McKenna: It's Becoming More Difficult But It's Not Impossible Thursday, 24th Apr 2025 16:54 Town manager Kieran McKenna says it’s obviously getting harder for promoted clubs to stay in the Premier League but believes it’s not impossible. As was the case last season, the three promoted clubs are set to be relegated back to the Championship with Leicester and Southampton already mathematically demoted and Town’s looking set to be confirmed this weekend. If that happens, it will be the earliest all three relegations from the Premier League have been settled and McKenna was asked whether the three promoted clubs being down so soon illustrates that it’s becoming harder and harder for teams to stay up in their first season. “I think that's clear,” he said. “I think that's science and math, I would think. The financial gulf grows and all the other things that flow from that all grow as well. “I think the gap from a financial point of view is getting bigger and it's getting more of a challenge for clubs to be able to bridge that. “As I've said many times, I think our situation even within that jump is different. We've had a double jump, so I think it's been a completely different scale of a challenge for us, but even for those coming up next year again, Leeds and Burnley are confirmed, they are both one or two years out of the Premier League and with parachute payments and things like that, but it will still be a jump for them. “So no, look, there's no doubt that it's becoming more difficult. I don't think it's impossible, even for us, having made the jump twice. I don't think it's been impossible. I think some margins going our way, especially in the first half of the season and could have been very very different. “We're one position off where I think we'd all be delighted with and that's a club who have come up from League One. So I don't think it's impossible, but it is very very difficult from our situation. We needed probably everything to go absolutely right and it hasn't been the case. “Each club will be different in their situation but there's no doubt that it's a big challenge and it's probably becoming a bigger challenge. Asked whether Town are aiming to become a yo-yo club, McKenna laughed: “I’ve not heard that expression in ages! I don't think anyone's ever had the aim to be a yo-yo club. I know clubs have been labelled with that, clubs that have got promoted and relegated. “I'm pretty sure Leeds or Burnley, I'm pretty sure their goal would have been to stay up last year. Everyone's goal at the moment, if you're not in the Premier League, is to establish in the Premier League because it's the best, wealthiest, most competitive league in the world. “And it's really hard to break into that and establish. It's not impossible, but it's really, really difficult. “Each club's situation and the way of doing that will be a big challenge. And, of course, there's lots of different angles and permutations to how you manage the downside of trying to tackle that challenge, but also protecting the club and the security of the club in the future. “There's lots of discussion around those areas and parachute payments and investment when you go up and all those things. “There's no simple solution that I could give. And every club's angle on it is different. But I think it's clear that all the clubs who aren't in the Premier League would like to be and it's really, really hard to establish yourself in that.” Fulham and Bournemouth won promotion but then went down before coming up and have now become established Premier League sides. Do clubs need to do that to get the experience in their squads required to cement a place in the division? “Yeah and money, I think there's no doubt that,” McKenna continued. “Teams who have been in the Premier League, got relegated and come back up are probably in a better position than we were this year. Or there aren't many modern comparisons, maybe looking last year at teams who have risen a lot quicker. “It isn't always the case because Leicester and Southampton had a decade-plus in the Premier League and went down and came back up again but weren't able to establish. “Each club has their own journey. I think even one year in the Premier League can set you on a better path and the more years you have in the Premier League, the better chance you have of the effect accumulating and the better chance you have of establishing that. “So, that's everyone's goal and everyone has their own way of trying to work towards that.” Does Leeds and Burnley winning promotion back to the Premier League this season given McKenna encouragement that Town can do the same in 2025/26? “I don't think you necessarily take too much from looking at other teams because, on the other hand, I'm sure other people will make the comparison with Luton,” the Northern Irishman reflected. “You can't take too much from other teams. You have to know and feel it yourself. Do I feel like the club's going to be in a much stronger position in terms of the infrastructure here, both people and facilities, in terms of the squad that we have, in terms of the experiences that we've been through? I think we're going to be in a much stronger position than we were previously. “But the journey and the story of other teams is different than ours, so we'll deal with that challenge when it comes. “But as I've said all along, I think the club's going to be in a stronger position than it was going forward, and we'll take on the next challenge.” Meanwhile, McKenna was asked what he made to the news that Jamie Vardy, 38, captain of one of the other relegated clubs, Leicester, is to leave the Foxes after a remarkable 13-year spell in which he won the Premier League title and FA Cup as well as England caps. His last game at the King Power Stadium will be against the Blues. “We, of course, wish him well,” McKenna added. “A fantastic striker and an inspiration for many. I know even our boys, a lot of them, having made the journey from lower leagues to the Premier League, look up to him. “Maybe no one has made that journey better in a more magnified way than what he has. Of course, he's got universal credit and respect for that and is an inspiration to many.”
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