The League Two season begins on Saturday with every game live on Sky Sports+.

Sky Sports looks at some of the key storylines ahead of the big kick-off…

Notts County enter brave new world

Notts County have done things a little differently since brothers Christoffer and Alexander Reedtz took over the club in 2019 – they’re taking it one step further this season.

The ambitious owners have used their background as co-founders of the analysis company Football Radar to find an edge over their opponents in recruitment and on the pitch.

They sacked head coach Stuart Maynard in May following their play-off semi-final defeat to AFC Wimbledon and appointed Martin Paterson, whose limited managerial experience only includes a short stint at Burton Albion.

He will be supported by coaches Andy Edwards and Sam Slocombe and a newly-formed “technical board” which includes the three of them, the owners, director of football Roberto Gagliardi and director of performance Dr David Rhodes.

The group will “discuss football strategy, team and player performance, data insights and other matters” and meet pre-match to share views on “tactical approach and team selection”.

Paterson will have “ultimate decision-making responsibility”, although he will have to explain in-game decisions at post-match meetings, where a data-led review of the game will be presented.

What could possibly go wrong…

Brennan’s buzzing Bees want to keep soaring

Since automatic promotion from the National League to the EFL was introduced in 1986, no club has ever been relegated in their first League Two season – and Barnet have plans to keep on climbing.

“This is the first step in our plan to conquer League Two,” said chairman Tony Kleanthous in May after tying manager Dean Brennan to a three-year contract. “First, we keep the manager, then we keep the players, then we sign new players, and then we go for promotion again.”

Barnet stormed to the National League title last season with 102 points and, as Kleanthous promised, have kept hold of key players like Danny Collinge, Idris Kanu and 20-goal forward Callum Stead.

Then they’ve made promising signings like taking Manchester United forward Joe Hugill on loan, Gillingham striker Oli Hawkins, midfielder Scott High and FC Halifax Town centre-back Adam Senior.

Brennan has rejuvenated the club that was fighting relegation when he took over in September 2021 with his recruitment and man-management, and now faces his biggest challenge yet.

Cook rustling up promotion bid

Chesterfield were the favourites to win promotion last season after coming up as National League champions, and they’re well backed again to do it this time.

Injuries blighted their campaign, yet a run of just one defeat in their final 13 games snuck them into the play-offs, where they lost to Walsall.

The loss of Dilan Markanday when he was recalled in January didn’t help, but he’s now signed permanently to join a potent frontline that includes Will Grigg, Armando Dobra and Lee Bonis, who has signed from Den Haag for an undisclosed fee.

Boss Paul Cook is gunning for his fifth promotion and his second with Chesterfield from League Two, 11 years on from his first. And they’re well placed to achieve it.

Will Walsall’s wounds heal?

Walsall’s dream season turned into a nightmare – just how did they conspire to blow a 12-point lead, win only three of their final 19 games, miss out on automatic promotion with less than 40 seconds to play on the final day and then lose in the play-off final?

It is a question that may still have been on the mind of many at the club this summer, and boss Mat Sadler, who some fans turned against amid their collapse, will need a positive start to put that nightmare behind them.

Stoke recalling striker Nathan Lowe in January was one of the reasons why their season imploded. Walsall have looked to address that this summer, signing forwards Jonny Stuttle, on loan from Bournemouth, and Stevenage’s Aaron Pressley to share the load with the 12-goal Jamille Matt.

Walsall’s tricky August begins at home against Swindon, before trips to Gillingham and Barnet, followed by home fixtures against Grimsby and Salford, and rounded off by visiting MK Dons.

How Walsall navigate it will reveal a lot about whether the scars of last season have truly healed.

Seventh time lucky for Salford?

Will this finally be the season Salford City escape League Two?

After winning four promotions in five campaigns to surge through non-League following the Class of ’92’s takeover, few would have seen the club’s rise stalling in the EFL.

Salford have finished in the play-offs just once in their six League Two seasons, missing out by a point last term, which has raised hopes that head coach Karl Robinson can launch a proper promotion push in his second full year.

The club revealed in May that it has been acquired by a new ownership group led by David Beckham and Gary Neville, with new shareholders that have promised to “invest significantly”.

Their recruitment this summer doesn’t suggest a spending spree, with right-back Kallum Cesay and centre-back Adebola Oluwo signed from Wealdstone and Barnet, respectively.

Jay Bird, a forward from Huddersfield, and Hearts midfielder Jorge Grant have also joined as Salford look to end their prolonged stay in the fourth tier.

Watch the EFL on Sky Sports

There are over 1,000 of the EFL’s 1,891 games across the EFL, Carabao Cup and Vertu Trophy that will be broadcast on Sky Sports throughout the season and not only that, but every one of the 72 EFL Clubs are to be featured live on Sky more than 20 times next season.

And it is also important to remember that:

Matches will be broadcast live across existing Sky Sports channels or on Sky Sports+

Every EFL match which is shown on Sky Sports will also be available on the Sky Sports app 📱.

Not got Sky? Watch the EFL without a contract on NOW.