The 2019–20 season was the 140th season of competitive association football in England.
The season was suspended 13 March 2020[1][2] due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the first time that an entire football season was suspended since the 1939-40 season was abandoned due to the onset of World War II. On 26 March, the season was abandoned in divisions below the National League, with all results being expunged, one relegation and one expulsion taking place.[3]
The Premier League resumed on 17 June[4] and the Championship on 20 June[5] with all matches played behind closed doors.
Amid uncertainty and calls for the season to be rendered null and void in the midst of the pandemic, the FA voted for both the Premier League and the Championship to finish their respective campaigns – a decision that finally helped Liverpool, after decades of heartbreak, near-misses and rebuilding, to end their long wait and win their first league title since 1990, as well as breaking the record for the earliest top-flight win in history, whilst also extending their unbeaten league run at Anfield to a third successive season and 59 games – despite a succession of dropped points in their remaining games ensuring they would miss out on breaking any of the previously set title-winning records on top of an early exit in the Champions League knockout stage, the Reds won both the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup in the first half of the season to mark one of their most successful campaigns since 2001. Finishing second were Manchester City, who had been widely tipped to build on their domestic treble the previous season – however, they endured arguably one of the most disappointing title defences in the club's history, losing ground on Liverpool as early as their second game and suffering a number of unexpected and poor defeats, including home-and-away to both Wolverhampton Wanderers and city rivals Manchester United, a decision ultimately put down to the club's failure to replace departing captain Vincent Kompany and then losing key players Leroy Sane and Aymeric Laporte to long-term injuries; despite this, City were at least able to earn silverware, winning their fifth League Cup in seven seasons.
In similar circumstances to the previous season, the battle for the remaining top-four spots went down to the final day – and saw Chelsea and Manchester United scrape through at the expense of Leicester City; Chelsea's first season under new head coach and former player Frank Lampard proved largely indifferent, conceding far more goals than all of the top ten, but they managed enough consistency to ensure Champions League football, whilst a largely underwhelming 2020 went against Leicester, who lost a winner-takes-all final day game against United, the Red Devils securing Champions League football despite an inconsistent 2019 – the arrival of midfielder Bruno Fernandes in the winter transfer window helping to reinvigorate the team. An uneven start to the season for Tottenham Hotspur ultimately saw manager Mauricio Pochettino sacked after five-and-a-half years at the helm; whilst the installation of Jose Mourinho helped push the club back up the table and into a late battle to ensure Europa League football for the next campaign, an early exit in the Champions League and poor performances across domestic cup competitions put paid to any hopes of Spurs winning a trophy – with similar performances in the league raising questions about Mourinho's long-term tactics.
Having been tipped to struggle in their first top-flight season since 2007, Sheffield United defied all their critics by recording both a top-ten finish and conceding fewer goals than much of the top half, even staying in the fight for a European spot up until the final game, an effort that gave the Blades and manager Chris Wilder deserved praise. Arsenal endured one of their worst seasons since the inception of the Premier League, with a succession of draws and winless runs across all competitions in the first half of the season extinguishing the Gunners' hopes of winning the league title and costing manager Unai Emery his job; whilst the season's second half proved to be much better under former player and new manager Mikel Arteta, including winning the FA Cup for the fourth time in seven seasons and ensuring Europa League football next season, further dropped points either side of the suspension ensured the London club would only just scrap into the top eight. Southampton endured yet another underwhelming start to the season, including suffering the worst home defeat in the history of the top-flight in late October at the hands of Leicester City – however, strong away form from that point onwards helped pushed the Saints comfortably clear of the drop, with safety ensured following an impressive home win over Manchester City.
At the bottom of the table, Norwich City endured a disastrous return to the Premier League, suffering relegation with three games to go in a torrid season that saw the Canaries hit with an extensive injury crisis and fail to really make much impact both in the transfer window and in the league itself, despite an astonishing victory against Manchester City at Carrow Road early in the campaign; having been bottom but still in with a shout of survival when the season was suspended, they were ultimately undone by losing every single match after the season resumed. The battle to avoid the remaining relegation places proved to be closer than expected, but both Aston Villa – defying the odds in their first season back in the top-flight – and West Ham United survived the drop, at the expense of Watford and Bournemouth, the Hornets ultimately being let down by both an atrocious start to the season with only a solitary win in their opening sixteen games and their sacking of three different managers, with Bournemouth also being let down by a collapse in points and form either side of the season being suspended despite a remarkable victory over Everton on the final day; coincidentally, all three clubs had been promoted in the same season only five years prior, albeit Norwich had gone straight back down the following year.
