Paul Merson fires Leeds United and Burnley warning amid Ipswich Town criticism

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Leeds United and Burnley will be playing Premier League football next season, with Ipswich Town coming down in their place.

Each of the 2024 promoted clubs will be playing in the 2025/26 Championship again after Ipswich’s relegation was confirmed after a 3-0 loss to Newcastle United.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	BurnleyBurnley	45	27	16	2	66	15	51	97
2	LeedsLeeds	44	27	13	4	89	29	60	94
3	Sheff UtdSheffield Utd	45	28	7	10	62	35	27	89

Burnley and Leeds confirmed their places earlier in the week. Promotion even handed the other 17 Premier League clubs a bonus, with the likes of Gary Lineker praising Burnley for their efforts.

Leeds also won’t want to just make up the numbers on their return, but the gap to the Premier League is a concern for all Championship clubs who gain promotion in recent years. Daniel Farke’s future has been called into question, though, amid concerns over the recent trio of promoted sides.

• READ MORE: Leeds United told they do one thing ‘miles’ better than Burnley by EFL expert

Paul Merson’s verdict on Ipswich, Leeds, and Burnley on Sky Sports

Paul Merson was on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday show, covering Ipswich Town’s trip to Newcastle United. They were relegated and their season was dissected post-match amid warnings to Burnley and Leeds.

Simon Thomas asked: “Of the three that came up, you thought they’d make the best fist of it. But, in the end, four wins all season. Why are they so far short in the end?”

Merson said: “Just not good enough. Just not good enough. It’s as simple as that. I think there’s such a gulf between the Championship and the Premier League. Such a gulf.

“I think there’s been games where they’ve been unlucky. But I just don’t think they’re good enough at all. They try and play — this is what I don’t work out when teams come up. They try and play. You’ve got to mix it up! You’ve got to mix it up!

“Because of this new Pep Guardiola way, everybody thinks you’ve got to play it. He can play like that, and Liverpool play like that, and Arsenal play like that because they’ve got top drawer players. If you haven’t got top, top drawer players, don’t play like that.

“I watched Real Madrid versus Athletic Bilbao last week — every time the goalkeeper got it, he hit it long. He launched it. They just went bang. Hit it long. Get it in the other half. I just find that these managers come in and get the players playing and they’re not good enough.

“You’re talking about, and this is no disrespect to the other teams, but the worst players on the pitch are usually the centre-halves. Unless you are a [Virgil] van Dijk or someone else. And they’re all touching it in their own box and there is just pressure on them.

“That’s the problem — they’re not more flexible. Everybody now has swallowed a manual and it’s like total soccer. And it isn’t the way. You’ve got to keep these teams up. These fans lived the dream. Get the ball up the other end and just play. Make teams work to score goals. Stop giving goals away.”

Others, including Joe Hart, believe Leeds have a chance. But Merson, like Roy Keane, isn’t as sure.

Thomas asked: “So what is the blueprint, then? In terms of the teams coming up, we know it’s Leeds United, Burnley, and we wait to see who joins them from the play-offs in a few weeks’ time. Is it first and foremost about being pragmatic? Being hard to beat? Before you do anything else?”

Merson added: “I think so. Get the ball away from your goal and let teams try to beat you and score goals — not like mistake after mistake. I think that’s the case. You come up and you’ve got that in your head, even a big club like Leeds coming up as one of the big clubs.

“They’re even big in the Premier League. You’ve got to come up and finish 17th. Think, ‘17th, 17th, 17th’ — that’s all you’ve got to think. Don’t think, ‘oh, we can do what Forest done, or we can do what Brentford done, or we can do what Leicester done from a few years back’.

“No, get 17th. That gets you another £100m. That gets you another player or two or three players you can buy who are top drawer. And then do it in another year. And, before you know it, in three years’ time you’re going to be a Brentford.

“You’re going to be middle of the table and you’re going to be safe. That’s what you’ve got to do.”

• READ MORE: EFL expert outlines the reasons why Burnley have been promoted to the Premier League ahead of Sheffield United

Leeds and Burnley must avoid emulating the terrible promoted trio of this season

Leeds already have a recruitment advantage over Burnley. However, in terms of quality, the Premier League is at an all-time high and this bar is being continuously raised. For teams looking to adjust from the Championship, this huge gap will be difficult to overcome.

Leeds must learn a few lessons from the current trio at the bottom of the league. Southampton have gone from 87 points down to just 11 in a dismal campaign. They could yet equal Derby County’s record for the fewest points in a Premier League season.

50 points between them at the matchday 34 stage has them on track to be the worst three promoted teams ever, beating last season’s tally from the three promoted sides. It highlights how much work there is to be done for Leeds and Burnley.