Bookies see a season of struggle for Stags

League sponsors Sky Bet have them at 28/1 for the title, 13/2 for promotion and 8/1 for relegation.

Bury, the most impressive side at One Call Stadium last season after a spectacular revival in form, and Conference champions and Stags’ arch rivals Luton are 15/2 and 8/1 for the title respectively and 7/4 and 13/8 for promotion.

Also in the promotion shake-up for Sky Bet are Shrewsbury at 2/1, Stevenage at 3/1 and Southend at 4/1.

Ladbrokes have Bury as title favourites at 7/1, followed by Luton at 8/1 and Portsmouth at 9/1. Stags are in the bottom 10 of the betting at 25/1.

Mansfield’s title odds are even longer at Paddy Power where they are in the bottom seven at 33/1.

Bury and Luton are both quoted at 8/1 with Portsmouth at 9/1.

William Hill quote Stags at 7/1 for promotion, which is among the bottom nine in their betting, and 40/1 for the title.

They have Bury favourites for the title at 6/1 and promotion at 6/4.

Stags finished an impressive 11th in their first season back in the Football League and, despite budget cuts this summer, will hope to match or better that position with some shrewd work in the transfer market.

Manager Paul Cox knows that if his new strike duo of Liam Hearn and Scott Fisher find the form they are capable of, those promotion odds could start tumbling.