Not sure about PL, but we'd definitely have seen some better football.
Looking at how poor last season was... I think you're probably right, we'd have gone up last season.
Smith is starting further back than RDM though, having to pick up Bruce's mess of a squad. I'm not 100% certain yet Smith is the right man to rebuild the squad in the Summer. The abandonment of his style, but persistence with the formation the last month or so is a bad trait.