Marching in or marching on again to the promised land

After just one season away, they're back in the Premier League, a play-off final victory at Wembley seeing the despair of 12 months ago turn to joy, optimism fuelled once more that this time it can be different, this time they can remain among the elite and become a sustainable, sustained, top-flight side.

- KARL MATCHETT

Just one thing to decide: the actual team to which that opening paragraph can be applied. Leeds United or Southampton, either way it still chimes true two of last year's fallen trio, one will join another in bouncing straight back up.

Leicester City are already there and, just as last year's three promoted sides succumbed to an immediate drop, last term's three relegated names have gone the distance to reclaim their spot among England's 20 finest. Ipswich Town, of course, are the outlier here. They were in neither the Premier League nor the Championship last year, the story of the Tractor Boys and Kieran McKenna one which is infrequently repeated and impressive in its own right - but also a total one-off in the story of year-to-year promotions and relegations.

The knock-on of that is that only one of Saints or Leeds can earn the right to go straight back up now while the loser will face another arduous second-tier campaign; Leeds ended the regular season in third, one place and three points above their Wembley foes, but Saints triumphed in a final-day meeting between the teams, 2-1 at Elland Road.