Last season was a disappointing time for the then newly promoted teams with all three making an unwelcome return to the Championship after just one season in the Premier League. This was only the second time that this event has occurred. The only previous time was in season 1997-98 when Barnsley, Bolton and Crystal Palace made history by all making that fast return.
What does the future hold for this season’s promoted teams Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton? Firstly let’s take a closer look at Leicester City. It’s true to say that Leicester has a fair bit of Premier League pedigree and that relegation was a mere blip.
They still have a lot of Premier League experience within their squad. They even have old man Steptoe still in their ranks aka Jamie Vardy who, on his day, has a few goals still in those boots of his. It’s also a fact that they will sell out the Kingpower stadium for most games. I really think they will be safe.
They have some strength in depth too and with a little bit of transfer magic, I can’t see them slipping up again. They have an easy start with an opener against a team that often bottles it, Spurs, then Fulham away.
Realistically they don’t really play anyone major until they face Arsenal at the end of September. As for May, it all looks pretty favourable, games against Southampton, Forest, Ipswich and Bournemouth await so it should be a comfortable end to the season.
I think by then they will be safe but what of the other two promoted teams? Well let’s move onto Ipswich, and this is an interesting one.
It’s not always great to have back to back promotions. Is it too quick of a meteoric rise and would they be capable of such a big leap in class? Ipswich, however, do have something in their back pocket, which is a bit of an unknown.
Just a year ago the US private equity firm, Bright Path Partners, bought a 40% share in the team. Although the day-to-day running still sits with chief executive Mark Ashton, both Jake Zahnow and Sam Simon co-founders of Bright Partners now sit on the Portman Road board and we all know US firms don’t put into sports teams just for the fun of it.
The deal was worth £105 million and although there is talk of improvement to the club’s infrastructure, who knows what else they will offer. One thing we do know is that they have already acquired Ben Johnson from the Hammers and he will definitely be an asset.
And it’s that area, the transfer window, that holds the keys to Ipswich’s future. They will need to strengthen and if they do, then they could be the surprise team this season.
Ipswich fans have waited 22 years for a return to the Premier League. Their expectations will be high and with the team last season scoring close to one hundred goals, if they play without fear this season, who knows what it will bring. What has not helped is the fixture computer which has produced a really difficult opening few fixtures.
A home opener against Liverpool followed by an away day at Manchester City is the thing of nightmares. On the plus side they do have an easier finish. May looks slightly easier and they may have nothing to play for either way when they play the Hammers in their final game of the season.
And that brings me to the final promoted team, Southampton, who squeezed through in the play offs, thanks in large part to West Ham reject Flynn Downs who we bizarrely decided to sell in the off season. Southampton will have the greatest of all challenges of the newly-promoted teams.
Where Leicester have Premier League pedigree and Ipswich have new investors, Southampton have spent, so far, big on a Manchester City centre back and Flynn. It’s an understatement that they need strengthening. But let’s not forget they did go on a 25-game unbeaten run last season so they must have been doing something right.
They also have a good chance of gaining points early as the fixture computer has only matched them against one of the big six during the first two months of the season. As for the run-in, in May home games against Arsenal and Manchester City await, so I feel they need to be safe before then. I feel they won’t be.
The bookies are predicting all three could go straight back down to the Championships but I have a sneaky feeling that one or maybe even two teams may defy those odds. With a Premier League that still houses Fulham, Nottingham Forest and Everton in their ranks it just may happen.
I predict at least one of those three will find themselves in the Championship next season. We will have to wait and see.
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