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| What will it take? |
The curtains have closed on yet another exhilarating Premier League show but what will it take for the newly promoted sides to stay up?
2010-11 has been somewhat of a breath of fresh air for English football, with a season full of drama and unpredictability.
This year’s newly promoted sides played a huge part in this and producing some shock results before eventually falling away towards the back end of the season.
On May 22nd 2010 Blackpool defeated Cardiff City in the Championship play-offs to earn their place in England's top flight and it’s safe to say that they have provided some top class entertainment this season.
Manager Ian Holloway vowed at the start of the year that his team would be an all out attacking side and the Tangerine army did not fail to produce the goods.
Historic victories over Spurs and Liverpool will surely be the highlight of a turbulent year for Ollie and his men but after a promising start inexperience proved critical.
The final day of the season optimised what the Pool embodied as they dared to dream going 2-1 up against United only to be pegged back and comfortably beaten 4-2.
The result is remarkably similar to that of their season as a whole as they started off well but fell away at the end.
Defensive lapses proved fatal and just like West Brom in the 08/09 season their attacking prowess was not enough.
Newly promoted Newcastle and West Brom stayed up comfortably and the difference between them and Blackpool was experience of being in the top flight.
QPR, Norwich and Swansea are all largely inexperienced when it comes to the modern day Premiership, so what will it take for them to stay up?
QPR are perhaps a very similar side to Blackpool in that their attacking qualities proved hugely beneficial in their promotion but if they are to stay up, Stephen Warnock will have to keep hold of star man Adel Taarrabt and spend wisely in other areas.
Defence is a clear starting point; a major issue that promoted sides have faced in the past few seasons is their lack of organisation and experience at the back.
I feel Warnock will need to invest in a new centre back partnership and attempt to find the balance of Premier League experience with pace.
An astute signing would be West Ham's Matty Upson, the former England International would be a rock at the back and with his Premier League experience he has the potential to fit the bill.
Warnock will have to find the right balance within his side as the majority of his players will never have faced the trials and tribulations of the Premiership.
That said Norwich and Swansea are in fairly similar positions but perhaps without the same sort of backing QPR have.
I feel Paul Lambert will have to buy a prolific striker in order to keep his side up next season.
Simeon Jackson and Grant Holt managed to score 35 goals between them this season but Norwich will have to add more fire power if they’re going to stay up.
After losing out on departing Watford forward Danny Graham to Swansea the Canaries will have to look elsewhere.
If they could prize away Reading's star striker Shane Long, he would be the perfect forward to compliment and compete with their current strikers and a signing like his could prove pivotal in their survival bid.
However, I think the quality of the Premier League could be too much for Swansea and this has meant that they are the bookies favourites to go down.
The Swans last gained promotion to the top flight in 1983 and their lack of experience combined with their little financial backing will send them back to the Championship.
Manager Brendan Rogers and his side face a mammoth challenge come August and I feel the Premiership will prove too much for them.
Next season will be one of the most exciting and hotly contested for many years to come so will I be proved right or wrong?
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