Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez insists he always knew the newly-promoted sides would be battling relegation because of the lack of Premier League experience within their squads.
Huddersfield Town, Newcastle and Brighton and Hove Albion are 14th, 15th and 16th respectively in the top flight and all appear set for a season-long struggle.
Following the 3-1 defeat to Premier League leaders Manchester City at the Etihad on Saturday, during which Sergio Aguero scored a hat-trick, Newcastle are just three points above the drop zone.
In Benitez’s opinion, clubs such as Burnley, AFC Bournemouth and Swansea City have an advantage over newly-promoted sides like the Magpies as the majority of their players have Premier League experience.
“I said from the beginning that teams like Burnley, Bournemouth and Swansea - who were in the Premier League already - they have 60-to-70 per cent of their squad with experience,” Benitez said.
“What you have is a lot of players in promoted teams without experience of the Premier League.
“If the teams who are already in the Premier League can add two or three players with experience, they will be even better. Whereas promoted sides need at least five players, so there is a massive difference in terms of money and quality.
“We are organised, just like Huddersfield and Brighton. But after, sometimes the difference is a couple of players that, on their own, can make the difference. Like Aguero or [Leroy] Sane did here.”
Meanwhile, Benitez has also defended his decision to deploy a 5-4-1 formation at the Etihad.
Rafa Benitez (Image: Getty Images Europe)
Newcastle had just 17 per cent possession during the first half, though they did attack during the final 25 minutes of the game - with Jacob Murphy scoring his first goal for the Magpies.
But Benitez was unrepentant about his tactics, stressing every manager must approach games with their “own ideas”.
“The Bristol City game [for Man City] is a cup game and they can bring five new players into their team. Then, against us, they play the best team they can,” Benitez added.
“We lost 3-1 in a league game, it doesn’t change anything. Our idea was to defend, then to go and create on the attack, and we did that.
“But every team has their own players. It’s not like Liverpool, who had five players who could make the difference on their own. We don’t have these kind of players. But we are trying to win and score goals, against a team that creates 15 chances.
“Everyone has to have their own ideas, and manage the game how they can. We are missing a little bit of experience, and in the first half we gave the ball away too easily.
“On the counter attack, we have to be a little bit better. That means quality and experience. We have a very good team that is working very hard, and giving everything.
“When we can attack, we attack. But when you have to defend against the best team in the country, you have to defend.
“But still the Premier League is the Premier League. It is not the Premier League of two years ago, it is the Premier League now, when teams are spending £40million or £100m on a player or whatever.”
Newcastle have taken just one point from seven matches against the Premier League’s top six this season.
And Benitez believes the difference in class between the top six and the rest of the Premier League is “massive”.
Asked about the gulf between the top sides and the rest, Benitez replied: “I think the gap is bigger now [than when I started in Spain].
“Teams are spending more money. My first time with Extremadura was with Barcelona and we lost 1-0. But we were 4-4-2 and organised, and pressing high.
“Yes, the difference between us was massive, but now you can see against these teams that even if you play a good game, you can concede four goals and lose.
“There is a massive difference between the top six and the rest. People say to the teams at the bottom: ‘You have to do this or that.’ But the difference is so big that in the last 10 minutes you can concede two or three goals and then the result looks different.
“You have to find the right balance to create something and score goals against this team, but not be embarrassed because you concede too many. It’s quite difficult.
“It’s bigger than when I was playing Barcelona. The teams at the top are spending more money. They have the best players.
“Normally we would say there are not too many good players around. Now, when you have some of them, always they will go to the top sides.”