Source: Premier League Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) If the champions, relegated teams or qualified teams for UEFA competitions cannot be determined by rules 1 to 3, rules 4.1 to 4.3 are applied – 4.1) Points gained in head to head record between such teams; 4.2) Away goals scored in head to head record between such teams; 4.3) Play-offs[11] (C) Champions; (R) Relegated Notes:
^Since the winners of the 2019–20 EFL Cup, Manchester City, qualified for the Champions League group stage by league position, the spot given to the EFL Cup winners (Europa League second qualifying round) was passed down to the sixth-placed team.
^Arsenal qualified for the Europa League group stage as the 2019–20 FA Cup winners.
The race for the automatic promotion spots proved competitive, both before the season was suspended and after the decision was made to resume following a vote by the FA. But in the end, Leeds United made up for their play-off semi-final disappointment the previous year and returned to the Premier League for the first time since 2004 in Marcelo Bielsa's second season as manager, the Yorkshire club remaining in the promotion positions all season despite poor January form and ensuring both promotion and the champions' spot before their penultimate game. The battle for second place proved to be just as hotly contested with three teams in the mix in the last round of games, but West Bromwich Albion successfully held off strong runs of form from both Brentford and Fulham to end a two-year absence from the top-flight, giving Slaven Bilić promotion in his first season as head coach. Both London clubs therefore qualified for the play-offs, alongside Welsh clubs Cardiff City and Swansea City, the latter managed to leapfrog Nottingham Forest in the closing minutes of the season on goals scored - Forest being left to rue a six-game winless run, having been all but guaranteed a top-six finish at the start of July; the playoffs were then won by Fulham, making an immediate return to the Premier League while giving Scott Parker a successful first full season in management.
The battle for the play-offs ultimately proved a closer affair, with many teams battling for one spot; among the teams to miss out were Derby County, who overcame a sluggish start to only narrowly miss out on a play-off position, whilst also managing to sign top-flight legend Wayne Rooney in the winter transfer window. Amid yet another poor start to their season, Reading looked poised to endure a third successive relegation battle – however, the unorthodox decision of newly installed Sporting Director Mark Bowen to appoint himself as manager proved to be a successful one as the Royals rocketed away from the bottom and even looked likely to snatch an unlikely play-off position in the closing weeks of the campaign, falling short in the closing games. Newly relegated Huddersfield Town suffered a similarly dreadful start to their campaign and found themselves battling a second consecutive relegation in a row, but the appointment of Lincoln City manager Danny Cowley and several key wins picked up at crucial points ultimately proved enough for the Terriers to secure their Championship status, the win in their penultimate game that ensured safety ironically being the one to send Leeds back into the top-flight.
The battle at the bottom of the table ended up being one of the tightest in the history of the second tier, with all three relegation spots left wide open going into the last game – and in the end, it was ultimately Hull City, Wigan Athletic and Charlton Athletic who dropped into League One; Hull's relegation came after a complete collapse in form in the second half of the season, the accumulation of just six points after New Year's Day and the sale of key players Kamil Grosicki and Jarred Bowen helping to condemn the Tigers to the third tier for the first time since 2005. Wigan controversially took the second spot, suffering a 12-point deduction for entering administration and falling into the bottom three after the final whistle as a result, despite an outstanding run of form after the season resumed that included an 8–0 win at home over Hull. Charlton Athletic suffered immediate relegation back to the third tier, the London club being left to rue a run of just one win between the middle of October and the end of January despite securing some positive results in their closing games. Having been nearly adrift at the turn of the year, Luton Town saw a resurgence of their own that saw them fight their way to safety, the Hatters being helped by the return of influential manager Nathan Jones during the suspension, whilst Barnsley defied the odds and poor form in the first half of the season to secure their place in the second tier.
