Since Exeter City were promoted from League Two in 2022, their time in League One has been marked by occasional ups and sharp downs. Gary Caldwell’s side have seen successful cup runs and moments of brilliance in the league, but on the flip side have been favourites for relegation and at one point went 100 days without a win.
Ahead of their fourth consecutive year in League One, the club welcomed 12 new incomings, including three on deadline day.
Goalkeeper Joe Whitworth returned for another season at St James Park on loan from Crystal Palace, along with hotly tipped youngsters Sil Swinkels and Ethan Brierley coming in on season-long loans from Aston Villa and Brentford respectively. Centre-back Johnly Yfeko turned his loan from last year into a permanent move, and Exeter will be hoping that the signing of striker Jayden Wareham from Reading fills the gap up top that they struggled with last season after the sale of Millenic Alli in January.
The summer also saw exits for some fan-favourites, as Vincent Harper and Demetri Mitchell left for Walsall and Leyton Orient respectively. As for the most high-profile exit, midfielder Caleb Watts signed for Exeter’s Devon-Derby opponents Plymouth. It was a deeply unpopular signing with fans, and Watts himself only added fuel to the fire when he stated what drew him to Plymouth was that everyone was full of ‘optimism and ambition’ in his first interview at Home Park.
After eight games, Exeter sit 16th in the league, the exact same position they finished last season’s campaign in and have found themselves in a very similar vein of form to the one they finished with back in April. A late penalty saw Doncaster beat them on the opening day, but they were able to bounce back the next week with a dominant 4-1 win over Blackpool in their first home game, a match that saw a first goal in red and white for Wareham.
…On days where creativity is limited and chances are hard to come by, the lack of firepower in attack has seen Exeter struggle to get a foothold in games, or worse, do anything at all.
Another late goal brought defeat for the Grecians at home to Mansfield, but Exeter were on the end of receiving end of a stroke of luck when an 83rd minute Jack Grimmer own goal gave them a 1-0 win away at Wycombe. Finding themselves two goals down within 17 minutes was less than ideal against Northampton, but they were able to bounce back again with a 3-0 win at home to bottom-of-the-league Peterborough.
A flat display at Rotherham followed as Caldwell’s side succumbed to a 1-0 loss, and 71% possession and 11 shots weren’t enough to clinch victory against Port Vale, as The Vale scored with their only two shots-on-target to defeat Exeter 2-0.
Manager Caldwell has, much like he has throughout each of the Grecians’ seasons in League One, come under immense pressure and scrutiny regarding his side’s playing style. When the system has fired, players like Reece Cole and Jake Doyle-Hayes have been able to dominate games in the midfield, but on days where creativity is limited and chances are hard to come by, the lack of firepower in attack has seen Exeter struggle to get a foothold in games, or worse, do anything at all.
The busy autumn and winter months will be crucial for the club and for Caldwell as manager. Already out of the EFL Cup, the next few fixtures don’t get any easier, with games against three top seven sides in Stevenage, Huddersfield and Lincoln.
