2022-23 League One Team of the Season
2022-23 has been the most remarkable League One season in memory. With one match left, two teams could still break the 100-point barrier, Sheffield Wednesday may get 96 and still miss out on promotion, meanwhile the playoff and relegation battles are still to be decided.
Members of the promotion-winning Plymouth Argyle and Ipswich Town sides have made themselves prime candidates for selection but with other teams posting phenomenal points totals and great individual performances from players in teams further down the table, competition is fierce.
Rules
The squad consists of a first XI and a bench of seven players. There is no limit to the number of players per club being selected.
Players who left to join a team in another division mid-season are ineligible (eg. Mark McGuiness, formerly of Sheffield Wednesday) as are those who spent the first half of the season playing in a different league (eg. Ipswich Town’s Nathan Broadhead)
Loanees are permitted.
Placing players out of their strongest position is allowed in exceptional circumstances, but how this fictional team would play together is a factor in selection, so no shoehorning four forwards in. Not looking at anyone in particular, EFL awards!
Do you agree with the picks? Who should be in and who should be out? Comment your team of the season below.
Goalkeeper – Michael Cooper (Plymouth Argyle)
Michael Cooper has been the standout keeper in the third tier during the previous two seasons and possesses the necessary attributes to succeed in the Championship and maybe even higher. His excellent shot-stopping ability gives Plymouth the freedom to take risks further forward, safe in the knowledge that their keeper can bail them out at the other end; from a post-shot expected goals of 36.6, he conceded just 29 times.
Cooper unfortunately suffered a season-ending injury during the Pilgrims’ defeat at Sheffield Wednesday in February and is likely to miss the beginning of 2023/24. Moving forward, this could be a blessing in disguise for the club because his lack of fitness could cool interest from teams higher up the pyramid, at least for this transfer window. With Plymouth moving up a division next term, keeping hold of Cooper could be a determining factor in whether they can adjust to facing opponents of higher quality.
Right Back – Bali Mumba (Plymouth Argyle)
Cooper’s teammate Bali Mumba has spent much of his season-long spell in Devon playing as a left wingback but has looked equally comfortable when deployed on the other flank. The Norwich City loanee, who started his career as a midfielder, has popped up everywhere, often drifting inside to offer support to two Argyle’s central two and using his pace in transition.
Occasional defensive lapses have been a feature of the 21-year-old’s game but the impact of these errors pales in comparison to his contribution in advanced areas. His exceptional long-range shooting has been the difference in tight games, with crucial goals in both matches with fellow promotion chasers Ipswich Town and the home fixture against local rivals Exeter City. Mumba’s swift return from being stretchered off at Morecambe on Good Friday provided an injury-ravaged Pilgrims squad with a timely lift and ultimately helped them get over the line, capping off a fantastic season with a well-deserved promotion.
Centre Back - Mads Andersen (Barnsley)
Barnsley’s recent approach to the transfer market has resulted in frequent squad churn and Mads Andersen is one of the few survivors from the Tykes team that reached the Championship playoffs in 2021. The commanding centre-back has proven himself at a higher level, so it is little surprise that even the third tier’s most prolific forwards have had a tough time at Oakwell, being bullied out of the game by the big Dane, who is a formidable opponent in aerial duels.
Although hardly a senior professional himself at 25 years old, Andersen has been handed significant responsibility in captaining the side and leading a backline with the capable but youthful Liam Kitching and Bobby Thomas either side of him. If the Tykes are to progress through a bruising playoff campaign, their skipper will be a key part of the success.
Centre Back – Ricardo Santos (Bolton Wanderers)
Bolton have sometimes struggled for goals during the campaign, so their place in the playoffs can be credited to having the second-best defensive record in League One. In a well-drilled back three, the well-rounded Santos has been the pick of the bunch. The Portugal-born defender’s physical strength, probably the best in the division, is his most notable attribute but he has shown his quality in other ways too. From open play, he is capable of starting attacks from the back with his passing and his pace minimises the risk of opposition counterattacks while the Trotters build pressure in forward areas
Santos and his defensive teammates have been particularly effective against the top sides, keeping four clean sheets in six matches against their promotion rivals at the University of Bolton Stadium. This could give them an edge in the playoff fixtures moving forward.
Left Back – Leif Davis (Ipswich Town)
Even though Ipswich showed great improvement under Kieran McKenna during the second half of 2021-22, they were over reliant on their right flank for chance creation and persistently failed to capitalise on dead ball situations.
With his athleticism and fantastic delivery from corners, Davis has solved both conundrums; Town are the division’s top scorers from set pieces and the ex-Leeds United fullback has registered 17 goal contributions. At the other end of the pitch, he has been part of a backline which has conceded just 33 times, the fewest in League One. Top goalscorer Conor Chaplin understandably took most of the plaudits from opposition fans, but Davis was also unlucky to miss out on a nomination for the third tier’s player of the year prize at the EFL awards.
Defensive Midfield – Luca Connell (Barnsley)
When watching Luca Connell effortlessly control the midfield for Barnsley, it is hard to believe that he spent 2021-22 playing in the Scottish third tier.