Source: EFL Official Website Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Head-to-head results; 5) Wins; 6) Away goals; 7) Penalty points (sec 9.5); 8) 12-point sending off offences[13] (C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated Notes:
^Four teams play for one spot and promotion to the Premier League.
^As a result of Wigan Athletic entering administration, the club was subject to a 12-point deduction. In accordance with EFL regulations, the timing of the sporting sanction was only determined once final league placings in the Championship were determined. Since the club did not finish in the relegation places at the end of season, the sanction was applied to their 2019–20 total and final league standings were amended as appropriate.[12]
League One
With the season postponed in March, clubs in both League One and League Two found enough votes to agree to end the season - using Points-Per-Game to help solidify a final points total, both Coventry City and Rotherham United were automatically promoted; the Sky Blues' promotion came just three years after relegation to League Two and eight years after having fallen out of the second tier, marking a remarkable turn of events for the club despite off-field issues that saw them being forced to groundshare with Birmingham City, whilst the Millers secured a second instant return to the Championship in two years (making this the fourth consecutive season that they moved between the Championship and League One), in spite of having fallen off the top of the table just prior to the season being suspended. The final qualifying spot was taken by Wycombe Wanderers, who stormed through the play-offs to record the Buckinghamshire club's first ever promotion to the Championship; whilst they had dropped off the top of the table over the festive period and then dropped further down, the Chairboys recovered enough before the season was postponed to ensure a third-place finish through Points-Ger-Game and give long-term manager Gareth Ainsworth his second promotion with the club in three seasons.
Losing out in the play-off final were Oxford United, who missed out on a chance to return to the second tier for the first time since the end of the 20th century; nonetheless, the U's enjoyed a fantastic season, which included making the quarter-finals of the League Cup and thrashing Premier League side West Ham 4–0 along the way. A poor start to the season ultimately cost Sunderland a second successive chance of promotion despite an improvement with new manager Phil Parkinson, whilst a superb start for Ipswich Town completely fell apart in the New Year, consigning the Tractor Boys to another season in the third tier; both clubs had advocated resuming the season. Lincoln City were another club who had started well, giving hope for a second promotion in a row, but a poor start under new management after the departure of Danny Cowley to Huddersfield Town saw results drop off, leaving them closer to relegation in the table - nevertheless, safety was secured by virtue of the season ending early, a decision that gave fellow promoted side Milton Keynes Dons a second season in League One.
Bury's season practically ended before it started, financial troubles ultimately seeing the club expelled from the Football League altogether, the first team to suffer this fate since Maidstone United in 1992. As a result, only three teams were relegated when the season concluded; Bolton Wanderers, Southend United and Tranmere Rovers. Bolton's relegation came amid similar finance issues to Bury, though they were able to find new ownership to avoid expulsion; however, their points deduction would have had no bearing on their battle to escape the drop, as terrible early-season form and a lack of wins helped consign the Trotters to a second consecutive relegation, meaning they would be playing in the fourth tier for the first time since 1988. Southend United fared little better, only finishing above Bolton because of the points deduction and only avoiding conceding 100 goals because of the season finishing early, suffering relegation after five seasons in the third tier. Despite finding form in the early months of 2020, Tranmere could not escape the relegation zone before the season was suspended and suffered an immediate relegation back to League Two - though they did have some positives in their season, including managing to come from 3–0 down to hold Watford in the FA Cup at Vicarage Road and then beat them in the replay.
Source: EFL Official Website Rules for classification: 1) Points per game; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Head-to-head results; 5) Wins; 6) Away goals; 7) Penalty points (sec 9.5); 8) 12-point sending-off offences[17] (C) Champions; (D) Disqualified; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated Notes:
^Four teams play for one spot and promotion to the EFL Championship.
