THE race for the Premier League title is virtually settled and managerial sackings appear to have run their course.
And while there’s a reasonable interest in the bid for the top four, the real intrigue is in the battle to avoid relegation.
Every Premier League manager up to Sean Dyche at 11th-placed Burnley are fearing relegationCredit: Getty – Contributor
This season suggests the scramble to stay in the division goes as high as Burnley — who are in 11th place.
Over the past decade, 40 per cent of teams relegated from the top flight have not returned.
Additionally, 30 per cent have been relegated, promoted and relegated again — so once you’re through that trap door, regaining your place is like snakes and ladders.
The economics of the Premier League dwarf those of the Championship. Aspirations to get there come way behind the desperation to stay.
When relegated, club revenues drop from about £110million per year in TV monies to about £90m payable over THREE years — so it is akin to falling off a financial precipice.
Clubs threatened by the drop have average annual wage bills of £60-80m, with player contracts unlikely to have reductions for relegation (it’s hardly the little darlings’ fault).
So dropping out of the Premier League and getting £40m in year one, they’re already in significant shtuck from the get-go.
And it gets worse if they are unable to get back up there in years two and three — because each year the payments reduce.
Look at Leeds, Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest, who have been out of the top league for as much as 21 years.
The candidates for the drop this year are Norwich, West Ham, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Brighton, Watford and Bournemouth.
All will have a fire sale of players if they go down to prop up their cashflows.
The relegation battle is heartbreaking for fans and it can also destroy clubs.
Leeds have gone in and out of insolvency, Bradford and Blackpool dropped back down the pyramid and former Prem winners Blackburn were cast into the wilderness for years.
In 2004 I was the youngest-ever owner of a Premier League club with Palace. The following summer, I was the youngest-ever chair- man to be relegated.
We went down in the cruellest way at the hands of bitter rivals Charlton, whose fans did the conga to celebrate our demise with their 83rd-minute equaliser — along with West Brom fans applauding their great escape.
I had the further indignation of the Charlton chairman telling me “to enjoy the Championship, t****r” — a reference to a misrepresented quote about my view on other football club chairmen.
I went into a seemingly desolate dressing room (before they all wanted to sling their hooks) and saying: “Does this hurt? Well it’s done now so remember the feeling and take it out on the first team we play back in the Championship.”
Roll forward 90 days, with a similar side — despite the locusts trying to pick our bones and other players doing a disappearing act — we hosted newly promoted Luton with 20 per cent of our budget and my words ringing in their ears.
We lost 3-1 to a side favourites for relegation.
Fallen giants Leeds have not been back to the Premier League since their 2004 relegationCredit: Reuters
The moral of the story is that if you get to the Premier League, do everything you can to stay there.
Once you’re out of the bright glare, it’s often out of sight and out of mind.
SIMON JORDAN’S Final Word is on talkSPORT every Sunday from 5-8pm.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
