When the three teams promoted from the Championship to the Premier League are confirmed, there is something that always happens. Each of them are written off as ‘relegation certainties’.
This is just the way it is. Those who know little about the Championship exaggerate the gap in class between the lower end of the Premier League and those coming up.
This isn’t to say that this year’s promoted trio Queens Park Rangers, Norwich City and Swansea City won’t be there or there abouts when it come to being relegated. Of course they are likely to be in the mix.
However, their chances of survival shouldn’t be dismissed. Each of them has plenty of things going for them and reasons to believe they can be the surprise package next season.
Who will perform the best out of the promoted teams though? Who are the ones to watch? Basing predictions on each manager, signings so far and gut feeling, let’s take a look, starting with Queens Park Rangers.
Queens Park Rangers
Manager – Neil Warnock is a very well known boss who many people welcome back to the Premier League with open arms. He is a fascinating character and one who isn’t afraid to speak his mind.
He doesn’t have much top flight experience, but he would have learned valuable lessons from being relegated with Sheffield United in 2007 and will fancy his side to compete in this league.
Signings so far – There hasn’t been much activity in the transfer market for Warnock as yet. Jimmy Bullard and Jay Bothroyd have been heavily linked, but at the moment it is the same squad that won the Championship title.
Gut feeling – At the moment I would expect QPR to be one of the most likely teams to be relegated next year. Not exactly the boldest statement I know, but I actually thought they would have been more active in the transfer market by now.
Having won the Championship and been backed well by the owners in recent seasons, some might expect QPR to take the Premier League by storm next year, but as things stand I am not convinced.
Much could depend on the future of star player Adel Taarabt of course. If he stays, they can build a team around him. If he leaves, they will need to spend the money wisely and find a new captain / talisman.
With the summer weeks passing quickly, they need to sell Taaabt now if they are going to. They do not want him leaving just before the season begins. That would leave them in a very awkward situation ahead of a campaign in the top flight.
Overall, everything seems to be on hold at Loftus Road right now and this needs to change sooner rather than later if they are to build a squad capable of competing in the top flight.
Next time I will be looking at those in Swansea City Shirts and how they might fare in their first ever Premier League season.