^Bolton Wanderers deducted 12 points for entering administration.[14]
^Bury deducted 12 points for entering into an insolvency event, before later being expelled from the EFL on 27 August 2019. At the time of their expulsion, they had played no matches.[15][16]
League Two
As with League One, League Two also opted to end the season early following its postponement in March - this gave Swindon Town, Crewe Alexandra and Plymouth Argyle automatic promotion. Just three years after falling into the fourth tier, Swindon finally picked up enough points to return to League One, thanks in part to the impressive goal-scoring efforts of Irish forward Eoin Doyle. Crewe's promotion came four years after suffering relegation themselves and to the surprise of many, considering their previous campaigns had seen them either only avoid relegation or finish in mid-table; nevertheless, the Railwaymen enjoyed a good season before it had been postponed, managing to win promotion with the most goals scored. Having just missed out on avoiding the drop into League Two the previous season, Plymouth bounced back in style as they sealed an immediate return to the third tier, thanks in part to the experience of new manager Ryan Lowe, who had helped expelled club Bury to promotion the previous year despite off-field problems. Taking the final spot via the play-offs were Northampton Town, who ended a two-year spell outside of the third tier in dramatic style; the Cobblers had actually lost five out of seven league games prior to the season being suspended, a run that nearly saw them fall out of the play-off places altogether, before losing their first play-off leg - however, the team rallied and processed to win both the second leg and then the final at Wembley by big scorelines, ending Keith Curle's first full season as manager in some style.
Exeter City endured another troubling attempt at promotion, having been largely in the top three for most of the season before falling into the play-offs before the suspension of the season; whilst they achieved a comeback result in the playoffs, their crushing loss at the hands of Northampton Town ensured a third play-off final loss in four seasons. Missing out on the play-offs as a result of the usage of Points-Per-Game were Bradford City, despite looking like they would bounce back from relegation the previous year, Forest Green Rovers, who were looking to build on having made the play-off semi-finals the previous year, and even Salford City, who defied all their critics and took to their first season in the Football League very well. Following the unexpected and tragic death of manager Justin Edinburgh weeks after they had been promoted, a poor run of results at several points in the early months of the season saw Leyton Orient likely to suffer relegation - but despite this, the club pulled through and escaped the drop following the vote to end the season, giving hope the O's would build on the success of Edinburgh's promotion.
Because of Bury's demise, only one club was relegated from the Football League this season (the League Two clubs initially voted for no movement between the Football League and National League to take place this season, but this plan was subsequently vetoed by the Football Association). Ultimately, Stevenage finished bottom and appeared set to return to the National League after a decade, following a dismal season in which they had four different managers, and fell to the foot of the table in late September and never left it. However, Macclesfield Town lost a total of seventeen points for various financial transgressions during the course of the season; the last four of those deducted points were initially suspended until the following season, but an appeal by the Football League and Stevenage saw them instead applied to this season, causing Macclesfield to instead finish bottom and return to the National League after just two years; they would ultimately never take their place in that league, however, as their financial problems proved insurmountable, resulting in the club folding a few weeks into the 2020–21 season, and thus making this the final season that they completed. The combination of Bury's demise and Macclesfield's points deductions saved Morecambe, who were statistically the second-worst team after Stevenage, from relegation to the National League.
Source: EFL Official Website Rules for classification: 1) Points per game; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Head-to-head results; 5) Wins; 6) Away goals; 7) Penalty points (sec 9.5); 8) 12-point sending off offences[25] (C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated Notes:
^Four teams play for one spot and promotion to EFL League One.
^As a result of Bury's expulsion from League One, only one team is relegated to maintain League Two at 24 teams.[18]
^Macclesfield Town deducted four points for failing to both pay their players' wages and to fulfil a fixture, reduced from six points after appeal.[19][20] A further seven-point deduction was given for failing to play December's match against Plymouth Argyle.[21] A further two-point deduction was given for breaches of regulations over non-payment of wages.[22] On 3 July the EFL appealed against the independent disciplinary panel's sanctions on Macclesfield.[23] A further four points were deducted on 11 August 2020, resulting in Macclesfield Town being relegated. Stevenage reprieved[24]
As with League One and League Two, the National League curtailed its season, with the final placings decided on points-per-game. Barrow therefore finished top and returned to the Football League for the first time since 1972; the longest gap that any team has had between leaving the Football League (either via automatic relegation or the prior election system) and re-entering it via automatic promotion. Harrogate Town, who were in second place prior to the suspension of the season, won the play-offs and entered the Football League for the first time in their history.
