Woody's guide to survival in the Premier League

For clubs promoted to the Premier League, surviving has always been a hard ask due to the major difference in the financial situation of clubs at the top of the Premiership in contrast to clubs at the top of the Championship. Out of the 30 clubs who have achieved promotion to the top flight in the last 10 years, 40% of these have suffered relegation within their first season. These clubs clearly don't have the money to buy the world's top players but I believe there are a number of things a recently promoted club can do to survive. Here are my 3 tips that I believe Bournemouth, Watford and Norwich must follow to stay up this year.

Tip 1 : Spend Wisely

Last season, QPR showed a perfect example of what you shouldn't do with your money. They brought in 12 player including 4 loans and 8 permanent transfers, those of which cost them a combined £36.5million, the 9th highest spending club in the Premier League. Although many of their signings were Premier League proven, none of them really proved themselves and QPR ended up finishing bottom of the league. When you sign as many players as QPR did, you risk starting the season slow as the new squad takes time to gel together and when you spend that much, you also risk overspending on some players. The best thing that a club can do when signing players for the premier league is to give your manager a maximum budget to work with and with that money, make sure you bring in a mix of experienced players like Bournemouth did bringing in Sylvain Distin and you also have to make good use of loaning players from bigger clubs. If clubs spend their money efficiently on a mix of youth and experience and can also keep some money for the January transfer window, there is no reason why the clubs that came up this season can't remain in the top flight.

Tip 2 : Play a style of football that suits your team

To get promoted to the Premier League you have to play well consistently, in what is a long and exhilarating season in the Championship. It is important when you play in the Premier League, that you always play to your strengths and not let the opposition, no matter who they are, dictate the way you play. Obviously there will be games where you will have to adapt and change formation mid game if your original game plan is ineffective but as a whole a recently promoted club should stick to their own philosophies. Burnley were a perfect example of this last season and despite being relegated, in my opinion they were one of the most exciting teams to watch. Every game you watched Burnley play you knew what you were in store for, an impressive team performance, the full backs propelling forward in order to whip crosses into the middle and you could clearly see the passion from the squad to play for the shirt and when Burnley scored a goal, they celebrated each and every one like they won the league. This high level of passion and determination is what needs to be drilled into each and every single player in order for the new teams to stay up as in the Premier League anything can happen so you will be rewarded if you give 110% effort for every minute of every game.

Tip 3 : Finish the season in top form

In performing the great escape last season, Leicester City epitomised what it takes to survive in the Premiership. They showed trust in their manager and also in their team mates to put in the consistent high quality performances required for them to achieve the impossible. Despite being marooned at rock bottom of the league table from late November to early April, the players always gave 100% and were finally rewarded for their efforts when they managed to notch up 7 wins from their last 9 games meaning they would finish in a respectable 14th. Leicester's late survival last season showed the clubs that have come up this season that even if you are bottom of the league and all odds are against you, that you should never give up as hard work in this league is rewarded and that if you play as a team, results will come your way. So if your team is bottom of the league going into the last 10 games of the season, have no fear, show faith in your side and maybe they will pull off' 'A Leicester'.

Be sure to comment who you think will go down this season and follow for updates when a new story is published, Thanks for reading!