Southampton, Leicester City, and Ipswich Town should heed Luton Town warning | OneFootball

Sides relegated from the Premier League expect to be involved at the top of the Championship table - but Luton prove it's not guaranteed

Seemingly-doomed trio Southampton, Leicester City, and Ipswich Town should be concerned by Luton Town’s struggles since relegation - you can have your millions from the top flight, but there is no such thing as too good to go down in the Championship.

The worst-case scenario imagined for relegated Premier League clubs is the financial issues caused by failure to bounce immediately back to the top flight, with clubs having only a few years of parachute payments in order to outmuscle Championship clubs.

Once that money dries up, there is the risk of enduring Championship purgatory on far more modest budgets.

However, as Luton have demonstrated this season, there always remains the risk of downwards momentum from a relegation battle sending clubs hurtling down into another survival scrap in the Championship.

Downwards momentum can be hard to stop for relegated Premier League teams

The promoted trio are currently on track to set the lowest combined points total for a Premier League bottom three, highlighting their lack of quality in comparison to the rest of the division.

Southampton in particular are yet to get past 11 points – the lowest amount garnered in a Premier League season, by Derby County in 2007/08.

That is concerning, when Luton, who were relegated last term with 26 points, are struggling so badly upon their return to the Championship.

The malaise that can surround a club following relegation has to be properly cleared before sides can put together momentum in the other direction, and that has not been the case at Kenilworth Road.

Rob Edwards, a Wembley hero for leading Luton to the Premier League, was sacked at the turn of the year with the Hatters two points and two places off the Championship relegation zone.

A managerial change, drafting in Matt Bloomfield from high-flying Wycombe Wanderers in League One, has not helped matters.

With 12 Championship games remaining, Luton are now firmly in the relegation zone.

Saints, Leicester, and Ipswich must have concerns that they might sleepwalk into a similar situation if they do not improve over the summer following likely relegation this season.

Concerning parallels between Ipswich Town and Luton Town's approach to Premier League

Ipswich Town in particular will not like the parallels between their approach to life in Premier League and that of Luton.

Both sides, somewhat unexpectedly promoted from the Championship, decided to do most of their shopping the summer following promotion in the second tier.

In consecutive summers, both teams were said to have built “Championship super-teams", picking the best of the rest to navigate the Premier League.

The approach seemed double-edged – these players had proven their worth in the Championship, and were hungry to make their mark in the top flight, whilst also serving as insurance if expected relegation became a reality.

Southampton and Leicester’s lengthy recent spells in the Premier League should give them an advantage over Ipswich, who are back amongst England’s elite for the first time since 2002.

But out of the three promoted sides, it is Ipswich currently giving it the best go, with the Tractor Boys sat 18th in the Premier League table.

That is very similar to Luton’s Premier League story. Promoted alongside Sheffield United and Burnley, the Hatters were favourites to finish bottom.

They showed a lot of pluck and courage in their battle to beat the drop, but unfortunately, Rob Edwards’ side were unable to do so, mathematically taking it to the final day of the season.

Luton will correctly point to the caveat that a lot of the riches earned from a one-year stint in the Premier League has been reinvested into the long-term future for the Hatters.

First mooted in 2019, Luton’s proposed move to Power Court has finally been given legs, thanks to the improved finances earned from the foray into the Premier League.

For a club that had dropped all the way down into non-league, a new 25,000 stadium highlights progress – no matter what division the Hatters may find themselves in next season.