Chorley finished in last place after a dismal season, in which they were on the verge of relegation even before the season's suspension cemented this outcome. AFC Fylde's fortunes declined sharply after two consecutive play-off finishes, and they were left to rue a poor run of results which dumped them into the relegation spots and ultimately sealed their fate when the season was suspended. Ebbsfleet United, who like Fylde enjoyed two strong finishes in the previous season, filled the final relegation spot; they had actually been outside the relegation zone prior to the season's suspension, but dropped into it on points-per-game in place of Maidenhead United. Maidenhead would themselves have been relegated, but were reprieved as the result of Bury's demise.
Source: National League official site Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of matches won; 5) Head-to-head results [27] (C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated Notes:
^As a result of the knock-on effects of Bury's expulsion from League One, the fourth bottom team was reprieved from relegation for numerical reasons.[26]
The final was rescheduled for 27 September 2020 however this was postponed as the FA hoped to have spectators in the final. The date was then agreed for 3 May 2021 behind closed doors as a suitable solution could not be reached to be played with fans.[31]
Source: FA WSL, BBC Rules for classification: Initially: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored. After abandonment of season: 1) Points per game (C) Champions; (R) Relegated
^Between the fourth round and the semi-finals, Harrogate were promoted to the Football League through the National League play-offs after the season had finished on an average points-per-game basis due to curtailment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
25 December 2019: Martyn King, 82, Colchester United and Wrexham forward, who holds the record as the highest league goalscorer in Colchester United history.[178]
Bury FC were expelled from the EFL League One on 27 August 2019, due to financial issues at the club meaning they could not satisfy the requirements of their notice of withdrawal issued by the EFL for this deadline date.[293]
Diary of the season
31 August 2019: The first month of the new season ends with Liverpool top of the Premier League, the only team to have won all four games in August. Manchester City are two points behind in second. Leicester City, Crystal Palace and West Ham United have made good starts to the season and occupy third to fifth, ahead of Arsenal (with a game in hand) and Manchester United. Newly promoted Aston Villa and Norwich City are having a tough time on their return to the top flight, tied on three points apiece with Wolverhampton Wanderers (who have played nine games already en route to the Europa League group stage, and have a game in hand), and only above Watford, the only Premier League team without a win so far. Swansea City are having a good start under Steve Cooper's management to lead the Championship, two points ahead of newly promoted Charlton Athletic. Leeds United stand third and look to be contending for another attempt at promotion. West Bromwich Albion and Bristol City stand in fourth and fifth; newly relegated Fulham, Preston North End, Queens Park Rangers, and managerless Birmingham City tussle for the sixth play-off spot. Another newly relegated team, Huddersfield Town, are having a torrid start on their return to the second tier and stand in 23rd on one point, with manager Jan Siewert sacked a fortnight earlier. Stoke City prop up the table, also with one point, three points behind 22nd-placed Wigan Athletic.
30 September 2019: September ends with Liverpool now five points clear of second-placed Manchester City. Leicester and West Ham continue their good starts to the season and stand third and fifth, sandwiching Arsenal; Tottenham and Chelsea are sixth and seventh. Watford, still without a win, prop up the table, three points behind Aston Villa (18th) and Newcastle United. West Brom now lead the Championship, one point ahead of Swansea and Nottingham Forest and two ahead of Leeds, Preston, and Charlton. Wigan has climbed to 21st at the expense of Barnsley; the Championship relegation zone is otherwise unchanged.
25 October 2019: Leicester break the record for the biggest away win in top-flight history with a 9–0 victory at Southampton.
31 October 2019: Liverpool end October six points ahead of Manchester City, though they have lost their 100% record due to a 1–1 draw at Old Trafford. Leicester remain third, ahead of Chelsea on goal difference, largely thanks to that 9–0 victory over Southampton. Arsenal are four points adrift of the Champions League places in fifth, Crystal Palace's good start sees them sixth after three months played, and Manchester United, Sheffield United, Bournemouth, and West Ham share seventh with only goal difference separating them. Watford remain winless and bottom, now joined by Norwich and Southampton. West Brom continue to lead the Championship, two points ahead of Preston, Leeds, and Swansea. Sheffield Wednesday and Bristol City complete the top six. Barnsley (24th) and Stoke are joint bottom, joined in the Championship's bottom three by Middlesbrough.
