Former Premier League manager Owen Coyle has said that Newcastle United are an example of what clubs should do when relegated to the Championship.
Huddersfield Town and Fulham have already been officially relegated from the top flight to the second tier, and Coyle feels that they should mimic what the Magpies’ did in their most recent foray in the Championship.
“I think Newcastle are the best example a few years ago,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live. “When they went down, what they did was they reinvested in the squad.
“Not necessarily at the time what looked like great Premier League players, but top Championship players. Matt Ritchie, who’s gone on to be a good Premier League player. But boys they knew could get them back up.”
OPINION
It’s hard to argue with Coyle, here. Any time Newcastle have dropped down to the Championship – something which should never happen to a club of this size – they have rebounded instantly. That’s because Mike Ashley realises that the money is in the Premier League and he gives his managers a decent war chest by Championship standards to ensure their swift return to the top flight. It’s also because those managers have used that money well, with Rafael Benitez the most recent example. He didn’t go in and sign a load of Premier League talents, but opted for proven second tier operators in the likes of Ritchie, Dwight Gayle and Ciaran Clark. Those aren’t flashy names, but they did the job. They were crucial in helping Newcastle make an instant return to the top table. It would be wise for Fulham and Huddersfield to do the same thing this summer, with the former surely having learnt the wisdom of bringing in players with experience of English football this season.
