'Glaring holes' 'End of an era': League One experts on Sheffield Wednesday's 2026/27 opponents - Part Two
Sheffield Wednesday's latest League One campaign is just around the corner, and they face some tough fixtures in England's third tier.
Plenty has changed since Wednesday were last in this division, and there are several teams that the Owls will face that - while they aren’t exactly unknown quantities as clubs - are in different circumstances to previous meetings.
With that in mind, and in order to get ourselves better acquainted with those that Henrik Pedersen and his side will face in 2026/27, we’ve tracked down journalists and experts from all 23 clubs that will make up the division. Part one was released recently.
In part two, which consists of M - W, there’s once more an interesting mix of promotion hopefuls, relegation battlers and possible surprise packages… They’ll all be hoping to hit the ground running in August.
Welcome back to our quick L1 guide…
Mansfield Town – Georgia Goulding
Mansfield Town will be eager to kick on from a season that saw them secure their highest league finish in almost 40 years, despite initially worrying about a relegation scrap.
Stags have already made key decisions this summer, including the arrival of David McGoldrick. Eager to sign a proven goal-scorer, McGoldrick fits the bill regardless of his age.
The puzzle pieces seem to be slotting together for Nigel Clough, who is edging closer to breaking the club’s record for most games managed.
MK Dons – Liam Connolly
As a Dons fan, I’m optimistic about our return to League One. I think we’ve got enough quality and experience to establish ourselves comfortably in League One, with room to grow, making a strong start with the addition of Charlie Goode.
"I’m expecting big seasons from the veterans Callum Paterson and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, as well as the club recruiting some key players to boost the starting XI. If everything clicks, we could even have an outside shot at the play-offs.
Notts County – Adam Hassell
Notts County are looking forward to their first season back in League One for eleven years. The bulk of their Wembley promotion-winning squad have remained, with the odd addition so far.
Notts will feel they need some more experienced quality through the door to be able to compete, though staying in the third tier this year would surely constitute success.
Oxford United – Malachi Obrey
Oxford are in a strange position where they have a strong core of youth and experience, yet have to trim some of the fat of the squad and fill some glaring holes.
I think the foundations are there for a strong season on their return to League One. However, a main man up front and a couple of centre backs are a must if they are to bounce straight back.
Peterborough United – Alan Swann
Two poor League One seasons in a row have diluted optimism levels. Good players keep leaving and weaker players keep arriving. Big summer for the recruitment team ahead. It looks a much tougher League One this time around so, right now, I’d see mid-table as a success.
Plymouth Argyle – James Stables
After managerial chaos over the past three seasons, life at Argyle at the moment feels mercifully stable. After a brilliant second half of the season, keeping the heart of the squad intact is the mission. We’ve signed loanee Wes Harding on a permanent contract and will be trying to do the same for Alex Mitchell.
Whether we retain or cash in on star strikers Laurent Tolaj and Bim Pepple will dictate how much business we need to do this summer. If rumours of investment come true, it would be a game-changer - watch this space.
Reading – Ramy Abou-Setta
It’s yet to be seen what Reading can achieve under Leam Richardson with a pre-season a ‘must’, as the former Wigan manager consistently repeated throughout the last League One season. There is still the possibility that the Royals could lose starter Charlie Savage and fan-favourite Andy Rinomhota, which could put a dent in the squad’s ability to perform next season if not replaced swiftly with the right profiles.
Matt Ritchie has also left following the announcement of his retirement and return to Bournemouth as a Technical Director - leaving the recruitment team with another gap to plug. It’s really unclear how Reading will fare next season with a considerable amount of changes happening on the pitch and behind the scenes - but they have made their goal clear promotion back into the Championship.
Stevenage – Neil Metcalfe
Reaching the League One play-offs is always going to be a tough ask for Stevenage but they managed it last year and deservedly so. That lifted the hopes that Boro could repeat the trick and while a quiet start to the summer hasn’t doused them entirely, they have cooled slightly, not helped by the loss of defender Charlie Goode and the expected departure of midfielder Harvey White. Still, hope springs eternal they say, and Boro are a team that love upsetting the odds.
Stockport County – Sam Byrne
After a summer of major change, Stockport probably enter the season as one of League One’s biggest unknowns. With Simon Wilson and Dave Challinor departing, Jimmy McNulty takes Challinor’s place and Damien Allen has been promoted from within to effectively replace Wilson.
It feels like the real end of an era for County, so it really does feel like the club’s first unpredictable season (in terms of league position) in several years.
Wigan Athletic – Paul Kendrick
Wigan Athletic remain something of a blank canvas at the moment. From last season’s squad, 14 players have left, eight are still to re-sign, and five are on the transfer list.
Two new signings have arrived - but that’s barely touched the sides. Gary Caldwell won this division with Wigan in 2015/16. This time, however, he’ll have a mid-table - as opposed to the highest - budget to work with.
Wycombe Wanderers – James Richings
It will be Wycombe’s sixth consecutive season in League One following their relegation from the Championship in 2021, with the club finishing in the top half in each of those campaigns. Two of those seasons have ended in play-off heartbreak, with promotion narrowly missed.
The club was taken over in 2024 by Feliciana EFL Limited, fronted by Georgian-Kazakhstani billionaire Mikheil Lomtadze, whose ambition is to deliver Premier League football within the next decade.
The Chairboys have made steady progress since 2021, but after 2025 and a somewhat different 2026, could 2027 finally be their year?
We’ll be touching base with all 23 of these excellent journalists right either before the opening game or just after the transfer window closes - and we’ll see if their opinions on what lies ahead for their respective clubs has got better… Or worse.
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