Under Mike Duff the Tykes have averaged just 49.2% of possession, so hard work off the ball is a non-negotiable quality for the midfielders. This is exacerbated by how they play; with Jordan Williams and Nicky Cadden marauding down the flanks, Connell has a lot of ground to cover. The youngster is a capable tackler but more frequently uses intelligent movement to win the ball back, such as in the build up to Barnsley’s second goal in the home victory against Sheffield Wednesday. His contributions aren’t limited to the middle of the pitch either; the ex-Celtic man has helped himself to two goals and eight assists, catching the eye with his calmness on the ball.
Central Midfield – Sam Morsy (Ipswich Town)
Tenacious ball-winner Sam Morsy won his third promotion from this level when Ipswich’s 6-0 thrashing of Exeter secured a return to the Championship in style. Countless injuries in the Tractor Boys’ midfield have seen the Egyptian partner Lee Evans, Cameron Humphreys and Massimo Luongo in the middle during various points in the season. At times he has been required to play a holding role but has also driven the team forward and broken up play in the opposition’s half. Stunning long-range strikes away at Forest Green and MK Dons stand out as two obvious highlights.
Morsy also did an admirable job of improving his infamous disciplinary record during Ipswich’s midfield injury crisis, managing to avoid a caution for eight consecutive games between early February and late March, when a tenth yellow card would have ruled him out for two crucial games during the run-in.
Central Midfield – Barry Bannan (Sheffield Wednesday)
Barry Bannan’s decision to turn down interest from higher divisions to stay with The Owls after their relegation in 2021 raised eyebrows across the EFL and the skipper’s performances since have cemented his status as a legend at Hillsborough. Of all the players in League One, only Derby County’s David McGoldrick possesses technical ability which can rival the Scotsman’s.
Another tick in Bannan’s box has been his willingness to take the game by the scruff of its neck when his teammates are struggling. Particularly during the second half of the season, when George Byers and Josh Windass were injured, the captain would drop between the centre-backs to provide a much-needed creative spark from deep. With the exception of Barnsley, Bolton and Derby fans, few would begrudge Bannan lifting the playoff trophy next month and getting one final chance to play at a higher level.
Attacking Midfielder – Conor Chaplin (Ipswich Town)
The blueprint for so many League One teams visiting Portman Road this season has been to sit back, absorb pressure and limit Ipswich to shots from distance. Conor Chaplin’s nimble footwork and sharp finishing in tight areas have been the key to unlocking stubborn defences and turning possessional dominance into victory.
The Portsmouth-born forward’s career-best goal tally of 26 is made even more remarkable by the fact that he is not an out and out striker, instead operating just behind the number 9, occupying the space just inside the 18-yard box. With the delivery of Leif Davis and Wes Burns on either flank, Chaplin gets better service than most other attackers in the division, but his shot accuracy and goal conversion statistics are on par with Jonson Clarke-Harris and Michael Smith, both lethal strikers at League One level, proving beyond doubt his outstanding talent for finding the net.
Striker – David McGoldrick (Derby County)
When David McGoldrick was struggling to cement a first team spot under Liam Rosenior in August, even he probably doubted that he would plunder 25 goals this season. Since Paul Warne’s arrival, the former Sheffield United forward has shouldered the Rams’ creative burden, often having to fashion opportunities for himself in a side whose players haven’t always looked comfortable carrying out the manager’s gameplan. Whether tasked with feeding off target man James Collins or leading the line himself ahead of Jason Knight, McGoldrick has scored consistently while also demonstrating why he is widely considered to be one of the most technically gifted players in the third tier.
Before joining Derby in the summer, the 36-year-old hadn’t scored a hattrick since making his professional debut back in 2004. This year he registered three trebles, one each against Bristol Rovers, Forest Green and Morecambe.
Striker – Jonson Clarke-Harris (Peterborough United)
Clarke-Harris won the League One golden boot in 2020-21 and with 25 goals this term, he only narrowly trails Conor Chaplin in the scoring charts with one game to go. The ex-Coventry City trainee is not the first forward to rack up the numbers at London Road, but what makes JCH unique is that 13 of his strikes came in the first half of the season, when Peterborough struggled under Grant McCann. His efforts ensured the team stayed in touch with the top six around the new year; without them, Posh would not have an outside chance of the playoffs on final day.
This season has been important for Clarke-Harris’s career too. Until joining Bristol Rovers aged 25 in 2019 he was not particularly prolific, which is perhaps why a rumoured move back to the second tier last summer did not materialise. Another impressive goal tally confirms his quality and means he will likely be playing Championship football again next season, whether that is at Peterborough or elsewhere.
Bench: James Trafford (Bolton Wanderers), Eirian Cashin (Derby County), Liam Palmer (Sheffield Wednesday), Josh Scowen (Wycombe Wanderers), Jesrun Rak-Sakyi (Charlton Athletic), Colby Bishop (Portsmouth) & Aaron Collins (Bristol Rovers)