Manager Mick McCarthy says he’s looking forward to the challenge of competing against relegated former Premier League sides with the “huge advantage” of increased parachute payments next season.
The Premier League plans to raise parachute payments to a total of £59 million - up from the previous figure of £48 million — split over four years: £23million in the season after relegation, £18 million in the second and £9 million in each of the following two years. By contrast, established Championship clubs will receive a £2.3 million annual solidarity payment.
Asked whether he believes those payments put the likes of the Blues at a disadvantage at a time when the division is moving to the Financial Fair Play break-even model, McCarthy was in no doubt: "What, in the Financial Fair Play bollocks league? Financial Fair Play — one team’s got £20-odd million coming down and we’ve got sweet FA.
"Of course it has an effect, it’s a huge advantage to have that. It means they can keep their teams, and Bolton have done it.
And, after whatever happened at the start of the season, they’re now in the play-offs, they kept a huge squad, a huge wage bill and a lot of players there.
"And they should be in the play-offs, they should be with the squad that they’ve got. And Wolves should have been in the play-offs with the squad that they’ve got.
"And Blackburn with the wage bill that they’ve got, they’re spending how many million on about half a dozen players.”
But while many might be discouraged by the disparity, McCarthy views it as a challenge: "It’s not fair, but I kind of like kicking against fair. I like all that, a bit of a scrap between the haves and have-nots.”