League Two 2022/23: A bet for every new managerial appointment

League Two takes centre stage in the final installment of our three-part series looking at new managerial appointments within the Football League.

The fourth-tier has seen six new additions on the touchline, which includes a talented cluster of young coaches bidding to make their mark as a manager. 

​​Follow the links to check out the new managerial appointments in the Championship and League One.

Note: This article doesn't include three interim managers who have since been handed the permanent post: Carlisle appointed Paul Simpson just before the end of the 2021/22 season following a successful spell as interim. Similarly relegated Crewe handed Alex Morris the full-time job, while Colchester appointed Wayne Brown on a full-time basis.

Pete Wild (Barrow)

Regular readers of the site would have become accustomed to seeing Pete Wild’s name crop up in next manager markets last season. The highly-rated young coach then earned a deserved move to League Two in the summer, moving up from National League side FC Halifax Town to Barrow. The Bluebirds nearly exited the EFL last season - finishing 22nd - and are the bookmakers’ favourites to go down this term (4/1), and 7/1 to finish bottom (bet365). Unfortunately there are no ‘to stay up’ odds available just yet, but when they become available Barrow could be worth backing under the tutorship of Wild.

Johnnie Jackson (AFC Wimbledon)

If Johnnie Jackson was disappointed at Charlton’s surprise decision to send him packing at the end of last season - he steered them from the relegation zone to 13th - he didn’t have to wait long for another opportunity to arise. Appointed at fellow south-Londoners AFC Wimbledon on a two-year deal, he’ll be tasked with lifting both spirits and performances at the relegated Dons who are 5/2 to finish in the top-7 (Paddy Power).

Kevin Betsy (Crawley)

More and more lower league clubs have changed tack of late, opting to take a chance on talented - yet untested - young coaches. Crawley decided to take this very route in the appointment of former England coach Kevin Betsy following a successful season at Arsenal U23s. Over the years the tactically-flexible Betsy has helped develop a number of English starlets - Phil Foden, Buyako Saka, Jude Bellingham, and Harvey Elliott - and it’ll be hoped that his eye for nurturing exciting young talent can improve results and help push Crawley in the right direction, with the club evens (BetVictor) for a top-12 standing.

Neil Wood (Salford)

For the fourth successive season Salford are one of the early betting favourites for promotion up to League One. However, they have yet to live up to the hype, failing to even make the play-offs during that time. In May, Gary Neville and co sent another manager packing in Gary Bowyer - the club’s third managerial exit since 2020 - and appointed Man Utd U23s coach Neil Wood; his first senior job. Wood has spoken of changing the culture at the club, and installing an attacking and entertaining style of play. At 13/8, Salford are pretty short to finally realise their goal of promotion to the third-tier, although the 11/1 (SkyBet) to win the play-offs offers a bit more value.

Scott Lindsey (Swindon)

Swindon opted for continuity by appointing Scott Lindsey from within in after Ben Garner was lured off to Charlton. In what will be his first senior job in the EFL, Lindsey will look to continue the progress made under Garner, keeping true to the club’s possession-based, attacking style of play. The target will be another promotion push with the Robins 5/1 to claim a top-3 finish.

Paul Hartley (Hartlepool)

After they reluctantly lost Dave Challinor to Stockport in November then lost faith in Graeme Lee after the penultimate league game, Hartlepool looked up to Scotland for their next appointment: Paul Hartley. The Scot is an ambitious and successful manager heading in the right direction following a transformative spell at Cove Rangers, with whom he fired to two promotions followed by their highest ever league position in the Championship.

The 45-year-old has already accumulated five promotions during his managerial career and is priced out at 12/1 to achieve another this season, although bookmakers’ have installed Hartlepool as the joint-second favourites for the drop (5/1). When it comes to a top-half finish, Hartlepool are available at 2/1.