With the League One season coming to a close, discussion over the EFL’s players and managerial awards is beginning to take place.
Akin to League Two, England’s third tier has been full of surprises this season. With Lincoln City leading the way to the shock of many, closely followed by newly-relegated Cardiff City. Meanwhile, Bradford City have been the pick of the promoted sides, while the relegation battle features some of the league’s bigger clubs.
The top two appear all but promoted, while the play-off race is opening up, and the fight to stay up is very much alive. Through all this, here are our picks for League One’s top five managers this season.
Michael Skubala – Lincoln City
Michael Skubala and Lincoln City are incredibly adaptable and fully deserve their lead on the table.
Operating on one of the smaller budgets in the division, the Imps have blown League One away this season. Currently sitting on 84 points while enjoying a 22-game unbeaten run, second-tier football is only two wins away for the club, having not featured there since 1961.
It goes without saying that the club does not have the resources of Bolton Wanderers and Cardiff City; however, they are advantaged in so many different ways.
Years of clever, considered recruitment have seen Skubala build a side that blends youth and experience brilliantly. They have shown themselves capable of being effective with or without the ball, being able to create a lot even when possession is against them.
And the credit goes to Skubala, and the way the club around him has operated for years. Firmly one of the most exciting managers in England, and it will be interesting to see how his Imps team adapts to the Championship next season.
Graham Alexander – Bradford City
Valley Parade is a fortress again, and Bradford City now have an identity which has lacked for years.
Numerous managers have failed with City before, but the 54-year-old has fully taken into the club since his arrival in November 2023. And now, the West Yorkshire giants are enjoying one of the most exciting periods to be a Bantams fan.
Before Alexander’s appointment, the West Yorkshire club was declining in League Two in the twists and turns of false hopes and high expectations. Even at the start of 2025, the club was languishing in mid-table, before an impressive run saw the club achieve third in the league.
Now, after their dramatic promotion on the final day last year, many feel that the giant has risen as Bradford City look set to feature in the League One play-offs this year.
Many had Bradford down to finish in the lower third of the table before the season; however, they have been excellent, occupying fifth with the second-best home form in the division. And this is of full credit to Alexander.
He has got the best out of a vastly experienced squad, which features proven winners and leaders at EFL level, such as Antoni Sarcevic and Max Power. Meanwhile, Jensen Metcalfe and Bobby Pointon are flourishing in this Bradford squad, with their respective potentials sky-high.
Alex Revell – Stevenage
Stevenage are a firmly respected outfit at League One level, and another one punching above their expectations.
Picking up after an excellent job performed by Steve Evans, Alex Revell has taken Stevenage further than fans thought could be done. Low-scoring and low-conceding, it’s always a tight game against the Hertfordshire club, and they are the masters of fine margins.
Sitting sixth in the division, they are currently ahead of a string of recent Championship sides such as Luton Town, Plymouth Argyle, and Reading.
This is one of the best sides Stevenage fans have ever seen. Defensively stern, and each player knows their role in Revell’s 3-4-1-2 system. Jamie Reid and Carl Piergianni are as reliable as ever, while Charlie Goode and Harvey White are a fresh breath of quality in the eleven.
Led by one of the best up-and-coming managers in the EFL, Revell has taken the club to heights previously thought unimaginable.
Johnnie Jackson – AFC Wimbledon
It is no secret that AFC Wimbledon operate with some of the most scarce resources in the division. But Johnnie Jackson has kept with the goods that won them promotion last year, and progressed them into a steady League One outfit.
The Wombles were absolute favourites to be relegated this season, but last weekend’s draw with Peterborough United saw the club achieve the 50-point tally, with another season in League One looking likely.
Defensive solidarity has long defined Jackson’s reign at Wimbledon. It saw them through their play-off campaign last year and has steadily helped them adjust back to life in the third tier.
And they haven’t been without their own difficulties. Particularly, the loss of Josh Neufville to Bradford, who was comfortably the club’s standout player in their promotion campaign.
Another one punching above their pre-season expectations, the 43-year-old is a vital part of his club and fully deserving of praise this season.
Luke Williams – Peterborough United
The only manager in this list who has not been in charge for the full season, but one of the standout stories of the 2025-26 season.
A lot of negativity surrounded Peterborough United going into this season. A sharp decline last season saw the club have one of the worst defences in the division, and the summer saw the losses of their star players: Hector Kyprianou and Kwame Poku.
Some fans were falling out of love with the Darragh MacAnthony regime, while a poor start to the campaign saw the club stuck at the foot of the division.
Dismissing club legend Darren Ferguson, Luke Williams took charge in October and immediately reinstated an identity at London Road. While their season is over, and many associate Boro as regular challengers for League One play-offs, fans would have snapped your hand off for their current league position.
And now, Posh fans have every right to be excited for next season with Luke Williams given the chance to build his squad from the bottom up.