Which Of The Relegated Top-Flight Teams Are Set For A Return?

Just passing through...

Runaway Championship leaders Newcastle United seem as though they are actually relishing their return to the Championship.  A turbulent last 18 months or so in the Premiership left many fans of The Magpies despairing and managers coming and going, none seemingly able to lift them out of their malaise. With many of the big earners off the books, a return to financial stability and prudent management has been the first objective. Nevertheless, their start to life in the Championship, which saw fans of The Toon reprogramming the Sat Nav systems for the likes of Scunthorpe United and Doncaster Rovers, suggests that an immediate return to the Premiership is by no means out of the question. Whether the current squad that is performing so well can be considered good enough for the Premiership remains to be seen. But after so many traumas, Newcastle fans are just enjoying a few decent results regardless of the opposition.

West Bromwich Albion also came down with Newcastle in the summer, and after losing manager Tony Mowbray to Celtic, and several important players, there was some concern as to whether they could manage an immediate return to the top-flight. However, under the leadership of former Chelsea midfielder Roberto Di Matteo, who served his apprenticeship in the lower leagues with the MK Dons, The Baggies are playing some neat football, and despite being eight points off the pace set by Newcastle, could consider themselves as favourites to go up automatically with them.

It’s been a similar story in France, where two of the relegated sides from Ligue 1 in May are leading the way. Caen are on top of the pile and enjoy a seven point cushion on third place, currently occupied by Le Havre. Caen’s success has been based on solid home form, as they are yet to taste defeat at the Stade Malherbe. With 29 goals scored, they are also top-scorers in the division thanks to eight goals from top-scorer Steven Langil, a former product of the Auxerre youth academy.

Just down the road, Le Havre are also going along nicely, although they need to make up a four point gap to second placed Brest, which would grant automatic re-entry to Ligue 1 come the end of the season. Despite being outstanding in neither defence nor attack, Le Havre still rank amongst the best in every statistical category, and still have an excellent chance of redeeming their position in France’s top-flight.

Serie B league leaders Lecce are also in pole position after finishing way off the pace anchored to the foot of the Serie A table last season.  Currently only three points separate them from fifth placed Empoli, so there is still much work ahead before they can consider their return to the top-flight a formality. Well-travelled former Roma forward Daniele Corvia is the main man with nine goals, helping Lecce to the best attack in the division with 31 goals.

Maybe here for a while...

Whilst in England, France and Italy the relegated sides have been faring pretty well, the same can’t be said of the former La Liga sides now plying their trade in Spain's Segunda Liga.  By far the biggest casualty at the end of the 2008-09 season was Real Betis. One of Spain’s biggest spenders in the past could consider themselves slightly unfortunate to be dumped into the second tier, but they have so far failed to acquit themselves in the fashion of Newcastle United et al. In fifth place, but already some nine points off the pace set by another former big name, Real Sociedad, at the top, Betis will need to tighten up defensively if they are to make up the gap. They’ve scored one more goal than Sociedad, but have conceded as many or more than anyone else in the top five, including 16 on the road - one of the highest totals in the entire league.

With slightly lower expectations, Numancia weren’t touted as definite candidates to get back to La Liga immediately. They are just one place worse off than Betis though back in sixth, and have an identical record of seven wins, five draws and five defeats. Their home form is slightly less impressive, but they have a superior away record, so are arguably in a better position to challenge for a promotion place come the end of the season.

Another side looking to re-create past glories are Torino.  Touted as the best side in the world back in the 1940’s, Torino were dumped back in Serie B last season after spending three years in the top-flight battling relegation. Mid-table mediocrity looks to be beckoning for Juventus’ cross-city rivals, although the play-off system employed in the division may yet be their saviour. They are just three points off sixth place, so a good run could yet see them force their way back into contention, although they are already some 12 points off the overall pace being set by Lecce.

Things look even bleaker in the 2.Bundesliga for Energie Cottbus.  The side from the former East Germany, and previously the only side upholding the honour of the former DDR in Germany’s top-flight, are seven points off the third place currently being held by Arminia Bielefeld. Both enjoyed their reputation as awkward places to go to for the Bundesliga big-boys, but the tag of favourites at  lower level doesn’t sit as comfortably for them. Whilst Bielefeld are in a promotion spot, they are nine points off first, and the same gap in the opposite direction takes one all the way down to 14th position. Energie Cottbus are one of the sides in that immensely congested mid-table section, currently occupying 10th place.

Two sides that are looking to gain an element of consistency to their season are FC Nantes and SC Karlsruhe. The Canaries of Nantes from the French Atlantic coast are one of only three teams that can claim a Ligue 1 title in this century, but whilst Lyon and Bordeaux surged ahead, Nantes have trailed in their wake. Karlsruhe enjoyed an impressive first season back in the Bundesliga in 2007-08, but couldn’t keep it up and slumped to a disappointing relegation at the end of last season. Nantes and Karlsruhe have nearly identical record in terms of points per game (1.41 for Nantes, 1.42 for Karlsruhe), but the French side find themselves handily placed, sat in sixth position, just four points off third spot. The almost identical output for the Germans leaves them with a bit more work to do from eighth place, and six points off a promotion place.

Slowly sinking

There are, however, teams that would gladly swap their current position for the like of Nantes or Karlsruhe. Middlesbrough started the season very promisingly after suffering relegation last season. A well-earned 10 points from a possible 12 in August had the Teesiders talking up the possibility of an immediate return to the Premiership. However, an alarming slump in form has seen them sink to as low as 14th, a run which has included six defeats in the last 10, and optimism has quickly evaporated. A change of manager, bringing in the former Celtic manager Gordon Strachan, has so far failed to yield the required transformation. Despite being only five points off the final play-off position, the congested and highly competitive nature of the division suggests that Middlesbrough may find the Championship clings onto them longer than they might have liked.

After finishing 19th in Serie A last season, Reggina's hopes were high that they could rebound and earn promotion straight back to Italy’s top-flight. The acquisition of former Sampdoria and Fiorentina forward Emiliano Bonazzoli, a striker with a good track record in Serie A, did nothing to dampen expectations. Although the goals for figure stands at a promising 24, it’s been the goals against ratio that has really undermined them with 28 leaked. They find themselves seven points off the final play-off spot, but a mere five away from the drop to Serie C1, so their focus may be more on securing their Serie B future rather than looking upwards.

Recreativo Huelva are also having some difficulty readjusting to life at a lower level, after spending the last three seasons in La Liga, where they generally gave the big-boys a headache. These days, after finishing bottom of the pile last season, their relegation hangover continues to dog them. A strike ratio of less than one a game, and a top scorer on three for the season indicates where the main problem is and seven failures to score in 17 games is further testament to that. Languishing in 15th place, just five clear of the drop-zone, Recreativo, like Reggina, may find they spend the rest of the season looking over their shoulders.

Walter Townsend, Goal.com