5 Potential EFL Dark Horses

In the Championship last season, Bristol City had one of the best attacks in the league, scoring 62 goals, the seventh most in the league, however, their defence really let them down, conceding 77 goals, the 3rd most in the league, which left them finishing 17th in the league.

This summer, however, they have really focused on improving their defensive woes from last season, signing Kal Naismith on a free from Luton Town, who was very solid in their run to the play-offs, whilst also signing Kane Wilson on a free from Forest Green Rovers, who was great in their promotion run to League One.

If Bristol City are able to keep up their good attacking output, whilst their new signings help their defence, they could have what it takes to make a push for the play-offs next season.

Under Gary Rowett, Millwall have become an established, consistent Championship team, leading them to eighth, 11th and ninth-placed finishes in the Championship, and the Millwall board have put their faith in him to push them even further up the league table by bringing some good signings, including breaking their transfer record to bring in Zian Flemming from Fortuna Sittard.

Millwall made a push for the play-offs last season and nearly did so after a great end to the season, picking up the fourth most points in their last 15 games, which could set them up in a good place for this season and with their new signings, Millwall could surprise people by ending up in a play-off spot and even pushing for automatic promotion.

In the first half of last season, Bolton were really struggling and looked to be in a relegation fight after being only six points off the relegation zone 23 games into the season, but in the next 23 games, their form completely switched around and picked up the second most points in the league in that time span.

Despite great second half of the season form, Bolton only managed to climb up to ninth last season, but if they take their form from the end of last season into this season and keep over the length of the season, they will have great chances not to just make the play-offs, but push for automatic promotion.

Before Kieran McKenna came in halfway through last season, Ipswich were a mid-table team, not great in attack, but also not great in defence, but when McKenna came in, he turned them into the best defensive team in the league, conceding only 12 goals in 23 games, five less goals than the next best team.

McKenna managed to transform his Ipswich side without a pre-season to work with, but now he has had that privilege, it could make his Ipswich side even better and used to his system and could make them good enough to make the play-offs, or even push for automatic promotion to return to the Championship after spending the past three season in League One.

Salford have been under much scrutiny ever since the class of 92 takeover in 2014 and after quickly rising the ranks of non-league and the National League, they have been stuck in League Two the past three seasons, finishing 11th, eighth and 10th, but in the back end of last season, they showed had some promising form, picking up 29 points in their last 15 games, the fourth most in the league.

With multiple new recruits this summer, including a new manager in Neil Wood, this could be Salford’s best chance yet to move up to League One, and if their form to end last season is anything to go by, they could make a promotion push next season.