Leeds were beaten by a classy and altogether superior Doncaster side on the day, but the fact his players managed to drag themselves there speaks volumes for the spirit and determination at the club.

After starting the year with a 15-point deduction, Leeds seemed hell-bent on embarrassing the Football League by romping to the title — winning their opening eight games.

Boast

That success, under former boss Dennis Wise, set the tone for the season and although they stuttered midway through, McAllister guided the club to Wembley after taking charge in January.

The arrival of McAllisterbrought a more attractive, incisive brand of play.

And it’s that change in style which will give Leeds an extra edge this season.

They also boast the league’s hottest striker in 20-goal Beckford. And McAllister pulled off a masterstroke by persuading Andy Robinson to ditch Championship football at Swansea for another year in League One.

Robinson was the outstanding midfielder in the division last season and will provide some much needed creativity, while the likes of Neil Kilkenny and Alan Sheehan will give McAllister further options in the middle.

It is in midfield where Leeds look strongest with David Prutton, Ian Westlake, Jonathan Douglas and Seb Carole all fighting it out for a place in the starting line-up.

In defence, Leeds look incredibly solid with the impressive Casper Ankergren in goal, while Rui Marques, Paul Huntington and Lubomir Michalik are all capable of playing at a higher level.

Despite the arrival of impact substitute Enoch Showunmi, McAllister (left) still needed to strengthen his forward line. So, with Dougie Freedman’s loan having expired, the Leeds boss has turned to Argentine striker Luciano Becchio to help Beckford (right) blast Leeds to automatic promotion.

KEY MAN: Jermaine Beckford

SCORE PREDICTION: 1st

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BRIGHTON

BOSS Micky Adams, has one of the youngest and most exciting squads in League One.

The likes of Jake Robinson, Dean Cox and Tommy Fraser are causing a stir on the south coast.

KEY MAN: Nicky Forster

SCORE PREDICTION: 6th

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BRISTOL ROVERS

MANAGER Paul Trollope has spent £100,000 on Swansea frontman Darryl Duffy in a team that has often flattered to deceive.

Jeff Hughes has joined from Crystal Palace but hopes rest on the goals of striker Rickie Lambert.

KEY MAN: Rickie Lambert

SCORE PREDICTION: 16th

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CARLISLE

JOHN WARD’S side should be preparing for the Championship but choked last season.

Their play-off defeat to Leeds still hurts — as does striker Joe Garner’s £1.1million move to Nottingham Forest.

KEY MAN: Danny Graham

SCORE PREDICTION: 3rd

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CHELTENHAM

JUST survived the drop last season but in trouble again this time.

Yet to make any major signings and their failure to replace striker Steven Gillespie could prove fatal. Skipper John Finnigan will bear the load.

KEY MAN: John Finnigan

SCORE PREDICTION: 24th

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COLCHESTER

STRIKER Kevin Lisbie has gone, but the signing of Cheltenham forward Steven Gillespie and David Perkins from Rochdale gives reason for optimism at United’s new Cuckoo Farm home.

KEY MAN: Clive Platt

SCORE PREDICTION: 7th

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CREWE

AFTER striker Calvin Zola’s arrival from Tranmere in a £200,000 deal, Alex should at least be more prolific this season.

Midfielder Gary Roberts is expected to provide the creativity, but it looks like being a tough campaign.

KEY MAN: Calvin Zola

SCORE PREDICTION: 23rd

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HARTLEPOOL

DANNY WILSON’S travel sickness troubles look set to continue.

Pools won just four times away — expect the same again with a midfield that gets out- fought. Striker Richie Barker has a lot to do.

KEY MAN: Richie Barker

SCORE PREDICTION: 15th

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HEREFORD

GRAHAM TURNER’S men have their work cut out to avoid an immediate return to League Two.

Last year’s loan stars Gary Hooper and Sherjill MacDonald have left but ex-Leeds man Simon Johnson has joined.

KEY MAN: Simon Johnson

SCORE PREDICTION: 21st

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HUDDERSFIELD

BOSS Stan Ternent has made a number of solid signings — including striker Keigan Parker.

Andy Booth, Luke Beckett, Phil Jevons and Danny Cadamarteri will chip in, too — but defence is suspect.

KEY MAN: Keigan Parker

SCORE PREDICTION: 11th

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LEICESTER

NIGEL PEARSON is the seventh boss to take on the poisoned chalice at the Walkers Stadium since chairman Milan Mandaric arrived last year.

He knows he must get off to a flying start with his talented squad.

KEY MAN: Steve Howard

SCORE PREDICTION: 2nd

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LEYTON ORIENT

BOSS Martin Ling has reinforced his squad with five new faces but needs his old guard to help stop the rot.

The goals of the prolific Adam Boyd could be crucial this season.

KEY MAN: Tamika Mkandawire

SCORE PREDICTION: 14th

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MK DONS

DONS boss Roberto Di Matteo has to fight tooth and nail to hang on to skipper Keith Andrews.

The midfielder, who has reluctantly been made available for transfer, scored 14 times last season — and helped the club to the League Two title and a memorable triumph at Wembley in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.

But with former boss Paul Ince lining up a move to take the player to Blackburn, Di Matteo could lose the heartbeat of his side before his team’s opening day fixture at Leicester City.

This episode gives Di Matteo (below) his first real challenge since taking over from Ince, a man whose achievements have left supporters with huge ambitions and expectations ahead of the new season.

And while they are entitled to be in high spirits after last season’s success, they may have to bow to realism with the Dons squad looking short of quality in the crucial areas.

With Lloyd Dyer having left to join Leicester, Dons will miss the pace and power of the winger, while a lack of reinforcements could cost Di Matteo in such an unforgiving league.

