[nffc]

I don't think it's beyond the realms of possibility to suggest that most of the PL are at theoretical risk at least of getting relegated if they have a bad season.


So you'll get the promoted sides, who usually struggle, and then maybe the odd promoted side from the year before who just about managed to stay up, and then there's always the handful of other teams who are usually near the bottom such as Burnley, but apart from the likes of Man U, Leicester, Man C, Liverpool, Spurs, Arsenal, the rest usually just mix around the same midtable positions. With 2 games left there's only 8 points between Leicester in 8th and Southampton in 15th.


It's quite rare that sides will convincingly break out of those groups for more than a few years. Leicester aren't even in the euro places this year, but they have recently won the league, FA Cup and come 2nd, for a smaller club, that's quite a big achievement.


But, these teams are usually only a bad run away from being at risk of slipping out. Burnley always seem to struggle, I think Leeds are on their 2nd or 3rd season back up, Everton are the side who've broken out of the pack this year as not a usual struggler or a recent promoted side, when Brentford and Brighton have done quite well, and Newcastle have shown it is possible to get into midtable with a managerial change (and in their case plenty of money).


But it would be foolish for them not to think that there is the possibility of getting relegated, then these players would have wage drop clauses in there, or release clauses, which is how they should do it, though that doesn't solve the issue of other clubs not wanting them (though an established PL player on the cheap would potentially fit a Brentford style approach or a promoted side). I guess football has this relegation thing where the performance causes an income drop where it doesn't affect most companies, I suppose the only parallel would be a company losing a major contract, but then they would probably have to cut staff themselves if that happened. Which is exactly what clubs would be forced to do with no parachute payments, you cut your cloth according to your income and not run up millions of debt.


I suppose if they got it for a season and not three it would give the clubs time to get any high earners off the wage bill and not cause too much disruption with the other 21 clubs in the division. If we ended up with the same six teams going up and down every year it would be a bit boring.


It would also be a shame to see Everton go down, I think they're one of only a few now to have been in the PL every year and not get relegated (think there's only otherwise Man U, Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs) but then, that's exactly what will happen if they don't do well enough. There have been plenty of bigger clubs relegated, Sheff Weds are in L1 again, as are Sunderland and Ipswich. Oldham have just been relegated from L2 but were founder PL members.