Trying to determine how the recently promoted sides will equip themselves in the top-flight next season is a difficult endeavour, as illustrated by how their trio of predecessors fared last term.
Going into the 2022/23 campaign, nobody expected Fulham to pull up many trees, largely because they typically didn’t on reaching the Premier League. This applied no matter how brilliantly they had successfully navigated the Championship only months before.
Whether they too extensively over-hauled their squad, or naively stuck to open, attacking football, Fulham always seemed to come unstuck when previously facing the elite and even a well-executed transfer window couldn’t persuade us that history wasn’t going to repeat itself.
Only instead, Marco Silva’s side were highly competitive from the off. Instead, the Cottagers were one of the stand-out teams, inhabiting the top half of the table throughout.
As for Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth, both were widely tipped to drop before a ball had even been kicked in anger.
And though granted, they prominently featured all-season long in the Premier League relegation odds, the Tricky Trees and Cherries ultimately surpassed all expectations, living to fight another day.
Luton Town
Turning our attention to the latest newbies therefore, there is understandable scepticism concerning the firmly-held assumption that Luton Town will find themselves out-classed on a weekly basis.
Having returned to the top division for the first time since 1992, the Hatters’ achievement is being pitched as a fairy tale, one that will be short-lived. Which may well come to pass.
In Carlton Morris, however, they possess a striker who bagged 20 goals last year while collectively Rob Edwards has forged an honest, hard-working group at Kenilworth Road who adhere to a clear playing identity.
As we witnessed last season, such traits can go a long way, especially when ‘bigger’ sides like Everton and Leicester succumb to crisis.
Who is to say then that Luton cannot replicate Bournemouth and Forest and stave off the drop, even if their Premier League odds say otherwise.
Sheffield United
The Hatters came up via the Play-Offs, 11 points adrift of a Sheffield United side whose defensive shape and fortitude saw them concede only 39 last term, a goal every 106 minutes.
This parsimony at the back resulted in Paul Heckingbottom’s side becoming fantastic front-runners, losing only once after finding themselves ahead on 32 occasions, and this ability to eke out precious victories will serve them very well in what will surely be a challenging year ahead.
Indeed, it may prove enough. The Blades are unlikely to feature prominently in Premier League predictions this term.
On the downside for the Blades, losing their prized loanees Tommy Doyle and James McAtee – who were each instrumental in helping secure promotion – is potentially seismic for United, and perhaps it is shrewd to wait and see who they are replaced by in the window.
Finding a superb box-to-box midfielder and a genuine game-changer though will be extremely tough on a limited budget.
Burnley
Lastly, we come to Burnley, the team most fancied to prevail and for a multitude of good reasons.
Under Vincent Kompany’s revolution at Turf Moor, the Clarets blitzed all-comers aside last term and did so with a stylish brand of Pep-ball that is perfectly suited to the Premier League. More so than the Championship.
And for all that Burnley’s possession-based acumen placed them a whole level above their peers in 2022/23 we should not forget too the ferocious atmosphere generated at home by some of the loudest, most passionate fans in English football.
Turf Moor will undoubtedly play its part in Burnley nicking points on the occasions when their winning formula fails them.
It is telling also that Kompany has brought his players back from a summer break weeks before any other club. They cannot wait to get started in taking on the biggest and the best, and proving themselves to be equals.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*
