Stoke chairman Peter Coates believes the Premier League will be a stronger division after the return of Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion.Excluding the eventual Championship play-off winners, Stoke and Wolves will have the least amount of Premier League experience of the 20 clubs next season.
"Clubs with more experience in the Premier League have an advantage," Coates told BBC Radio Stoke.
"You could say that it might be stronger, but there are no easy games."
Stoke will begin their third season in the Premier League in August, after finishing 12th and 11th in the two campaigns since their promotion from the Championship in 2008.
Cardiff or Blackpool contest the Championship play-off final at Wembley on Saturday, with the winners taking their place in the top flight for the first time since the inception of the Premier League in 1992.
I don't think it's ever going to be easy for any club coming up from the Championship
Former Stoke manager Lou Macari
Coates added: "We must be realistic and it will sound a bit boring, but we have to make sure that we stay up by getting to 40 points and then moving on from there, because we want to finish as high as we can."
Meanwhile, former Stoke manager Lou Macari has told BBC Radio Stoke that he believes all three promoted clubs will struggle next season.
"I don't think it's ever going to be easy for any club coming up from the Championship," said Macari, who managed the Potters between 1991-1993 and 1994-1997. "That's why Stoke's achievement was fantastic.
"Newcastle romped away with the Championship but they've got a few players less than the team that was in the Premier League a couple of years ago, and I'm not so sure they can recruit the players in such a short space of time that will keep them up.
"As for West Brom, I don't see them doing any different in the Premier League than they did under Tony Mowbray."
Source: BBC Sport
Source: BBC Sport