Wolves, Burnley and Birmingham – what can we expect from the PL new boys?

TF90M's James Bailey reviews the new faces coming to a Premiership ground near you.

Winning promotion to the Premiership is regarded as the most financially beneficial reward in football. However and not totally surprising,the step-up is not the easiest transition, despite the extra money made available for transfers.

It is one thing having the money available, but is an entirely different entity convincing a player of Premiership pedigree to join your recently promoted team, who are undoubtedly odds-on with the bookmakers to go straight back down.

And so we have the double-edged sword. You have the money and the platform to play on, but whilst you were the feared team, storming to victory in the Championship, the opposite is largely expected and often endured during the post-promotion season.

Only a number of clubs have managed to climb up the football league ladder in recent years to maintain their foothold in the top tier, whilst numerous others have yo-yoed back and forward.

It is therefore important, if the club is ready to take the big gamble with finances, to purchase players that will ensure Premiership safety,with the team then able to be built upon over the following seasons, gradually moving up the table as time goes on. Of course if the gamble fails to pay off, not only will Premier League status be lost but so will those vital millions as players bought will be then sold off for much less than their original purchase price. A drop down the leagues, combined with financial problems, may then follow.

And so lets see what transfers have been made by the three teams joining the likes of United, Chelsea and Liverpool this year.

Wolves have decided to buy two players from Reading with Premiership experience, keeper Marcus Hahnemann and forward Kevin Doyle. Both players demonstrated their ability whilst in the top flight and are sure to be positive influences on the team.Andrew Surman from Southampton may also provea shrewd signing for Wolves boss Mick McCarthy, with Ronald Zubar and Nenad Milijas arriving from the continent.

Birmingham have also made moves to increase the strength of their squad and it appears the quality also with the capture of former Rangers man Barry Ferguson and Cardiff's Roger Johnson. Whilst the latter may have set City back £5 million, it will be interesting tosee whether free signing Lee Bowyer can regain form after being unattached.Another interesting sight will be whether Christian Benitez and Giovanny Espinoza can bring a touch of South American flair to The Midlands. Leaving St Andrews however is Stephen Kelly who has moved back to the capital, this time for a spell at Fulham.

Whilst it would appear both Wolves and Birmingham look ready to battle away in the Premier League, Burnley's transfer negotiations don't seem to be so impressive. Tyrone Mears, David Edgar and Steven Fletcher are The Claret's main signings but will they be enough to keep the play-off winners out of the relegation zone? Of course the lack of big signings may just pay compliment to the team that Owen Coyle has already created, whilst sensibly the signings, with perhaps the exception of Mears, may stay at the club should they return to the Championship. Furthermore the young players in the squad that helped the club gain promotion should all havesomething to prove in the top tier.

With a few weeks left of the transfer window more switches may still be made. Though, however much signings and squads maybe analysed and scrutinised, it will be over the next 38 games, the marathon of a season, that heroes and villains will be made and they may not bethe ones we pick now. As seen with Hull last year, although only just come the end of the season, the underdogs can survive. Perhaps for lower league teams it is more about team spirit ratherthan big name signings?