For all football league fan’s, the hope of reaching the promised land of the Premier League is just a dream. But as that goal is accomplished the team and its fans are met by the enormity of consolidating and staying in the premier league, because for many clubs 1 season in the English top flight is just not enough.
This summer Cardiff, Hull City and Crystal Palace look to prepare for life in the Premier League.
Championship winners Cardiff are new comers, with Palace and Hull City both falling foul in their debut seasons in 2003- 2004 and 2009- 2010 respectively.
So it is fair to say with the three also making up many bookmakers favorites for relegation, a return to the championship seems an all to likely formality.
The question is why is this first season relegation so often the case, when Hull were relegated in 2009-2010 Phil Brown was quoted as saying “we have are targets, but we just can’t attract top quality players”. The step up to the premier league is such a big one it is vital for club’s to add quality and premier league experience to the current group.
However, whether it is the fact the players are scared by the tough task of scrapping for every point in a relegation battle, the club’s just are not prestigious enough, or the newly promoted club’s simply can’t afford the established Premier League names. Many head into their first top flight campaign without star names, and the right depth to compete.
Bits and bobs are added, but free transfers such as Maynor Figueroa for Hull and Jerome Thomas for Crystal Palace are not going to be the catalyst for a much craved middle table finish.
With Cardiff only making one move for young unproven Danish striker Andreas Cornelius, the subsequent moves don’t exactly jump of the page, and don’t exactly echo a second season stay in the Premiership.
Although, with Cardiff’s wealthy Asian owners and Crystal Palaces money from the sale of Wilfred Zaha, a lack of funds is not the issue. Therefore, the comments of Brown are surely correct, the transfer pitch of an Aston Villa or a Stoke City are far more attractive than that of a Cardiff or a Hull.
This results in the teams bringing in average players for above average prices.
Often depth is added rather than the much needed Premier League quality and only Hull’s recent loan signing of Danny Graham and I emphasize the word loan has any slight indication of any intentions to avoid relegation.
The first summer transfer window for any newly promoted team is filled with frustration and missed targets as a largely Championship quality team prepares for life in the premier league. With the all too likely threat of relegation looming just around the corner.