Burton Albion on course for promotion while revitalised Portsmouth look a play-off bet – but watch out for York City• Poll: vote who you think will win League Two this seasonAfter four years of purgatory involving penury, three relegations, byzantine ownership wrangles, redundancies, a seemingly ceaseless turnover of staff and farcical legal interventions, the good guys won at Portsmouth. Small wonder, then, that optimism is in the air following the takeover by the Portsmouth Supporters Trust that made Pompey the biggest community-owned club in England. More than 10,000 season tickets have been sold and they have been established all summer as the favourites for promotion, as short as 10-11 to go up and 4-1 for the title with some firms. While they have every justification to feel relief, elation and confidence for the future, their immediate prospects on the field are not necessarily as rosy as their odds suggest. Guy Whittingham, the manager, has impressed with the sincerity of his dedication and the calmness of his approach but even given that circumstances were desperate and the club were forced to field 45 players over the league season he won only five of 30 games. Eleven new players have been recruited to join the few survivors from relegation and while Joe Devera and Tom Craddock look solid acquisitions and Romain Padovani and Ryan Bird are intriguing gambles that may pay off, much will depend on the captain, Johnny Ertl, to both shore up the defence and drive the midfield on and David Connolly to find the net. A play-off place at this stage looks a more sensible punt. Continue readingreadfullarticle
