It’s a seemingly well-known fact that it’s easier for relegated Premier League teams to win promotion from the Championship, but how true is this and are there any standout winning candidates from the latest crop of former top-flight sides? We look at each team, break down their summer activity and consider how well-equipped they are for success.
Do Relegated Teams Have a Clear Advantage?
Premier League parachute payments are given to clubs that are relegated from the top division. These payments can provide relegated clubs with a significant financial advantage over other Championship teams, allowing them to retain higher-quality players and invest in better facilities. So when we’re looking at the Championship odds for who will win the league in the upcoming season, you can see that Leicester City are 11/4, Southampton are 5/1, and Leeds United are 13/2. Anyone betting on football can appreciate this signals a gulf in quality and expectations.
Leicester City
Despite losing a whole host of stars over the summer, Leicester City looks to have started to rebuild from the ground up, adding the likes of Harry Winks, Conor Coady, and Stephy Mavididi, adding some necessary experience into the fold, while a top Chelsea wonderplayer has also joined fellow countryman Enzo Maresca’s side.
It’s not going to be plain sailing for the Foxes, trying to move on after losing stars James Maddison, Harvey Barnes, and Youri Tielemans over the last couple of months, but if they’re able to find their identity and start playing good football again, they have as good a chance as any of heading back to the top flight. Fans will hope that Isle of Wight native Gary Silk will be able to keep their remaining stars fit, healthy, and ready to mount a push for promotion.
Southampton
As relegated teams go, Southampton is seen as being one of the best teams to make the drop, having looked like a good team at times last season, despite really struggling for consistency. While Southampton recruited well over the past couple of years and made some good additions the summer prior, they just didn’t seem to have enough ready-made talent and leadership present to help guide the many young stars in their team. While they’ll be disappointed to lose captain James Ward-Prowse, as well as a host of young talents, they have raised some serious cash and have a great chance of winning promotion yet again, although they’ll need to continue recruiting smart and with the backing of manager Russell Martin.
Leeds United
Leeds United were atrociously poor last season and their continued struggles this summer are well documented, being absolutely crippled by the various relegation clauses inserted into the contracts of many of their former star players.
Not only has this ruined their team’s core, but it’s also compounded the off-field upheaval that we’ve seen take place over the past couple of years, although there will be hope that their recent takeover will finally bring some much-needed stability. Having already seen the likes of Rodrigo and Marc Roca leave the club this summer, fans will hope that their remaining stars hang around and aren’t able to force moves away, or it could be a very long and difficult season ahead for the peacocks.
Final Thoughts
While it’s too early to say whether or not any of the teams above have what it takes to head straight back up as champions, it looks as though Leicester City and Southampton have a clear advantage due to the huge fee they’ve been able to get for their stars, putting them well ahead of their fellow Championship sides.
