Can you hear Fleetwood Town, calling out your name? Well, after a strong summer of recruitment, Joey Barton’s side could well be a shrewd bet for those of you that fancy backing an outsider.
The Cod Army have secured mid-table finishes in their last two League One campaigns, and now look to be building a squad capable of mounting a serious challenge on the playoffs. They have managed to secure the signatures of goalscoring winger Josh Morris and experienced left-back Danny Andrews. Morris joined Barton’s side from relegated Scunthorpe United, having built up a name for himself in lower league football, while Andrews penned a deal after leaving last season’s playoff semi-finalists Doncaster Rovers.
The Fishermen raised a few eyebrows earlier this month when they snapped up former Sheffield United midfielder Paul Coutts, who will be a valuable asset at both ends of the field. They have also added the loan singings of Rangers midfielder Jordan Rossiter, right-back Lewis Coyle from Leeds United, and Stoke City’s young centre-half Harry Souttar.
With those additions, the Fleetwood side now has a solid blend of youth and experience, possessing the likes of crafty winger Ross Wallace and midfielder Dean Marney, as well as a number of players still in their early-20s. Although last season’s club top scorer Ched Evans has returned to parent club Sheffield United, fellow striker Paddy Madden could well be a good bet for League One’s top marksmen this season, after registering 14 goals last campaign and being a previous winner of the award. You can back the Irishman to be the league’s top scorer at 40/1 with Bet Victor.
All of this bodes well for the Cod Army, who could well surprise a few of the big boys in the division this year. While you would expect the likes of Sunderland, Ipswich and Portsmouth to occupy the top spots in the table, who is to say Fleetwood can’t break the chain and push for either a playoff berth or even have a run at an automatic spot?
If you do fancy a punt on Fleetwood this season, then you can get odds of 9/1 with Bet Victor.
