IT’S too premature to get the crystal ball out and predict who will finish where in Sky Bet League One next season but we can probably ascertain which teams will likely be the ones to watch.

Promotion to the Championship for Plymouth Argyle, Ipswich Town and Sheffield Wednesday takes away two big spenders and a very good Argyle side.

The play-off losers – Barnsley, Bolton Wanderers and Peterborough United – will almost certainly be competitive again, while Derby County and Portsmouth should challenge.

An early dark horse? Scott Brown’s Fleetwood Town.

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Coming down from the second tier, Blackpool should be the strongest as Reading and Wigan Athletic wrestle off the field problems. The latter will start on minus eight points after failing to pay player wages on time.

Of those coming up from League Two, Stevenage under Steve Evans could spring a surprise but it is hard to see Leyton Orient, Northampton Town or Carlisle United fighting at the top.

Where does it leave Oxford United? It’s a huge transfer window for Liam Manning, who must squeeze the best from what is a strong core.

Expecting the U’s to be competitive is naive, but without the might of Ipswich and Wednesday, the league does look a lot less daunting than perhaps in recent years.