Banking on Blackpool

Less than 24 hours after Blackpool's fairytale promotion to the Premier League, Sam Wallace had a stark warning for them.

They will go down next season.

Ian Holloway's side beat Cardiff 3-2 at Wembley to secure promotion to the Premier League, but at the Sunday Supplement breakfast table the Independent's chief football writer insisted there was no way the Tangerines could survive next season.

But with Saturday's victory said to be worth up to £90million, Wallace reckons that relegation would not necessarily be a negative thing for Blackpool.

And he urged the club to secure their long-term future by investing their Premier League windfall wisely.

But he insists they will almost certainly be in the bottom three next season.

"They'll take it as a terrible slur one day after that great day, but that's the reality," Wallace explained.

"They're an incredibly small club, certainly in terms of the size of their ground they're the smallest club ever to be in the Premier League and they have to expect that that is going to be the way.

"But it's a great opportunity for them.

"Don't forget that the parachute payments when you come out of the Premier League next season are enormous. Over four years they'll earn £16million, £16million, £8million and £8million.

"That's a tremendous asset for that club even in relegation - as long as they manage to balance the books for one season.

"I know I'm being very negative here, but I'm sure they'll be thinking about this. It's an enormous amount of money coming into the new deal that the Premier League have got, so it's incredibly lucrative to them."

Committed

Wallace also suggested that the chance to manage in the top flight was one that must be seized by Blackpool's enigmatic boss Ian Holloway.

Holloway has enjoyed a remarkable first season with Blackpool, but despite his obvious loyalty, Wallace says he should try to put himself in the shop window for a bigger job next year.

Wallace continued: "I know he's very committed to this club, but look at the real fairytale from last season, which was Owen Coyle and Burnley.

"Half way through the season he looked at what he'd got and thought: 'We're not going to stay up.'

"He got offered the job at Bolton and he went. At the time he got some stick for it, but looking back it was the right decision.

"Although Holloway is clearly very proud of the club, he's had a long career with lots of ups and downs. This is a great chance for him to show that he can manage at the top level.

"Perhaps in a year's time or two year's time he might get taken on by a bigger club. Clearly he feels a great loyalty to Blackpool, but he owes it to himself as well to use this as an opportunity maybe to get a better job."

Inspiration

Fellow Sunday Supplement guest Oliver Holt agreed that Blackpool were likely relegation candidates next season.

However, the Daily Mirror writer said they can draw inspiration from teams like Wigan and Hull City who survived against the odds in their first seasons after being promoted to the Premier League.

"I'm not quite as pessimistic about Blackpool as Sam," said Holt.

"I agree with most of what he's saying but I don't think it is written already that they will go down.

"You would have thought that about Wigan - I know that Wigan have more financial backing - but you would have thought about Hull that they were certainties to go down.

"With a good manager and if they make good singings I think there's hope.

"If we were doing our bottom three today I would also have them in my bottom three, but I do think there is a possibility that they will stay up."