In players such as Dean Lewington, Kevin Gallen and Aaron Wilbraham, Di Matteo has quality and experience, but a quick look at the Dons squad will show that they do not possess the strength in depth of their main rivals.

Di Matteo will be aware of that too, although it remains to be seen how he will attempt to bridge that gap given his lack of managerial experience.

The former Chelsea man could do worse than look at the example set by Swansea boss Roberto Martinez, who like Di Matteo, took over a club with huge ambitions and a brand new stadium.

Martinez soon imprinted his style on the team, leading the Welsh club to the League One title in his first full season in charge, while playing a brand of expansive and inventive football.

The Spaniard returned home to find a number of real bargains with defender Angel Rangel and forward Guillem Bauza playing a huge part in the club’s promotion to the Championship.

And if Di Matteo can learn a thing or two from Swansea’s success — and keep hold of Andrews (right), then perhaps the Dons can still launch a promotion challenge this season.

KEY MAN: Keith Andrews

SCORE PREDICTION: 10th

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MILLWALL

WITH chairman John Berylson and major shareholder Graham Lacey at loggerheads, boss Kenny Jackett needs to focus people on footballing matters.

The Lions will miss Jay Simpson’s pace.

KEY MAN: Ahmet Brkovic

SCORE PREDICTION: 20th

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NORTHAMPTON

SPIRITS are soaring at Sixfields after Stuart Gray’s men ended last season with just one defeat in 14 league games.

Loan star Adebayo Akinfenwa has been signed on a permanent basis and the future looks safe.

KEY PLAYER: Jason Crowe

SCORE PREDICTION: 9th

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OLDHAM ATHLETIC

JOHN SHERIDAN is quietly confident of leading his side up.

Lee Hughes misses the start with a broken toe but Andy Liddell should inspire youngsters Chris Taylor and Neal Eardley.

KEY MAN: Andy Liddell

SCORE PREDICTION: 5th

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PETERBOROUGH

POSH boast some of the most exciting players in the division.

Goalkeeper Joe Lewis, midfielder George Boyd and striker Aaron McLean have all attracting attention from Championship clubs.

KEY MAN: Aaron McLean

SCORE PREDICTION: 4th

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SCUNTHORPE

NIGEL ADKINS is pinning his hopes on new signing Gary Hooper firing Scunthorpe back to the Championship at the first time of asking.

Hooper scored 11 goals in 19 appearances for Hereford last season.

KEY MAN: Gary Hooper

SCORE PREDICTION: 8th

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SOUTHEND

THE arrival of new goalkeeper Steve Mildenhall could prove a masterstroke.

However, the same might not be said of United boss Steve Tilson’s decision to sign 39-year-old Paul Furlong.

KEY MAN: Nicky Bailey

SCORE PREDICTION: 13th

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STOCKPORT

EXPECT a tough year. Jim Gannon’s side have lost prolific striker Liam Dickinson, who was sold to Derby for £975,000.

Their hopes now rest on Northern Ireland international Peter Thompson from Linfield.

KEY MAN: Peter Thompson

SCORE PREDICTION: 18th

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SWINDON

MUCH rests on Simon Cox, who joined from Reading for £200,000 last January.

He will lead Town’s attack while battling midfielder Jon-Paul McGovern and striker Lee Peacock will also need to perform.

KEY MAN: Simon Cox

SCORE PREDICTION: 17th

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TRANMERE

NOBODY loves Tranmere Rovers more than boss Ronnie Moore but heart alone will not be enough to drag his beloved club out of League One.

New signing George O’Callaghan must quickly adapt back to the pace of the English game and justify his boss’s decision to bring him over from Cork.

Moore, who enjoyed two spells as a player at Prenton Park himself, making over 300 appearances, saw his men fade badly after leading the table last October.

With the club looking set for a promotion push, Rovers won just four of their next 16 games before recovering to claim an 11th-place finish.

But with the memories of last season’s failure firmly in his mind, Moore (below) has set about making Rovers into a more exciting, attacking and combative unit.

The Rovers boss has already stated his intention to play with three forwards this season and experimented with the formation during their 1-0 friendly defeat by Liverpool.

Central to his plans is midfielder O’Callaghan, who arrived from Cork after scoring 23 goals in 150 games.

The former Brighton and Port Vale man has been joined by Gambia international Edrissa Sonko, a lightning-quick winger who played for Walsall last season.

But the signings of former MK Dons defender Gareth Edds and the far from prolific Bas Savage will hardly have the Prenton Park fans jumping up and down with excitement.

Savage, who at the age of the 26 has already played for Brighton, Bristol City and Gillingham amongst others, is not renowned for his goalscoring exploits and has yet to reach double figures in one season as a professional.

Moore will point to the player’s physical attributes, his strength and his hold-up play, but Rovers will once again be relying on the goalscoring prowess of Chris Greenacre.

The striker, who scored 14 goals last season, is crucial to Rovers’ success with the likes of Savage and the manager’s son, Ian, unlikely to set the pulses racing.

And while Moore’s ambition to play with three forwards is admirable, a lack of class in the final third looks sure to cost Rovers the chance of snatching a play-off place.

KEY MAN: George O’Callaghan

SCORE PREDICTION: 12th

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WALSALL

THE SADDLERS may struggle to repeat last term’s top-half finish.

Boss Jimmy Mullen has brought in Jabo Ibehre — and much depends on midfielder Ishmel Demontagnac.

KEY MAN: Ishmel Demontagnac

SCORE PREDICTION: 19th

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YEOVIL

BOSS Russell Slade faces a steep uphill challenge.

With goalkeeper Steve Mildenhall gone, Slade will hope the likes of new signing Lloyd Owusu and fans’ favourite Darren Way will help bolster a small and fragile looking squad.

KEY MAN: Lloyd Owusu

SCORE PREDICTION: 22nd

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