The play-off final offers immediate bounce back – but can it really be any different this time for Leeds or Southampton?

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After just one season away, they are back in the Premier League, a play-off final win at Wembley, seeing the despair of 12 months ago turn to joy now, optimism fueled once again that this time can be different, this time they can stay among the elite and become a sustainable, sustainedthe top part.

Only one thing to decide: the actual team to which that opening paragraph can be applied. Leeds United or Southampton, in any case, still rings true – two of last year’s relegated trio, one will join another to return straight.

Leicester City are already there, and just as last year’s three promoted sides succumbed to immediate relegation, the three relegated names of the last quarter have gone the distance to reclaim their place in England’s top 20. The town of Ipswich, of course, is the outlier here. They were neither in the Premier League nor the Championship last year, the story of the Tractor Boys and Kieran McKenna one that is rarely repeated and impressive in its own right – but also a once in a year story. promotions and demotions.

The bottom line is that only one of Saints or Leeds can win the right to go straight back up now, with the loser facing another tough second-tier campaign; Leeds finished the regular season in third place, one place and three points above their Wembley foes, but Saints triumphed in a final day meeting between the sides, 2-1 at Elland Road.

Regardless of the eventual winner, the questions will be the same: can they buck this year’s trend and do more than just one campaign back at the top this time, and what’s the plan for continued improvement?

The Saints, of course, have long been regulars in the Premier League. Between 2012-13 and 2016-17, both were progressive and impressive, but the approach of selling established players and buying for the future did not work in the long term. Ralph Hassenhuttl’s setup ultimately felt tired and uninspired, unable to contain the inevitable. Five successive seasons finishing in the bottom half came before they finally fell.

A lot has changed with Russell Martin in the dugout, not least from the entire lineup, but many of the same components of the relegated team are still there, notably the likes of Adam Armstrong, Che Adams, Joe Aribo – finals contributors. third in this term, but not often enough in the first place.

It’s no stretch to suggest that they would need to improve if they are to do what Luton, Burnley and Sheffield United failed to do this time around and close the gap between the tiers to extend their stay beyond 10 months.

Leeds, meanwhile, managed three very different years in the top flight following their long-awaited return: Marcelo Bielsa’s mesmerizing campaign, Jesse Marsch’s rescue act in year two and the farcical switch from incompatible to incompetent in year three, relegated after four. different head coaches had sat on the hot seat.

There is no doubt that it will have to be different that if they want to survive.

Daniel Farke can point to his history of building teams, but not necessarily keeping them there. Leeds’ side, meanwhile, appear to be alert in attack and young enough to progress further, but they have plenty of players ready to return from loan if they are to go up. It won’t be an easy fix either to shuffle or balance the cards.

And yet the what-ifs for both sides lie beyond. All that matters at this stage is winning at Wembley, getting over the line, getting back to sea.

The outpouring of emotion when the whistle blows and it’s their team celebrating will overwhelm and outweigh any worries about what might await in the vague weeks and months ahead.

In its own way, and despite the fact that this inevitably leads to questions about whether the gap is getting wider not just between the top two divisions, but most of the clubs jumping between them and the rest of the Championship, it can be argued that a game- Final date now is the reward for supporters who had to go through such suffering this time a year ago.

Another game, another chance – another result for Leeds or Saints fans to spend the summer dreaming about.