Relegated Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has warned Leicester City that their return to the Premier League will be a “big surprise”. City are returning to the top flight this season, and although only being away for a year, they may be surprised by the increase in quality. That is according to Wilder, whose Blades side was relegated with a whimper after earning only 16 points.
All three promoted clubs regressed last season, so aside from City, Ipswich, and Southampton, all other Premier League teams will have had at least two years to adjust. In order to avoid the slide, City must establish a niche because they cannot compete financially. Wilder told SportsBoom: “The Premier League has become much tougher. Every season, it moves on, as do the majority of the other teams in it. It wasn’t long ago that you could look at teams outside of the top six or so and say, ‘We’ve got a real opportunity there.’
That’s changing; the distance is widening, and you have to find new ways to compete, which we were unable to do. “We take responsibility for what occurred to us (at Sheffield United). But what I would tell everyone coming up is, ‘Well done, but you’re going to be in for a larger surprise than you realize.'”That’s just the way things are. I believe it is even more difficult to get up and remain up now than it was a few years ago.
Most new teams, unless they have a long history, will struggle to compete financially, therefore you’ll need to discover alternative means to do it. You have to attempt to be intelligent. “Find your niche.” According to Wilder’s view, Premier League money permits mid-table clubs to sign players who were previously only available to the richest. This pulls promoted clubs further apart. He went on to say, “There are evident financial discrepancies. Especially for those of us who hadn’t been up there in about ten years before returning. However, the playing standard has consistently risen throughout. That, for me, is one of the most significant contrasts.
“As more and more money comes in, clubs who are regarded as in the second rung of the Premier League are bringing in players who not so long ago would have been beyond their reach.”
