Speaking exclusively with BOYLE Sports , Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman has assessed how the promoted clubs and returning European qualifiers will fare in the Premier League .
The former West Brom , Sunderland and Wolves striker has backed Sunderland to handle their European campaign and Leeds United to guard against a second-season slump after some excellent business.
Goodman has also voiced his fears for Hull City and Ipswich Town , and given his verdict on Gary O'Neil succeeding Kieran McKenna at Portman Road .
Sunderland
Are Sunderland Prepared For a European Campaign?
Balancing European football alongside the relentless physical demands of the Premier League is a difficult task if you are not one of the traditional powerhouses like Arsenal , Manchester City , or Liverpool . We have seen so many established clubs struggle with that additional workload over recent seasons, where managing turnarounds takes a massive toll on a playing squad.
Apart from Aston Villa last season, some great clubs that had done so well the season before found themselves slipping down into mid-table or even a relegation battle. Even Chelsea finished a disappointing 10th, and that's because the demands of European football in terms of matches, travelling and playing three times a week can sap so much energy. For Sunderland , managing that commitment will be the test. After what they accomplished last summer, you simply have to place complete trust in the recruitment department at the Stadium of Light .
Juggling two major competitions can certainly be done if you manage the group correctly. It reminds me of my former club Wolves under Nuno Espirito Santo when they first qualified for Europe . Everyone anticipated that they would struggle domestically, yet they managed to enjoy a European run while finishing seventh in the Premier League again. Retaining Granit Xhaka was also an absolutely monumental piece of business for Sunderland . I do fully expect them to be active in the transfer window in the time between now and deadline day, and getting even more quality through the door can only help.
Leeds United
What Do You Make of Leeds United's Business?
While Leeds United naturally fall into that same tricky category as Sunderland when people discuss second-season syndrome, I firmly believe Leeds probably should have finished even higher in the Premier League table than they actually did last season. They played some fantastic, highly competitive football throughout the campaign, adapted remarkably well tactically when moving to a back three from that game at Manchester City , and managed to keep key figures like Dominic Calvert-Lewin fit and firing up front.
Given the quality depth they have now built, and the strong foundations already established at Elland Road , I am really optimistic that they can guard against any second-season slump and enjoy a very progressive year. Tarik Muharemovic is supposed to be very highly rated and is an exciting addition. Bringing in a quality goalkeeper in James Trafford alongside proven Premier League quality like Harry Wilson is just fantastic business, too. Crucially, they have managed to do all of this without losing any key players they wanted to keep, perhaps with the exception of Pascal Struijk , adding serious squad depth to ensure they are well equipped to build on last year's success.
Hull City
What Do You Make of Hull City's Business?
Hull City are effectively in the exact same position that Sunderland occupied last season, in that almost everyone across football is writing them off before a ball has even been kicked. Nobody truly gave Sunderland a hope of staying up the moment they secured promotion in that play-off final against Sheffield United . It is not particularly surprising that people view them as underdogs.
While they've signed players such as Matt Targett and Jack Butland , it requires a ruthless approach, which might feel harsh to the group that earned promotion. It is absolutely necessary, unfortunately, if you want to compete at the highest level. We saw Sunderland take a ruthless approach, Leeds were ruthless, and Burnley were ruthless in overhauling their squads upon promotion. To give yourself any fighting chance of survival in the Premier League , you have to remove sentiment and recruit players capable of raising the bar immediately. They are facing a massive task and are firmly up against it, but I'd fully anticipate a lot more movement between now and the end of the transfer window. There will almost certainly be several more new arrivals coming through the doors at Hull , as well as a number of existing players moving out.
Ipswich Town
What Do You Make of Gary O'Neil's Appointment at Ipswich?
Succeeding Kieran McKenna was always going to leave a section of the fanbase feeling slightly underwhelmed, simply because of the extraordinary journey and success he delivered. Gary had a good spell at Bournemouth and another good spell at Wolverhampton Wanderers , though. He brings genuine experience of managing in the Premier League , even if they were not massively long periods.
Having said that, I worry about Ipswich in a very similar way to how I worry about Hull City , to be completely honest with you, in terms of what they are going to need to do to give themselves a fighting chance in the top flight. They were somewhat underwhelming in how they got promoted, and when I look through their playing squad to see how many of those players possess Premier League experience and have actually performed well at that level, I am really struggling to find many.
I sincerely hope I am proven wrong, but you can certainly imagine it being an exceptionally tough season for both Hull City and Ipswich Town . Keeping sides up against the odds, as Gary demonstrated at Bournemouth and Wolves , is the job description in a nutshell. He has proven he can do it before. However, you could very easily argue that he had significantly better tools at his disposal at both Bournemouth and Wolves than he currently has.
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