Shrewsbury Town could surprise a few

delves into the likely heroes, villains and beyond while also assessing how Micky Mellon's Town will fare this season.

1) Who's going up?

I fancy Charlton Athletic to go well after dropping down from the Championship.

Boss Russell Slade has a ton of experience, the squad looks a little light at the moment but they have the clout to make some quality late signings.

Millwall will also look to build on the finale to last season and are probably favourites to go up – they've kept hold of top scorer Lee Gregory so it's difficult to look beyond them.

I expect Bolton and Milton Keynes Dons will be strong but ongoing off-field problems (with the former) will be their Achilles heel.

2) Who's going down?

Port Vale could quite easily slip into the 'surprise package' section with their foreign overhaul.

A takeover of manager and players with little experience or divisional know-how never really goes well.

Oldham are currently favourites for the drop and it's no surprise given their turbulent summer.

The likes of Swindon and Bury will have to impress to remove themselves for drop-zone contenders.

Salop are down there in the mix with most bookies, but Micky Mellon has recruited well and Town should have more than enough to steer clear.

3) Surprise package

Was tempted to plump for Port Vale but it's just too manic in Burslem for them to be hitting the heights.

I'd quite like to see AFC Wimbledon go well and I think that they'll surprise a few.

Heavily backed by most as the people's favourite, they have a young boss in Neal Ardley who is inside the top 10 longest-serving managers in the Football League.

The consistency is there and they've strengthened well, and I predict they'll very much hold their own.

4) Player to watch

Zach Clough at Bolton Wanderers is a very exciting talent. He burst on the scene last season for the Trotters during their memorable FA Cup run.

The then-19-year-old was awarded with his first team bow in a third round clash against rivals Wigan Athletic and his electric performance was capped with the winning goal.

Bolton went on to face Liverpool in the fourth round where Bolton forced a replay and Clough was the standout player.

The local lad, now 21, has a real chance to light up the third tier this season.

5) Town overview

Salop supporters have been put through a mixed bag during pre-season in terms of results but, as Micky Mellon and several players have confirmed, they're not worth reading too much into.

Town have gone through another squad overhaul. This time, most of the business was done early and the squad appears settled.

Mellon wants a small squad but appreciates this season will already top 50 matches.

One more attacker of pedigree in and Town will surprise a few, getting Adam El-Abd fit at the back is also key.