Ranking the 6 EFL League One managers with the least room for excuses | OneFootball

FLW looks at which League One managers have all the tools to succeed in the third tier this season

No manager's job is easy, but in League One, certain clubs have put a lot of effort into ensuring that the man in the dugout can deliver as much success as possible.

Whether that be backing them in the transfer market by investing in quality players and ensuring the club's better assets stay, or being patient when things are going through a bit of a rocky patch, there are some head coaches whose jobs are made easier by benevolent owners.

Ultimately, though, that creates some pressure and removes any potential excuses for why their side may not be achieving certain goals. After all, if you've not been given the tools to succeed, how are you expected to?

These six League One managers have those tools, or at least have been given enough of them to warrant a good season. If they don't, they'll have little in terms of excuses.

6 ? ? Jimmy McNulty - Stockport County

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Not many people knew what to expect from Stockport County heading into the offseason. It was already known that influential board member Simon Wilson was moving on, manager Dave Challinor left shortly afterwards, and it was unknown if key playing personnel would leave, too.

Challinor had been in the Stockport dugout for close to five years, and while he was just taking a break from the role, certain players may have felt their former boss was a main reason for staying at Edgeley Park.

In the end, new head coach Jimmy McNulty has inherited, in effect, an identical squad, with Callum Connolly and Odin Bailey the only real key non-loan departures. The likes of Ethan Pye, Ollie Norwood, Jack Diamond, Adama Sidibeh and Kyle Wootton are all still there.

McNulty has also been able to bring in a couple of preferred personnel from his time at Rochdale, too, in 18-year-old goalkeeper Ollie Whatmuff on loan from Manchester City and centre-back Kyron Gordon, alongside a raft of new, exciting signings.

While this year may not have as many expectations as last year under Challinor, some neutrals may question why it shouldn't. The former boss was able to engineer back-to-back third-placed finishes with almost the exact same squad, so if McNulty can't, there'll be some wondering why.

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This may be Martin Drury's first managerial role in the EFL, and he may have been promoted from within, but that doesn't alleviate any of the pressure which comes from being the Huddersfield Town manager during this period with the club in League One.

Ever since the Terriers were relegated from the Championship back in 2024, they've been one of the heavier-backed sides in the transfer window under American owner Kevin Nagle, and so far, the likes of Michael Duff, Lee Grant and, in a sense, Liam Manning, haven't lived up to expectations.

The squad is littered with Championship-quality players. Joe Taylor has been retained this summer, despite his excellent loan spell with Wigan Athletic last season and his electric start back in a Huddersfield shirt so far this term.

It's a promotion-worthy squad, and if it doesn't work out for Drury, his relative inexperience shouldn't be an excuse. It wasn't for Grant, at least.

As it stands, it's so far, so good for the 40-year-old, winning Manager of the Month for August.

4 ? ? Graham Alexander - Bradford City

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Like with Drury, it's going well for his West Yorkshire counterpart Graham Alexander in the Bradford City dugout.

But while last season was a brilliant story, finishing fourth as a newly-promoted side, it's created expectations to the point where if a drastic drop-off occurs in the ongoing campaign, there may be little in terms of excuses for why it's gone wrong.

The main frustration among Bradford fans last season, especially towards the end of the campaign, was that the club didn't have a ruthless, recognised goal threat, and the January reinforcements were, to put it plainly, bad.

This summer, minus the sales of their midfield pivots in Max Power and Jenson Metcalfe, it's hard to argue that the Bantams haven't had one of the best windows in the division. Jake Beesley is that focal point up top, Adam Phillips comes in to upgrade the attacking midfield positions, and the defence has been added to as well.

Now, the team actually looks like one that should finish in the top six, rather than last season's side, who were well coached and on a wave of momentum, especially at home.

3 ? ? Leam Richardson - Reading

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Reading boss Leam Richardson came under immense fire from Royals fans during his first half-season in charge last year. The former League One title-winner with Wigan never coached football that was easy on the eye, but it got results.

Even when it was getting results, though, Reading fans weren't too happy with it, and especially during a six-game winless run in the run-in, which saw their play-off hopes dashed, they were calling for a fresh start to begin this season.

The higher-ups at the Select Car Leasing Stadium have stuck with Richardson, though, and have added plenty of quality in the transfer market, giving him the tools to play a little more expressive, free-flowing attacking football.

So far, they have, with the likes of Kyreece Lisbie and George Earthy especially making a big impact. Jack Marriott has remained fit in the infancy of the campaign, too. His 22 games missed last season would have provided quite the excuse.

Right now, there doesn't seem to be much stopping this Royals side on paper from finishing in the top six, and after being patient with Richardson last season, patience may run thin if results don't follow this time around.

2 ? ? Richie Wellens - Leyton Orient

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After last season's disaster, in which the 2025 play-off finalists Leyton Orient finished three points off relegation with a defensive record only better than three other sides, O's boss Richie Wellens cut an impassioned interview.

In a rather impressive rant, Wellens claimed that his squad last year had wasted his time and a year of their career, stating, above all, "there's not enough people at this football club with the mentality to win."

In response, 16 new players have come through the doors at Brisbane Road this summer, while seven of Orient's top 10 in league minutes played last season departed, one of whom was talisman Dom Ballard, though, who you'd assume wasn't one of the targets in Wellens' attack in May.

So, with a whole revamp of the playing squad, and some good players being signed within that, too, the likes of Isaac Hayden, Fin Stevens and Dane Scarlett alongside promising players out of League Two such as Yusuf Akhamrich, Armando Dobra and Jaze Kabia, it's evident that Richie Wellens' demands have been listened to.

Therefore, if similar results follow this season, questions will definitely be asked, and the head coach can't play the poor squad card for a second year in a row.

1 ? ? Paul Warne - MK Dons

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Paul Warne has created quite the reputation for himself, in that he's won promotion from League One four times in his managerial career; three times with Rotherham United and, most recently, with Derby County.

MK Dons is arguably the club with the most resources and financial backing of the three he's managed, and if you look at the players in the squad, it's filled with players who have won promotion in this division before, some of whom won it under Warne, such as Curtis Nelson, Dan Barlaser and Ben Wiles.

There's evidently been financial backing this summer, too, with the signings of Cardiff City's Player of the Year last season, Ryan Wintle, Sam Nombe and Charlie Goode, who was in the League One Team of the Year last season.

This is a promotion-calibre squad, and Warne himself has proven to be a promotion-calibre manager. If he was able to get Rotherham and Derby up, there'll be no excuses about the prospects of doing the same with MK.