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League One 2019-20: relegation predictions, betting, tips and odds
Southend have been struggling for ages and the Shrimpers may yet sink
Twelve-point deductions meted out to Bolton and Bury have put the two north-west clubs on the back foot before a ball has been kicked with the Shakers already condemned to the drop by the bookmakers.
Over the last few seasons it’s taken the best part of 50 points to avoid being relegated so it’s inevitably going to be a big ask for either of these troubled clubs to get the 62 points gross which they may need.
If you agree with that then Bolton at 5-6 to effectively (though not necessarily) get less than 62 points could be the bet of the season.
This is a club in crisis. Yes, they were in the Sky Bet Championship last term, but with the club in a parlous financial state players haven’t been paid, others jettisoned off the payroll. They haven’t even been able to fulfil their pre-season fixture schedule.
Takeover talk clouds everything, and with more questions than answers over how Bolton will line up on day one and Bury plenty short enough, it may pay to focus on the other potential strugglers.
You can throw a blanket over the next six in the betting and it’s easy enough to make a case for each of them with Southend offering the best of the value.
By the middle of January the Shrimpers were going okay.
In tenth spot after a 4-0 romp at Bradford, they were as close to the top six as the bottom four. Fast forward three months and after 15 matches without a win they were actually in the drop zone. Two wins in their last three saved them.
Chris Powell, luckless with the size of his squad and an injury epidemic, was sacked during that decline and Kevin Bond took over.
Bond may have kept them up but there are no obvious grounds to be confident. One or two have left – including decent centre-back Taylor Moore – and one or two have come in, most notably ex-Australia skipper Mark Milligan who turns 34 a week into the season.
Top scorer Simon Cox is out for a while, Tom Hopper even longer and defensively they’ve looked an accident waiting to happen for months.
Recommendation
Southend
2pts 4-1 general
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