Speaking exclusively with BOYLE Sports , former Chelsea assistant Jody Morris has assessed the challenges facing the newly promoted clubs and the sides looking to push on this season.
Morris has explained why Frank Lampard must add Premier League quality at Coventry City without losing the heartbeat of the squad that got them there, and why staying up is the holy grail for any promoted side.
The former Chelsea man has also backed Hull City to make Joe Gelhardt permanent, assessed the pressure on Daniel Farke at Leeds United , praised Jordan Pickford 's fit at Everton , and looked at the promotion prospects of Millwall and Bristol City .
Coventry City
How Will Lampard Fare at Coventry in the Premier League?
It is difficult for Coventry City . We've seen many examples of how to balance it. Some teams change their whole squad and stay up, while others spend a load of money and go down. The balancing act is huge because you need to add quality to improve the squad while keeping the nucleus that got you there.
One of the beauties of Coventry last year was that they showed different sides to their game. At the beginning of the season, they were outscoring teams. Then they went through a spell of not conceding many goals and looking difficult to beat. That will put them in good stead for the Premier League . Frank will be looking to add Premier League quality without losing the heartbeat of the squad. There are certain players who suit the Championship , and when they get to the Premier League , they can be found out, but some surprise you. It's fair to give them a chance, but it is a difficult balancing act.
Ipswich tried it the year before and went straight back down. Staying up for any newly promoted side is the holy grail. It is so difficult nowadays because of the financial gap regular Premier League teams have established. You have to get the balance right, or you find yourself in trouble.
Hull City
Would Gelhardt Be a Sensible Addition For Hull City?
Joe Gelhardt will be a priority for Hull . Whenever you have successful loan players, and you are able to keep them, you should. Joe Gelhardt has played in the Premier League before. Making loans successful is something you have to grab with both hands because you already know how the player performs at the club. When you sign a new player, you never know if they will hit the ground running. Since he has already performed, I imagine Hull are trying to make him their player permanently.
It was a surprise to everyone that they managed to get promoted last year, and fair play to the manager and owner for that. They are more up against it than Ipswich and Coventry , but we've seen surprises before. Watch this space.
Leeds United
Is the Pressure on Farke to Build on Leeds' Season?
Leeds fans will want a European spot. That is the danger when a team comes up and is successful. Sunderland recruited well and hit the ground running. Leeds are a huge club, and once they perform, fans start asking questions. Leeds will want to build on last year and make a better start to the season.
They will aim for a better platform to progress. That performance against Chelsea at Elland Road , where they blew us away, seemed to turn their season around, but they fell off toward the end. They had so many positives after their poor start. They'll just be trying to make a better start to this season to give themselves a better chance to get up the table.
Everton
Can Pickford See Out His Career at Everton?
Jordan Pickford has been a good servant for Everton and performed well for England . He has played many Premier League games. Should he have done better on a couple of goals for England in the tournament? Probably.
You can't argue with his form for England . He probably wasn't happy with the Enzo Fernandez goal, but you can't erase what he's done previously. Everton seem more than happy with him, and he has always seemed happy there. I think he really suits Everton and they suit him.
The Championship
Can Millwall Challenge For Promotion?
Millwall can certainly compete. They were a huge surprise last season, and Alex Neil did an amazing job. His team was difficult to play against. Millwall are known for going direct, but they showed glimpses of being able to get the ball down and play, which is like Alex Neil 's own style as a player.
He did an amazing job last year in the hardest league to get out of. They have an amazing manager in Alex Neil and will want to build on that momentum to try and go one step further. Millwall is a passionate place to be when things are going well. It can be a difficult place to go when they have momentum. They were very unlucky, but huge credit goes to the players and Alex Neil for going so close.
What Are You Expecting From Skubala at Bristol City?
Bristol City is a massive club with great fans. Michael Skubala is a good appointment. Since Liam Manning left, they haven't gone as well as they could have. They've signed a manager who has already been successful at Lincoln .
If they ever had an opportunity to get into the Premier League , they would grow instantly. They are a massive club with passionate fans. They have fallen short on several occasions when they seemed to have a good chance of making the playoffs or the Premier League . I wish them well.
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