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“What’s the chances of Leeds survival at Premier League level?”- Paul Merson sends brutally honest Premier League survival message to Leeds United as ‘phenomenal’ point made
Paul Merson has cautioned Leeds United not to get ahead of themselves as they prepare for their return to the Premier League, emphasizing that finishing 17th would be a significant achievement in bridging the huge gap between the top tier and the Championship.
After securing promotion and the Championship title in recent weeks, Leeds are set for a crucial summer, which chairman Parag Marathe has described as one of the most important in decades.
Reports indicate that manager Daniel Farke could be backed with over £100 million to strengthen key areas of the squad.
49ers Enterprises, who are eager to help Leeds rise back into the top half of the Premier League and even challenge for European spots in the future, understand that next season will be a tough challenge.
Marathe recently mentioned that survival would be the primary objective, with anything beyond that being a bonus.
Leeds will face the challenge of breaking a troubling trend where the last six newly-promoted teams have been immediately relegated.
With promotion secured, funds available, and plans to expand Elland Road moving forward, the focus for Leeds’ leadership remains on staying in the Premier League.
Merson, speaking on Sky Sports, stressed that anything above 17th place would be a successful season for Leeds, warning against getting carried away with unrealistic expectations.
“The biggest challenge for newly-promoted teams is not getting carried away,” Merson said. “If you come up, you want to finish 17th. If you do that, you’ve done well at the highest level, and the manager should be in the running for Manager of the Year.”
Merson continued: “Once you survive, you get more revenue, which allows you to buy more players, and then you can build on that.
Before long, you’re like Brentford, Fulham, or Brighton, consistently in the middle of the table and capable of beating the top teams on your day.
But fans and owners often look at teams like Nottingham Forest and think, ‘We can do what they did.’
They get carried away, but it’s crucial to focus on survival and build from there. The gap between the Championship and the Premier League is enormous.”
The task of staying in the Premier League is tougher than ever, and Leeds will be mindful of how the teams that narrowly missed out on promotion last season.
Leicester City, Ipswich Town, and Southampton—have struggled, likely failing to reach 60 points combined despite earning nearly 300 in the Championship the previous year.
After publicly backing Farke amid uncertainty about his future, 49ers Enterprises is preparing for a busy transfer window, with reinforcements needed in several key areas, including goalkeeper, central defense, midfield, and attack.
