively in pre-season and this feels like a side that will improve as time passes. Hopefully not too much time.

League Two Promotion

I was tempted to go with Mansfield again, and the likes of Wrexham and Stockport are obvious players, but commensurately short in the market. In the end, I've sided with one shortie: Notts County. They were very much in the shadow of Wrexham's Hollywood boys last term but managed a whopping 107 points themselves. Having signed ex-Prem striker David McGoldrick - 20+ goals in League One last season in spite of being 36 - they'll score plenty and should be in the vanguard throughout.

MK Dons. A bit of a yoyo club, the Dons were relegated seven seasons ago to this division and finished third a year later to return to League One. 21st in that section last term sees them here again but it was a bizarre turnaround from their third place finish in L1 the campaign before. Even allowing for that being an overperformance, to get relegated was a shock to most. They have the financial clout, amongst others this season it is fair to say, to strengthen before the window closes and, if necessary, again in January; that makes MK look a bit of value in a highly competitive division. The beauty of League Two of course is that there are three automatic promotion places and play-off positions down to seventh, so plenty of possible outs.

The 2023/24 Wager

Using oddschecker, I pieced together the best prices, which wasn't too difficult as it happened because most of them were with Betway, a firm who won't let me bet 30p on a horse but will happily lay a fair liability on footy. Saying that, they did restrict the last of my eight doubles and trebles, as you can see from the image below. I put the rest on with Hills, whose boost actually made them a better price anyway. Go figure.

[If you just want to make one bet with one bookie, Betway offer the best overall odds at time of writing]

So it's a perm trixie this year: eight doubles and four trebles as per the glamorous image to the right.

This is a highly speculative wager - more so than usual - and it will very possibly return zero, with a miracle jackpot scenario of about £9,600.

But for a season's worth of entertainment for £3 if you want a 25p slice of the action, or whatever stake suits your budget and your gullibility/conviction* (*delete as applicable) in my selections. For that three quid, you'd still be cheering an unlikely - but possible - £96 payoff, and we ought to get at least some sort of run for the pennies with almost any double getting us our money back. Caveat emptor if you follow me in. Obviously.

This one's for the dreamers, the fantasists and the windmill tilters.