The exploits last season of West Ham and Wigan have shown that it's far from impossible for promoted sides to thrive in their first season in the top flight.
At least one newly-promoted club has made an immediate return to the Championship in every season of the Premiership bar one and, while Sunderland kept that trend going in 2005/6, the Hammers and Latics showed the gulf in class can be overcome in style.
And perhaps that word 'style' is the key one to bear in mind because that pair - who both finished well behind Sunderland in the Championship - adopted a hugely positive approach to the Premiership thanks to their bright and imaginative managers and reaped the benefits.
By rights the Hammers shouldn't have had a chance - they lost a staggering 15 times in the Championship yet managed a top half finish in the top flight as well as reaching the FA Cup final.
It was all in stark contrast to Sunderland who failed to inspire with a rash of summer signings and that was reflected on the pitch as they never really got up and running, finishing with a record low of 15 points to prop up the rest of the table.