Coventry stay up as established Premier League team get relegated in EFL club owner’s predictions

Darragh MacAnthony has named Fulham as surprise relegation candidates in the upcoming Premier League season, while backing Coventry to stay up.

In what promises to be another hugely competitive affair, a number of managers head into the 2026/27 campaign with a point to prove – not least Sky Blues boss Frank Lampard and Fulham‘s Alvaro Arbeloa.

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After ending Coventry’s 25-year Premier League exile by guiding them to Championship glory, Lampard is bidding to prove himself once again at the top of English football.

The Chelsea great now faces perhaps his biggest task yet as a manager, as he looks to steer his side clear of relegation.

Lampard faces unfavourable odds here – as do fellow promoted clubs Ipswich and Hull – with teams who come up from the second tier typically struggling with the jump and heading straight back down a year later.

And while the newly-promoted trio are an obvious tip for the drop, some new faces in other dugouts may give these sides hope.

This summer sees a record nine Premier League clubs set to begin the season with a new permanent manager, and perhaps the most eye-catching appointment has been Alvaro Arbeloa at Fulham.

The Spaniard was named as Marco Silva’s successor at Craven Cottage, marking an immediate return to management after being replaced by Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid in June.

But Arbeloa’s appointment has left some scratching their heads, whose first-ever senior coaching stint oversaw a rare trophyless season at the Santiago Bernabeu last term.

Ful of worry?

Discussing the fight against relegation, Peterborough chairman MacAnthony labelled Fulham’s summer of upheaval a concern.

As well as a change in the dugout, the Whites have also lost key men Harry Wilson, Issa Diop and Raul Jimenez, while they have spent a combined £42m to sign young duo Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios from Real Madrid.

On Fulham’s prospects, MacAnthony told talkSPORT: “Fulham obviously are the one where you go, manager – I didn’t really overly rate him at Real Madrid. They’re bringing Spanish players in.

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MacAnthony was also unconvinced by Arbeloa’s managerial credentials, who questioned his 64 per cent win rate at Real Madrid.

To this, MacAnthony said: “Anything under 80 per cent is poor in Madrid. 

“[Marco] Silva was a brilliant manager for Fulham. So you’re wondering the hangover of him leaving. You’ve got Spanish players who sometimes take a little while, young Spanish players, to adjust. 

“So maybe there might be some concerns there. We don’t know.”

He added: “Fulham – the model of signing these Madrid boys, these younger players, losing Harry Wilson, the goals, the assists, even the menace, they’ve lost players that scored goals last year. 

“I’m slightly concerned for them.”

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Super Frank

Moving on to the newly-promoted sides, MacAnthony gave Coventry a fighting chance of staying up due to their attacking threat.

Lampard’s side were the Championship’s top-scoring team last seaon with a huge 97 goals, with three members of their forward line reaching double digits – Haji Wright, Brandon Thomas-Asante and Ellis Simms.

By the same logic, MacAnthony tipped Ipswich and Hull to struggle due to a lack of proven goals, while he highlighted Lampard’s past experience in guiding Everton to Premier League survival in 2022.

He continued: “I look at the three coming up and I go, Coventry are the favourites out of the three to stay up. 

“Before Ipswich fans come at me, Hull fans, I look at the goals. And I know you’re going to say, ‘Championship goals’, and whatever else. I just look at the way Lampard plays – he had experience where he was in a dog battle with Everton.

“So you’ve got manager experience of dealing with the stress of that. I think that’s going to be really advantageous.”

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On Lampard, MacAnthony added: “He is [a Premier League legend], but that means nothing now that he’s a manager. 

“And I think he’s a superb manager. And I was hot on criticizing him for getting opportunities other people wouldn’t get early on. 

“But I love and respect the fact that he dropped down and took Coventry, when obviously [Mark] Robbins had done a good job, but it was going stale, he walked in when they were what, fifth, sixth bottom.  And the football last year was great to watch.”

MacAnthony added: “I honestly look at their personnel, their players, the attack, the way they play – I think they’ll be good.”

Tall order?

MacAnthony was less optimistic about the Premier League’s other new boys Ipswich and Hull, who he feels are yet to strengthen in the necessary areas this summer.

After winning the Championship Play-Off final, Hull have so far only spent money on goalkeepers Jack Butland and Konstantinos Tzolakis.

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Meanwhile Ipswich have a new boss in Gary O’Neil following the departure of promotion-winning manager Kieran McKenna.

Their standout signings so far have been winger Abdul Fatawu’s £20m arrival from Leicester, while forward Daizen Maeda has joined from Celtic for £10m.

On the two sides , MacAnthony said: “If I was to pick any, I would say obviously your usual favourites – I’d imagine Hull are probably the first favourites because they still have a lot of business to do. so that could change. 

“Ipswich need goals potentially and that was I think the issue last time [when they were relegated in the 2024/25 campaign].

“Even though obviously they had the Man City boy they sold to Chelsea – Liam Delap – but he’s still not scoring enough to keep them up. So they really [worry me].

“I think there’s goals in Coventry, and I just think in that league you score enough goals, the goals in the team for teams who struggle, that keeps you in that league.

“And I do worry about those two newcomers.”