Steve Tilson expects League One to be even tougher next season with a host of big clubs dropping down from the Championship.

Tilson's Southend side failed to make the play-offs this campaign despite a late surge up the table and are now preparing for another season in the third tier along with newly relegated trio Norwich, Charlton and Southampton.

Leeds and the MK Dons also failed to gain promotion through the play-offs and Tilson knows that the new season will be one of the toughest his side have encountered.

"There are going to be a number of good games that's for sure," he told the Echo. "For me I think the standard is going to be even higher than last season and probably the highest it's been since we've been in this league in actual fact.

"You would expect both Norwich and Charlton to be up there challenging straight away and Southampton should do well too even though they are starting on minus 10 points.

"On top of that you still have the likes of Leeds and MK Dons in the league. So there are some big clubs around with big budgets and it's going to be difficult."