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Instant return not a given

Author: Rose Young
Date: 06/08/2010
Football betting

There is the very real possibility this season that none of last term's relegated teams from the Premier League will bounce back at the first attempt.

Such are the financial problems at Portsmouth and Hull City that survival and a safe mid-table slot will be all they should aspire to, while Burnley, despite being in a better financial state, do not have a squad or manager good enough to clinch a top-six place.

It is all a far cry from recent seasons when one, and sometimes two, teams head straight out of the Championship at the first attempt.

Can any of the teams that were relegated from the Premier League last season win promotion this term? - Latest Football Betting

In the 2009-10 campaign, after the prophets of doom had predicted that Newcastle United would implode following their disastrous relegation season, Chris Hughton's side blossomed at the lower level and ended up running away with the Championship title.

Similarly West Brom continued their recent habit of being a yo-yo club as they reacted to being relegated from English football's top-flight in 2008-09, by naming Roberto di Matteo as Tony Mowbray's successor and finishing as clear runners-up to the Magpies.

Middlesbrough, after bringing in Gordon Strachan to replace the axed Gareth Southgate, had to settle for a mid-table finish but have been named as the online betting favourites to secure promotion this time out.

Of the three clubs that were relegated at the end of the 2007-08 season only one, Birmingham City, actually made it back up at the first attempt.

Derby County are still recovering from a disastrous campaign that saw them win only one of their 38 matches and pick up just 11 points, 24 adrift of second from bottom Birmingham.

Reading were only relegated on the final day of the season but they are now preparing for their third successive year in the Championship.

The 2010-11 season could be the first in four years that no team has secured promotion from the Championship just 12 months after being relegated.

On that occasion, Watford, Charlton Athletic and Sheffield United all fell through the trapdoor, although the Blades were unfortunate to be relegated on the last day of the season when West Ham United won at Manchester United to save themselves.

They remain in the Championship despite flirting with promotion in each of the last three seasons while Watford are still in the second tier despite reaching the play-offs in 2007-08.

Charlton Athletic slipped down to League One two seasons later and will be starting their 2010-11 campaign at the same level.

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