When we look at the Premier League table, many of us look for more than just which club is top and which clubs are in the European places. We also look closely at how clubs who were recently promoted from the Championship are doing.

I’ve always had it in mind that being promoted from the Championship to the Premier League opens teams up to a standard of competition for which many are not prepared, and that the natural consequence is immediate relegation.

Obviously, being Rams fans our perception is affected by the club’s disastrous performance the last time they were in the Premier League, in the 2007/2008 season. That perception is certainly not helped by a glance at the current Premier League table: last season’s three promoted clubs - Leicester, Burnley and QPR — are sitting uncomfortably in 18th, 19th and 20th places.

I decided to do a bit of research, and work out how closely my perceptions match reality. The short answer is that life in the Premier League is certainly not easy; but promoted teams have tended to do quite a bit better than I first thought.

I took as my starting point the notorious 2006/2007 season when Billy Davies’ Rams were promoted through the playoffs, along with Sunderland and Birmingham. From then until now we have eight completed seasons, giving a total of 24 Championship teams promoted to the Premier League.

Of those 24 teams, seven were relegated in their first season. The worst season was 2007/2008 when two of the three - the Rams and Birmingham - came straight back down. So just over a quarter (29%) of promoted teams returned immediately; that means of course that a large majority (71%) achieved safety in that first season.

There is no particular pattern to whether the first place, second place or playoff team in the Championship is most likely to be relegated: the seven relegated teams include three first place, two second place and four playoff teams.

The most impressive first season in the Premier League in this period was Birmingham’s 9th place in 2009/2010 after promotion in 2008/2009. Others having a noteworthy first Premier League season were West Ham, 10th in 2012/2013; WBA 11th in 2010/2011; Swansea 11th in 2011/2012 and Crystal Palace 11th in 2013/2014.

During this period, eight promoted teams — a full third of the total - finished twelfth or better in their first season in the Premier League. That includes only one team that had finished top of the Championship; Newcastle in 2010/2011. Others in the eight that finished twelfth or better were four second place finishers in the Championship, and three teams that went up through the playoffs.

How did those who adapted well to life at the top succeed? Generally they did it by being hard to beat at home. Most of the eight twelfth place or better finishers won between eight and ten home games during their first season back in the Premier League, and drew between six and eight. By picking up over thirty points at home, they could afford to drop a few more points away.

The conclusion that I came away with is that there is no need for trepidation if the Rams continue to do well in this season’s Championship, and look likely to be promoted.

A team that is well organized and prepared for life in the Premier League can survive quite nicely.

Such a team is the one that will be looking for a result against at Watford on Saturday.

Photo: Action Images

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