Gab Sutton's EFL Winners & Losers - January 10
Our EFL pundit here at Free Bets, Gab Sutton, casts his eye over the reduced quota of EFL fixtures that took place this weekend alongside the FA Cup.
Winners
Luke Williams
Had the League One season began when Luke Williams was appointed as head coach, back in late October, Peterborough would now be second with eight wins in 12.
It’s been a fantastic turnaround from the Posh, who might, finally, have found a boss they can be successful with other than Darren Ferguson.
Williams has always had a reputation as an excellent coach, somebody who can get teams playing terrific, attacking football, going back to his time assisting Mark Cooper at Swindon, and he seems to be furthering it now at London Road – Saturday’s 3-1 victory over Bolton moved his side four points off the Play-Offs.
Luton
With three wins in their last four, Luton are starting to motor under Jack Wilshere, playing excellent football.
While dominant performances earned the Hatters 4-0 and 3-0 home victories over Wycombe and Leyton Orient respectively, however, against Stevenage it was proactive in-game management that yielded the 2-1 win.
Shayden Morris’ entrance for Lamine Fanne prompted a switch from 4-2-3-1 to 4-1-4-1, which added another forward runner that helped carve open stubborn opposition, highlighting Wilshere can influence games with his substitutions.
In-form and one point off the Play-Offs, with Bolton and Huddersfield showing recent signs of vulnerability: Luton are right in the conversation.
Michael Cheek
Those sceptical of whether Bromley could manage another top half finish in League Two, after their maiden Football League campaign in 2024-25, questioned whether Michael Cheek was likely to replicate his 25-goal hall at the age of 34.
Well, those doubters are being proved emphatically wrong, as a brace for the veteran in the Ravens’ 2-0 victory at Tranmere saw him move onto 14 goals for the season, as the division’s top scorer, and the South Londoners go five points clear at the top.
“They’ll need to find more sources of goals, Cheek won’t hit 25 again will he?” oh! He might…
Losers
Huddersfield
Huddersfield Town’s winless run extended to three games, with Saturday’s 1-0 loss at Stockport.
The Terriers mustered just seven attempts at goal all afternoon, highlighting a challenge they’ve had all season in terms of imposing themselves against their promotion rivals.
It’s four points from eight games this year against top eight opposition for Lee Grant’s expensively-assembled side, as the West Yorkshire outfit remain in the top six, but only just.
Kevin Nagle sacked his predecessor, Michael Duff, for dropping outside the top six once, with a far weaker squad that needed a massive rebuild in the summer.
The ownership group didn’t sign Ryan Ledson, Marcus Harness and Alfie May with the intention of being nine points off the top two.
Bolton
With Cardiff, Lincoln and Bradford out of league action this weekend, Bolton had an opportunity to close the gap on the top two, but a 3-1 loss at Peterborough leaves Steven Schumacher’s side nine points off the pace.
True, the aforementioned Posh are bang in form, but the fixture list over the last four games has on balance, been reasonably kind, so to not win any of them represents a major disappointment.
The data says the Wanderers have created the chances to score roughly 10 more league goals this season than they actually have (31), and they’re suffering from a lack of diversity to their goal threat: Mason Burstow and Amario Cozier-Duberry have hit seven and six respectively, with nobody else netting more than three.
Tranmere
Tranmere Rovers are a club in limbo, with the Super White Army having no confidence in the Palios’ to take them forward, after their mixed-bag of a 12-year reign, but also no sign of a takeover being around the corner.
In those uncertain circumstances, it was always likely to be difficult for Andy Crosby to create a unity, a focus and an alignment to build something special.
To make matters harder, they’ve had rotten luck with injuries, with a squad that was always likely to rely heavily on the best XI staying largely fit and available.
A 2-0 home loss to leaders Bromley made it four defeats in six for the Birkenhead outfit, who missed the opportunity to gain ground on those above them: they remain eight points off the Play-Offs.
EFL Betting at Free Bets
Gab Sutton provides weekly football betting tips for Free Bets, featuring a thoroughly researched longshot acca alongside sharp analysis of the key talking points and standout moments from the weekend's action at the start of each new week.
