After Palace join Cardiff and Hull in promotion to the Premier League, how are they each equipped to tackle the big boys?

With Cardiff finally shaking off their 'bottlers' tag to win the Championship at a canter, Hull making a late surge to achieve automatic promotion, and Crystal Palace celebrating play-off glory at Wembley, the question now is whether these teams can hack it in the top flight.

Sportsmail's Janine Self runs the rule over the three promoted sides and the work that needs to be done before the big kick-off in August.



Hull

Best players

Sone Aluko The striker missed the last five months of the season with a ruptured Achilles but should be fit for the start of the season.

Fighting fit: Sone Aluko - one of Hull's key men - will be back in contention for the start of the season

Ahmed Elmohamady The winger was on a season’s loan from Sunderland but is due to complete a £2million permanent move any day now.

Robert Koren The midfielder is getting on now but he had three years with West Brom and knows what’s required in the Premier League.

Strengths No real ‘star’ players but a decent team ethic who were under instruction to play football.

Weaknesses Steve Bruce questioned his players’ bottle as they struggled to get over the finish line, which must be a worry up a level. Also, where are the goals going to come from?

Talking tactics: Steve Bruce will hope his side can step up their level in quality for the Premier League

Tactics Bruce, who once jokingly said that he didn’t take much notice of tactics, played three central defenders with wing-backs to great effect last season. Whether he sticks to a 3-5-2 formation when up against Premier League sides who like to play the fashionable 4-2-3-1 is another matter.

PL pedigree It was an amazing achievement when Hull went up five years ago, and stayed up for a season. That is their only previous experience in the top flight.

Manager’s record Steve Bruce took Birmingham into the Premier League twice and kept them there, went to Wigan and kept them up and made an early impact at Sunderland. He has learned from his mistakes and will concentrate on team building rather than marquee names despite the backing of owner Assem Allam, who spent £36million just on debt clearing when he arrived.

Jump for joy: Jimmy Bullard was one of the stars of Hull's last spell in the Premier League

Need to buy Bruce relied on the loan system to get promotion so first job is to make permanent the signings of goalkeeper David Stockdale, Elmohamady and George Boyd.



After that, he will want a striker – Charlie Austin at Burnley is inevitably on the list. Maynor Figueroa of Wigan could be heading for a reunion with Bruce too.

Cardiff

Best players



Goalkeeper David Marshall, once the target for the boo boys, has played an instrumental part in the promotion campaign.

Kim Bo-Kyung signed from Osaka last year and took time to settle but emerging as a gem of a midfielder and Park Ji-Sung’s successor in the South Korea set-up.

Flying high: David Marshall has been rock-solid for Cardiff City between the posts in their promotion year

Andrew Taylor, freebie from Middlesbrough and, at the age of 26, coming into his peak years at left back.

Strengths Defence. Cardiff were the kings of clean sheets last season and that will be the basis of Malky Mackay’s masterplan in the Premier League. Also Aron Gunnarsson can throw miles!

Weaknesses The Bluebirds scored 72 goals last season but no-one managed double figures. Fraizer Campbell has skill in abundance but now is the time to step up to the plate.

Making his mark: It's time for Cardiff's Frazier Campbell (left) to step up to the plate and contribute goals

Tactics Mackay has been criticised for an ultra-cautious approach and is hardly likely to become expansive following promotion. Sometimes plays with one striker and a five-man midfield, sometimes with two up front.

PL pedigree Back in the top flight after 51 years, it would be fair to say they are entering unchartered territory. But the example of South Wales neighbours will give them hope.

Manager’s record Mackay is a total rookie at this level, but has begun to forge a reputation after turning serial bottlers Cardiff into promotion winners. He will have money to spend but it will be on strengthening the squad rather than star players.

Need to buy Cardiff’s first recruit is likely to be defender Leon Barnett, who finished the season on loan from Norwich. Mackay has also been linked with a move for striker Befetimbi Gomis of Lyon.

Champions: Malky Mackay (centre) shook off Cardiff's 'bottlers' tag to run away with the Championship title

Crystal Palace



Best players



Glenn Murray, scorer of 30 goals this season and out til Christmas with a knee injury.

Mile Jedinak, Australian midfielder and a big presence in the Palace side.

Jonny Williams, who will pick up the mantel of ‘next big thing’ following Wilfried Zaha’s departure to Manchester United.

Celebration: Crystal Palace will look to Jonathan Williams to step up and fill the void left by Wilfried Zaha

Strengths Organised, flexible and with skilful players like Williams and winger Yannick Bolasie, as well as an experienced goalkeeper in Julian Speroni.

Weaknesses The perennial problem – up front. Murray is out for another half a season, Kevin Phillips is not a 90-minute option even if he does not retire. Not much pace.

Tactics Ian Holloway wants his players to be attractive and open in their style of play but while that won admirers at Blackpool, it also brought immediate relegation. May not be so gung-ho this time.

Character: Palace manager Ian Holloway will have his second spell in the Premier League

PL pedigree Palace have yo-yoed their way in and out of the top flight for the last 40 years but were founder members of the Premier League. This is their fourth promotion to the PL.

Manager’s record Slightly more experienced than Mackay, Holloway has only managed one season of Premier League football after leading Blackpool to promotion. His task is just as difficult at Palace.

Need to buy While Cardiff and Hull have infrastructure in place, Holloway will have to sell ramshackle Selhurst Park to new players. He needs a replacement for Zaha, a couple of strikers, a midfielder or two, and a pacier defence. Other than that...