Only 20 of the 92 league clubs within the UK actually play in the top flight. There’s movement between leagues with promotions and relegations always on the cards, however, you can’t help but wonder exactly how difficult it is to progress through the football pyramid and end up at the top.
Evidently, getting there is tough, but just how tough is it?
Top Teams
Teams at the top have money and a historical track record of success that allows them to dominate. For example, a look at the latest football odds proves that the same old culprits are in contention for the crown with Manchester City as the 4/5 favourites to win and big clubs like Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United trailing, like always, behind them.
When we get to cup competitions, and these clubs play others that are not in the Premier League, they often dominate, barring the odd, generally unprecedented upset. The bookies are firm with their standings: football tips on the outcome of games will focus heavily on the big Premier League teams, with their opponents usually big outsiders to win.
The Difficulty of Going Through the Leagues
If a team is at the bottom of the league pyramid, within League Two, they are still three promotions away from the glory of the Premier League. Teams have to stay there, which as clubs such as Fulham, who were relegated last season, will say, it is not an easy task.
“We failed tonight. We failed this season”
“In football you always finish where you deserve to be”
Aleksandar Mitrović fronts up after Fulham are relegated to the Championship pic.twitter.com/mdx5DgwqjV
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 10, 2021
One of the biggest problems we have now is that each league has quite a big gap between the teams at the very top and bottom. Those who are promoted into a new league have to find their feet first before they can think of going forward. The days of back-to-back promotions are not going to be seen unless someone has an exceptional campaign.
Has Anyone Done It Recently?
Considering the difficulty involved, it is perhaps surprising to say that just recently, this incredible ascension was made possible. The newly-promoted Brentford were back in League Two in 2008, and now they are enjoying life in the Premier League, which goes to show that miracles can and do happen.
The job this season is simply to survive, but a good start has their fans hoping for more, and potentially a mid-table finish. Even if that was to happen, that would still put them some way behind the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool, but at least they would be within touching distance in terms of league positioning.
The Brentford model involved a lot of player buying and selling, eventually making enough profit to go out and buy better players to move up a league. The process was repeated with each promotion, and that is exactly the success they have used to get into the Premier League.
Whether they stay in the Premier League in the long term remains to be seen, but if they do, the Brentford model for transfers and player sales may be something that other clubs begin to turn towards, given the feat they have achieved.
