Relegation from the English Premier League is a journey that can lead a football club down a dark path.
Successful squads like Portsmouth and Blackburn Rovers have recently taken the drop and have been unable to find their way back to the first division. The toll this can take on a team’s finances and supporters can be catastrophic.
Management boards are aware of the need to stay up, and this year’s EPL campaign will almost certainly provide high drama, with squads battling to stay out of the relegation zone late in the season.
We highlight five teams that could be starting up the table at the competition in 2016-17.
Burnley
In Burnley’s most recent campaign in the English Premier League, manager Sean Dyche and his players found themselves overmatched by their opposition. After being relegated back to the Championship in the summer of 2015, the Clarets return with a better knowledge of what is needed to stay up this time around.
Always a hard-working and defensively disciplined side, Burnley was ultimately undone in the 2014-15 season by a lack of goals.
If forwards Andre Gray and Sam Vokes can find the net consistently, Burnley may be able to avoid relegation.
Hull City
It all went downhill so quickly for the Tigers in 2015.
After an FA Cup final appearance the year before, the 2014-15 Premier League season and their first-ever Europa League spot gave supporters much to look forward to.
But crashing out in the Europa qualifying rounds and relegation to the Championship followed, leaving fans stunned. Now, manager Steve Bruce returns to craft a more lengthy EPL stay for Hull City.
Talent is abundant within the lineup, with players like Abel Hernandez and Ahmed Elmohamady able to create chances for themselves and their teammates in attack.
Avoiding relegation will depend on consistent form from key players.
Middlesbrough
One great strategy for teams looking to remain in the Premier League is strengthening the squad at various positions.
Boro have done just that with the goalkeeping duo of Victor Valdes and Brad Guzan, along with talented goal-scorers like the re-signed Gaston Ramirez and Spanish forward Alvaro Negredo.
After seven years of waiting to return to the English top flight, Middlesbrough will certainly do all they can to stay up this season. If they do struggle early on, expect reinforcements to arrive during the January transfer window.
Sunderland
Seemingly always on the cusp of relegation, The Black Cats are bound for another difficult campaign in 2016-17.
New manager David Moyes returns to the Premier League with a squad that has pieces in place but cannot take the next step to move up the table.
Forward Jermain Defoe was a hero last season. He led the team with 15 goals and scored many of them late in the year when the club needed results the most.
With little change to the squad, there is no reason to think it will not be the same story again for Sunderland.
Watford
Along with AFC Bournemouth, Watford was one of the Premier League’s pleasant surprises in 2015-16.
A proactive and entertaining approach to matches led to a 13th-place league finish and a trip to Wembley Stadium for an FA Cup semifinal.
27-year-old Nigerian forward Odion Ighalo was the Hornets’ breakout star, scoring 17 goals across all competitions.
They will need more of the same for another year in the EPL.
Prediction
While the five teams mentioned may have a long battle ahead, Watford and Middlesbrough will ultimately find a way to stay up.
Expect Burnley, Hull City, and Sunderland to play in the Championship next season.