30 November 2019: Liverpool remain top of the league at the end of November, eleven points clear of Manchester City and Leicester (the latter of whom has a game in hand). Chelsea remain fourth. Spurs have jumped to fifth following Jose Mourinho's appointment, a point ahead of Wolves and two ahead of Sheffield United; however, the congested nature of the table below fourth is emphasised by the fact that the gap between Chelsea and Spurs (6 points) is the same as the gap between Spurs and 17th-placed Everton. The relegation zone remains unchanged from the end of October. Leeds lead the Championship, though second-placed West Brom have a game in hand. Fulham, Nottingham Forest, Bristol City and Preston make up the play-off zone. Barnsley and Stoke remain in the same places as last month, with Wigan replacing Middlesbrough in 22nd.
31 December 2019: The new decade begins with Liverpool's lead extended to 16 points, Leicester and Manchester City swapping places, and Chelsea remaining fourth. Manchester United, Spurs, and Wolves are hot on the West London side's tails in the race for fourth. Watford have climbed off the bottom of the table at Norwich's expense, but remain in the bottom three, now joined by Aston Villa (18th). In the Championship, Leeds and West Brom hold a comfortable nine-point lead on Fulham, joined in the play-off places by Forest, Brentford, and Sheffield Wednesday. Stoke are now out of the drop zone on goal difference ahead of Barnsley and Luton, and Wigan a point behind.
31 January 2020: Liverpool end January 19 points clear; it is increasingly a question of when, not if, the Merseysiders end their 30-year title drought. Manchester City have moved three points ahead of Leicester but the top seven is otherwise unchanged from the end of December. Norwich and Watford remain 20th and 19th, but the relegation battle is heating up as only two goals separate West Ham (18th), Bournemouth and Watford, and Brighton and Villa only two points away from relegation. A difficult January has seen Leeds and West Brom's lead on third-placed Forest cut to four and two points respectively. Fulham are fourth, Brentford stay fifth, and Bristol City have taken sixth place from Sheffield Wednesday. Luton (24th) and Barnsley are two points behind 22nd-placed Wigan and six points from 21st-placed Charlton.
29 February 2020: February ends with Watford ending Liverpool's unbeaten run; regardless, Liverpool are 22 points clear of Manchester City and need only four wins from ten games to confirm the title. The only change to the top seven is with Sheffield United jumping above Wolves to seventh; however, the race for the Champions League is still far from decided as only five points separate Manchester United in fifth with Crystal Palace in 12th. The win over Liverpool has propelled Watford to 17th, above Bournemouth but below West Ham on goal difference. Villa are two points behind and Norwich six - it is not inconceivable that for only the second time in the Premier League's history, the final day could arrive with no team certain of the drop. With ten games left in the Championship, West Brom and Leeds remain in the top two, now six and five points away from third-placed Fulham. Forest (with a game in hand), Brentford and Preston complete the top six. A run of ten points from six games has seen Wigan rise to 19th, with Middlesbrough taking their place in the bottom three, although the Teessiders have a game in hand on their nearest rivals, Stoke (21st) and Charlton. Barnsley and Luton remain joint bottom.
13 March 2020: League Football is postponed for the foreseeable future due to the Coronavirus pandemic, leaving Liverpool just shy of claiming their first top flight title in 29 years. Some National League and lower fixtures go ahead, but many choose not to play for the safety of fans, staff and players. It is unknown how long the league will be out of action or how long until all fixtures get postponed.
26 March 2020: The FA rule that every league below National League North/South, from Step 3 to Step 7, have been voided, and results expunged. No promotions or relegations will take place. The National League will meet to discuss the fate of the three remaining divisions.
25 June 2020: Manchester City lose 2–1 to Chelsea, therefore clinching the Premier League title for Liverpool with seven games to go. This also earns Liverpool the achievement of being the team that won the title earliest in terms of games played, with seven games remaining, and also the team to win it the latest, being the only team to win the title in June. A trophy presentation ceremony for the Reds was held at Anfield after their game against Chelsea on 22 July.
^Clotet has been appointed as caretaker until further notice and is expected to take charge for the first game of the season. However, he could be appointed as permanent manager.
^Embleton has been appointed as caretaker until further notice. Following the sacking of Fletcher, he could be appointed as permanent manager.
