The Premier League is a tough place. And despite all the optimism ahead of the new season, Burnley will have their work cut out staying there.
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When Burnley suffered relegation from the Premier League at the end of the 2021/22 season, fans of the club must have wondered if they were destined for a long stay in the second tier of English football.
Apart from the obvious doom and gloom that comes with relegation, there was also talk of an impending financial disaster, the sort which may threaten the existence of the club. But thanks to the amazing job done by Vincent Kompany in his first season in charge, Burnley bounced back to the big time of the Premier League at the first time of asking.
The Premier League is a tough place. And despite all the optimism ahead of the new season, Burnley will have their work cut out staying there.
The bookmakers have made their feelings clear, and they believe that Burnley has a chance of staying up. In the latest sports betting odds, Burnley are priced at 3.6 to be relegated. Pundits offering betting tips might think that makes Burnley worth tipping, but there are teams the bookmakers feel are in more danger.
According to the betting markets, Luton at 1.3 are the most likely to go down. Also expected to be relegated are Sheffield United on 1.73, and Bournemouth on 3.4. But it’s a testimony to how well Vincent Kompany and Burnley have done, that as a newly promoted club, they are not among the three favourites to immediately go back down.
Burnley’s points haul of 101 was the highest in the Championship since Leicester City’s 102 in the 2013/14 season. Ironically, Burnley finished second to the Foxes that year with 93 points.
But after one season in the Premier League, the Clarets were relegated. They then won the Championship in the 2015/16 season with 93 points and remained in the Premier League until their most recent relegation 12 months ago.
When Burnley kick-off against Manchester City on the opening weekend, they will be starting from scratch again.
Just because they were in the Premier League recently, doesn’t mean they are more likely to stay up this time around. And for any Burnley fans thinking that the squad are Premier League class, they need to remember that most of the Premier League side they knew is now gone to new pastures.
They will be starting on a similar footing to Luton Town and Sheffield United. Okay, they will have money from the parachute payments. But after having to build a new side to get out of the Championship, they will now have to build another side to survive in the Premier League. Just like Luton Town and Sheffield United.
With Vincent Kompany in charge, Burnley will have a fighting chance of staying up. Kompany will have plenty of connections in the local area at his former club Manchester City, and if Pep Guardiola is looking to loan out a youngster for the season, then Burnley could be the lucky recipient.
Having good connections and a good reputation is crucial in the Premier League. Sometimes money alone isn’t enough. And fortunately for the Clarets, Kompany has both.
