Rated – the survival chances of six of Brighton’s Premier League rivals
Brighton’s performances in 2018-19 were just good enough to see them stay in the Premier League for another season but, frankly, it was tough viewing from around August onwards.
Chris Hughton lost his job as a result of the disappointing style with the overall struggles convincing owner Tony Bloom it was time for a change.
Enter Graham Potter, a man who had experience unrivalled success in Sweden with Ostersund and a very positive campaign with Swansea under fairly difficult circumstance.
In 2019-20, he’ll be taking the Seagulls into a Premier League where money is being thrown about like promises during an election campaign and the big six clubs have settled a deal to take a bigger chunk of the Premier League broadcasting rights from abroad.
It will be tough but if Potter has proved anything, it is that he relishes a challenge and the signing of Matt Clarke is a great start.
✍️ The club are delighted to announce the signing of Matt Clarke!
📲 Breaking news brought to you by @eToro.#BHAFC 🔵⚪️
— Brighton & Hove Albion ⚽️ (@OfficialBHAFC) June 21, 2019
With supporters already fretting over their side’s chances of staying up next season, we take a brief look at those that we feel are most likely to struggle, giving them a rating out of 10 on whether we think they will avoid the drop.
Sheffield United
The Blades have just come up, which in itself makes them one of the favourites in football betting markets to go back down, with odds on them heading straight back to the second tier around the 4/6 mark.
They have had a legal battle taking place off the pitch, delaying their preparation for the new campaign and are likely to be one of those that really struggle. Chris Wilder is a good manager and has proven he can pull a rabbit out of the hat but Blades fans will be hoping it won’t be one that’s already cooked in a pie.
Survival rating: 3/10
Aston Villa
The Premier League doesn’t feel right without Villa and it is good to have them back for 2019-20. Dean Smith has proven a talented coach so far and they are backed by the money of Nassef Sawiris, an Egyptian billionaire who is the fourth richest person in Africa according to Forbes. That should give them the clout to compete in the transfer market and therefore help them stay up.
Survival rating: 7/10
Norwich City
The Canaries are unlikely to splash the cash but have an excellent core group of players to call upon. They are managed by the excellent Daniel Farke and will be hoping Teemu Pukki can continue to find the net as regularly as last season. That said, they feel a bit vulnerable at the back and could struggle more than many expect.
Survival rating: 4/10
Newcastle United
The Magpies have lost Rafa Benitez which should automatically make them favourites for relegation. Add to that the fact that they are owned by Mike Ashley and you have the perfect storm of ineptitude that will be hard to top. They are unlikely to spend much cash and will lose a couple of players too, so don’t expect much from this side in 2019-20.
Survival rating: 3/10
Burnley
Having Sean Dyche as manager will always help Burnley beat the odds but they face a tough task every year due to having a smaller budget than a lot of their rivals. The fact that the Clarets are in the Premier League at all is a testament to the work of those running the club but it will be another season of struggle for the Turf Moor outfit.
Survival rating: 5/10
