Who could suffer from relegation the most?

Relegation from the Premier League is something no fan would wish to experience, especially given how hard it is to get there in the first place.

While Championship football could be argued to be a lot more exciting than the top flight, the joys and riches of competing with some of the best sides in the country cannot be beaten.

However as this season’s relegation battle hots up amid a recent good run of results from those in danger of the drop, some teams who may face demotion could be worse off than others should they be unable to maintain their place in the Premier League.

Fans of Newcastle United, Leeds United and Everton could face such a reality come the end of the campaign, and relegation may have huge implications on the future of their clubs.

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Newcastle United

While the Magpies are currently sitting nine points above the drop zone, their remaining fixtures for the season could undo the hard work that has already been implemented by the appointment of Eddie Howe as manager.

An 89th minute winner from Kai Havertz at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon saw Chelsea snatch the three points from Newcastle, with the visiting fans leaving West London probably feeling as though a point would have been fairer given some of the controversial decisions in the game.

Howe’s side have ten games left to secure their Premier League survival; a nine point gap from the bottom three with just over two months remaining is not a guarantee of safety.

They are still to face the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers, both of whom are chasing European football for next season. As well as this, fixtures against Liverpool and Manchester City could prove to be even tougher affairs as they may already seem to be, with the Reds and the Cityzens both fighting for this year’s title.

Games against relegation candidates Everton, Burnley and Norwich City would prove to be costly if they were to drop too many points, and the Magpies could find themselves in a precarious position in the approach to the end of the season.

However, should Newcastle be relegated to the Championship for the first time since 2016, they will be more than capable of securing an almost instant return to the top flight.

After the completion of their Saudi-led takeover in October 2021, they were able to show off their new financial power in the January transfer window. Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood, Bruno Guimaraes and Dan Burn all signed for the club for a total of around £92 million.

Such acquisitions may be enough to keep them up already but the finances to their name would make them the heavy favourites to gain promotion back to the Premier League. Their new owners would be unlikely to leave the club after such a short space of time, and they would therefore be a footballing powerhouse in the Championship.
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Leeds United

Leeds are only in their second season in the Premier League since their promotion in the 19/20 season, but poor results across the course of the campaign have dragged them into a relegation battle.

Having spent ten seasons in the Championship prior to their top flight return, they are more than used to the trials and tribulations the league has to offer, particularly when they very nearly won promotion in the 18/19 season only to lose in the play-off semi-finals against Derby County.

A number of players who are part of their squad today were present in their title winning season and should they return to the second tier, it would be clear to see very quickly that they are far too good for the division.

Illan Meslier made his move to the Yorkshire outfit permanent upon their promotion, with the likes of Luke Ayling and Liam Cooper remaining as key players within the squad.

Kalvin Phillips and Jack Harrison were key to their success in 2020 and would most certainly be able to repeat that should they compete in the Championship again. Patrick Bamford’s presence upfront would also be key, albeit he has been absent from action this season as a result of injury.

The potential departure of star player Raphinha, who is attracting transfer interest from the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Barcelona, could see Leeds lose some attacking talent in their squad.

However a club of their stature would surely not have any trouble attracting the players required for them to ensure they return to the first division as soon as possible. Leeds have also entered their post-Marcelo Bielsa era, the man who granted the Whites’ long-term wishes with their top flight promotion nearly two years ago.

Jesse Marsch is now at the helm as manager, and his years of experience at the likes of Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig could guide them towards a swift Premier League comeback.
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Everton

One club who could find themselves in real trouble is Everton, with the Toffees not experiencing relegation from the top flight since 1951. Despite a promising start to the campaign under then manager Rafa Benitez, the blue half of Merseyside have now found themselves in the perilous position of 17th, just outside the bottom three on goal difference.

In fairness to Frank Lampard’s side they have three games in hand over Watford who sit below them, but this does not mask the fact that they are in real trouble and could find themselves in the second tier of English football if they are unable to change their fortunes quickly.

Last week, the Daily Mail reported that they are ‘on the brink of breaking profit and sustainability rules’, and there is a chance they could be handed a nine point deduction in the Premier League. It is believed that between the years of 2017 and 2020, they have made a loss of around £260 million, a figure that breaks the rules.

On top of this potential breach, Everton’s almost damning financial position has been worsened as a result of one of their major sponsors cutting links with the club. Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine has meant Alisher Usmanov has had to ‘sever his ties’ with the Toffees as he was sanctioned by the EU, with Eurosport saying this could cost Everton around £300 million over the course of the next 20 years.

With the average wages in the Championship said to be around £35,000 a week, this could be a stumbling block for a club who has been in the Premier League for such a long time, especially when the Guardian said the top flight’s average wage is around £61,000 a week.

This particular problem would cause a nuisance to any side who experiences relegation, but Everton’s other financial issues could make their lives even harder in the second tier, and many players who are too good for the Championship would be likely to leave and therefore cause a potential mass exodus of talent out the doors at Goodison Park.

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