The League One season has drawn to a close, in an unforgettable campaign with many unexpected twists and turns.
Most memorably, the 2024/25 campaign will always belong to Birmingham City, with Chris Davies’ side totalling a record-breaking 111 points.
However, some teams failed to live up to the expectations of many EFL fans across the country, finishing well below the target which they set themselves before a ball was kicked.
Peterborough United – Finished 18th
After an impressive 2023/24 campaign finishing fourth in League One, it’s safe to suggest that a small minority could have predicted The Posh to be flirting with relegation the year after.
Despite losing key players such as Ephron Mason-Clarke, Harrison Burrows, and Ronnie Edwards, Darren Ferguson must have been far from pleased with his teams’ performances.
Funnily enough, Peterborough got off to a decent start at the beginning of the season, with three wins out of their first five games.
However, the good run would fail to last, as Ferguson’s side only managed to pick up six points from the 20thof December to the 25th of January.
Some important wins throughout March against the likes of Charlton and Cambridge would ensure another season of League One football, but Peterborough fans still may not be feeling too optimistic going into the 2025/26 campaign.
Key first team players like Ricky-Jade Jones and Hector Kyprianou have left the club, meaning there is certainly work to do for The Posh if they wish to improve.
Bolton Wanderers – Finished 8th
Similarly to Peterborough, Bolton Wanderers also enjoyed a fairly successful 2023/24 League One campaign finishing third, but ultimately fell short in the play-off final against Oxford United.
Since gaining promotion from League Two in the 2020/21 season, The Wanderers made continuous improvements under Ian Evett, as they looked to be edging closer to promotion each year.
However, Evetts’ four-and-a-half-year tenure came to an end after a poor run of results against lower placed teams in January this year, dropping points to sides like Cambridge and Rotherham.
Steven Schumacher injected some optimism into the club since his arrival on the 30thof January, but struggled to put a run of good results together for his side to push into the play-offs.
Bolton fell short in the latter stages of the 2024/25 campaign, as they failed to win any their final six games, losing four in the process.
Despite a concerning finish to the season, Schumacher could provide a reason for optimism with some fans, as he has shown his capability to gain promotion from the division during his period at Plymouth Argyle in the 2022/23 campaign.
Rotherham United – Finished 13th
Throughout last summer, Rotherham United would have been labelled as favourites to gain promotion by many fans, but this season was far from that.
After signing the likes of Joe Rafferty, Sean Raggett, Mallik Wilks, and Liam Kelly, Rotherham had looked to put themselves in a good position heading into the 2024/25 campaign, bringing in players with a bundle of League One and Championship experience.
However, a 1-0 loss to Exeter City on the opening day set the tone for the remainer of the season.
Under Steve Evans, The Millers only picked up 45 points from the 114 available, causing frustration to build around fans.
After a 4-0 defeat to Crawley Town at home, Evans was sacked by Rotherham, as Matthew Hamshaw would replace him in a caretaker manager role.
Hamshaw had a great start to life for The Millers, winning his first three games against Northampton, Blackpool, and Bolton.
After a promising start, the 43-year-old was given the permanent manager’s job on a three-year deal.
There is no doubt that Rotherham’s squad do possess the quality to kick on next season, but there is work to do for the new boss as he heads into his first full year of management.