3 Teams Battling Relegation From The Premier League This Season

Once you’re in there, it’s hard to get out. This applies to the 3 Premier League sides currently sitting in those relegation spots. Just 7 games in, it’s a certainty that Crystal Palace, Sunderland and Norwich will all endure a fight for survival, one which none of these clubs have had much experience of escaping.

Paolo Di Canio ‘saved’ Sunderland in 2012/2013 by winning 2 matches, both of which came in the space of a week. Since that high point in his tenure, he went on to upset many of his players and brought in a whole new bunch that have yet to win a single game this campaign. As we all know, Black Cats owner Ellis Short sacked Di Canio after 5 matches of the new season and since his departure they have fell short in another 2 home fixtures whilst under caretaker charge.

Gus Poyet’s arrival as the new head coach on Wearside comes after a successful spell at Brighton where in the end his relationship with the board fell to pieces. The fear of relegation has a tendency to have club’s make subconscious decisions and to hand a difficult job to a man who has never managed at the top level is probably one of them. Let’s not forget Poyet’s first job in management was Brighton – where he was sacked in the summer.

You can’t knock Ian Holloway or the passion the Palace supporters have shown so far, yet it only takes a few more weeks down near the bottom and fans will quickly change their tune. The manager’s personal criticism of Marouane Chamakh in the defeat to Southampton last month wasn’t an ideal situation for either party, but something Holloway simply needed to do. Little so far suggests that Palace can perform the great escape that their manager failed to do with Blackpool a few years back. Although; he’s been involved before and has failed before – this could be the factor that gives them a fighting chance.

Promotion in 2011 was supposed to be setting up one year at the top, then a swift relegation, with Norwich back into the Championship. Remarkably, Chris Houghton’s side didn’t find themselves in any sort of fight at the bottom in that season with a comfortable 12th placed finish (11 points from relegation). Last campaign however was a taste of ‘second season syndrome’ that is often spoken about, though the Canneries managed to hold on to Premiership life in the final few weeks and finish 11th (8 points from relegation).

Other teams bookies think will be down there are Hull and Cardiff. Personally I don’t see Hull going down because of Steve Bruce who is experienced in the lower half of Premier League life. Cardiff, for me, will just edge it because they are very good at home and have a lot of quality on the pitch that can get them out of trouble. Similar to that is Newcastle’s situation, although St James’ Park wasn’t enough to save the Toon from going down in 2009 with Alan Shearer as manager. What a great day that was!

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