- Gab Sutton is a football expert who specialises in the Sky Bet EFL.
After every weekend of action, he builds an EFL Team of the Week and picks out a Sporting Life Star performer.
Goalkeeper
Tom Booth (Crewe Alexandra): There’s long been a section of Crewe fans this season who argued for Tom Booth to start over Harvey Davies, on loan from Liverpool, with the argument being that if they’re allowing a young player the space to learn, grow and make mistakes, it’s better to do that for an asset they own.
Those fans have been vindicated in their point of view, as Davies has never quite recovered from a shaky start at Gresty Road, but Booth has made an instant impression.
The 19-year-old has stepped up admirably for someone on loan in the Northern Premier League with relegated Nantwich last season, and while the Alex defended well for a 1-0 win at Mansfield on Saturday, he made some vital saves.
Defenders
Kayne Ramsay (Harrogate Town): When Kayne Ramsay was at Crewe in 2021-22, he had the look of an Olympic sprinter on a football field – super quick, but limited tactical or technical nous to his game.
Ramsay has since done a lot of development, and he’s now become one of the best right-backs in League Two with Harrogate, marrying natural athleticism with far more in terms of end product, and positional awareness.
The 23-year-old helped the Sulphurites to a 3-1 victory over Yorkshire neighbours Doncaster, which leaves them just two points off the Play-Offs, but a League One return is likely – this season or next.
Curtis Davies (Cheltenham Town): There were concerns about how Curtis Davies would handle the high defensive line Cheltenham like to play under Darrell Clarke, initially assisted by Adam Murray, influenced by an extreme high-pressing specialist in Valerien Ismael, with whom the Brummie worked at Barnsley, West Brom and Besiktas.
Because George Lloyd and Will Goodwin press so aggressively from the front however, ably supported in midfield, the opposition’s quality of distribution is restricted to misplaced passes and forced clearances, which has actually fed into Davies’ aerial prowess.
Under Wade Elliott, Cheltenham’s conservatism actually meant opposing teams had the space to play those through balls that exposed Davies’ lack of pace at 38, but under Clarke, they don’t have that time as the veteran was inspirational in the shock 2-1 victory over leaders Portsmouth.
Niall Canavan (Barrow): Niall Canavan has won promotion from League Two in his career before with Scunthorpe and Plymouth Argyle, and is out to complete the hat-trick with Barrow.
With 389 EFL appearances to his name, the 32-year-old knows the ropes at this level, and his experience has been key to Pete Wild’s side, likewise his consistency in starting all 26 league games, forging a water-tight defensive unit with James Chester and George Ray.
Canavan was outstanding in the Bluebirds’ 1-0 victory over Tranmere last time out, which kept them within a point of the automatic promotion places.
Nick Tsaroulla (Crawley Town): The balletic left-sider has impressed for Crawley consistently since coming into the side in 2020, and the 24-year-old might have grabbed himself a bigger move had he stayed injury free, or played in a better team than League Two’s bottom half dwellers.
That could change in 2024 for the Cypriot though as the Red Devils, tipped by many for relegation before the season, are flying high in ninth thanks to excellent coaching from Scott Lindsey.
Assisting Danilo Orsi’s opener and winning the penalty for the striker’s second goal, the left-back starred in a 4-2 victory at Bradford as the Sussex side moved within just a point of the Play-Off places.
Midfielders
Liam Sercombe (Cheltenham Town): Liam Sercombe is in the conversation for Cheltenham Town’s greatest ever midfielder, along with the likes of Mark Yates and Grant McCann, bearing in mind the Cotswoldian club didn’t reach the Football League until 1999.
After starring at Exeter and Oxford, Sercombe probably peaked a little too late to get the big move to elevate his career beyond League One, where he also thrived with Bristol Rovers under Darrell Clarke.
Re-united with Clarke, the 33-year-old has brought battling and leadership qualities to Cheltenham, as well as a touch of class in possession, and having become a central figure under Wade Elliott last season, Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Portsmouth highlighted just how important he’ll be to the Robins’ survival prospects.
🌟 Dean Campbell (Barrow): Barrow seem to like scoring belters against Tranmere.
On the opening day, it was Kian Spence finding his range at Prenton Park in a 2-1 victory, but on Saturday, Dean Campbell took the honours after linking up delightfully with Elliot Newby, curling home in a 1-0 triumph.
Campbell scored a memorably dramatic winner for Stevenage at Aston Villa in the FA Cup last season, before limited minutes due to a reported falling out with Steve Evans, but the energetic midfielder is certainly a key part of Barrow’s promotion push.
The 22-year-old is catching the eye at Holker Street and may soon be due the League One opportunities he was denied last time around.
Max Bird (Derby County): Midfielders who are equally adept on either foot are scarce in the Premier League, let alone League One, so it’s hardly a surprise that Max Bird is thriving at this level.
Previously recognised as a deep-lying playmaker, though, the 23-year-old is operating in a more advanced role under Paul Warne, and Bird’s freedom has seen him register five assists, two of which coming in Saturday’s 3-1 victory at Fleetwood.
The homegrown midfielder has reported interest from Birmingham, so Derby will be keen to retain their key man.
Forwards
Luke Harris (Exeter City): Exeter needed a strong January to bolster their survival chances, and loaning Luke Harris from Fulham is a great start.
The 18-year-old has been around the Wales senior squad for over a year and is highly-rated by the staff, while the attacking midfielder has also played 74 minutes of a Premier League game at Manchester City this season.
Harris is creative, likes to take players on and has a knack of timing his runs into the box well too, qualities already in evidence in City’s crucial 2-1 victory over Carlisle.
Sonny Cox (Exeter City): Gary Caldwell has previously spoken of the need for Exeter to bring a number nine into the building, but perhaps even he wasn’t quite anticipating the impact of recalling Sonny Cox from his loan spell at Yeovil.
Cox only scored twice in 11 appearances for the Glovers in the National League South, but has already bagged two in six for the Grecians since returning in mid-December, bringing excellent hold-up play and intelligent movement – both in stretching defences and coming short.
Caldwell will still want one striker to come in, at least, but Cox finding his feet straight away takes some of the pressure off.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing (Derby County): Nathaniel Mendez-Laing’s quick, powerful running has been key to Derby’s promotion push, and that continued in the 3-1 victory at Fleetwood.
The versatile winger, who has operated as both a wide forward this season and as a wing-back, bagged the opener on the Fylde Coast and was a crucial outlet throughout.
Bird, mentioned above, and defender Eiran Cashin will be central to the Rams’ plans to push for automatic promotion this season, but the Guatemala international is unquestionably in that bracket too.
Manager
Lee Bell (Crewe Alexandra): Midtable was the modus operandi for Crewe in 2023-24, if Lee Bell could continue to bring on the next generation of talent, whilst evolving the style back towards The Crewe Way after a 2022-23 that was all about getting the basics right.
For the Alex to be flying high in 5th, therefore, after a 1-0 win at Mansfield shows just how well Bell has done, especially with a whole spate of injuries to a squad that would have been initially considered to lack depth.
The January window will decide whether the Railwaymen can remain in the top seven – but midfielder Lewis Leigh looks another smart recruit, on loan from Preston North End, with Jack Powell out for the season and uncertainty over whether Joe White will be recalled by Newcastle.
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