The hardest Championship ever?

The Camel · Feb 12, 2017

atomised said:
3 of those we would clearly get big fees for. Part of that would obviously be to keep ffp limits achievable but part of it would clearly allow us to strengthen for another go.
Not saying it wont be tough but many on here said prior to this season we would struggle to make the play offs

The quality of the incoming players will, by definition, not be as strong as the players who have left for the Premier League.

Time for the new players to bed in and gel + the increased quality of the Championship...

I would be stunned by anything beyond mid table security and a decent start on rebuilding.

atomised · Feb 12, 2017

The Camel said:
The quality of the incoming players will, by definition, not be as strong as the players who have left for the Premier League.

Time for the new players to bed in and gel + the increased quality of the Championship...

I would be stunned by anything beyond mid table security and a decent start on rebuilding.

Which is exactly what people were saying on here last pre season almost word for word. It could well end up being a mid table season. I don't get the desire of many here to write the club/team off at every opportunity

The Camel · Feb 12, 2017

atomised said:
Which is exactly what people were saying on here last pre season almost word for word. It could well end up being a mid table season. I don't get the desire of many here to write the club/team off at every opportunity

I have no clue why people were writing off the chances this preseason.

The squad was IMPROVED from last season by the addition of Duffy and no one of note had left.

This was the squad which won enough points to gain automatic promotion in most years.

If you trusted the manager to minimise the hangover effect from last season, you had to think a top two spot was wellin grasp this season.

warmleyseagull · Feb 12, 2017

daib0 said:
The hardest Championship ever??

I got thinking that this season is turning out to be a very high level indeed. So I went quickly back on each of the last SIX seasons, at exactly this point in the schedule, virtually all teams on either 30 or 31 games played.

Looking at the relative strengths of each season, but not particularly any one club, I added up the total points gained by the front runners to see if this was an usually strong season ...

Here goes -

2016-17
Newcastle 30 - 65
Brighton 30 - 64
Huddersfield 30 - 58
Reading 31 - 57
Leeds 31 - 54
Sheff Wed 30 - 52
--------------------
Norwich 31 - 50

TOTAL POINTS BY EVERYONE: 400

2015-16
Hull 30 - 59
Middlesbrough 29 - 57
Burnley 31 - 56
Brighton 30 - 56
Sheff Wed 31 - 53
Derby 31 - 51
--------------------
Birmingham 31 - 48

TOTAL POINTS BY EVERYONE: 380

2014-15
Bournemouth 31 - 59
Middlesbrough 30 - 59
Derby 30 - 58
Ipswich 31 - 57
Watford 31 - 56
Norwich 31 - 53
--------------------
Brentford 31 - 52

TOTAL POINTS BY EVERYONE: 394

2013-14
Leicester 30 - 67
Burnley 31 - 60
QPR 29 - 56
Derby 30 - 55
Nottm Forest 30 54
Reading 30 47
--------------------
Brighton 30 - 46

TOTAL POINTS BY EVERYONE: 385

2012-13
Cardiff 30 - 64
Hull 31 - 56
Leicester 30 - 53
Watford 31 53
Crystal Pal 31 - 52
Middlesbrough 31 - 50
--------------------
Brighton 31 - 46

TOTAL POINTS BY EVERYONE: 374

2011-12
West Ham 30 - 57
Southampton 31 - 56
Cardiff 31 - 53
Blackpool 31 - 52
Birmingham 30 - 51
Reading 30 - 51

--------------------
Hull 30 - 50

TOTAL POINTS BY EVERYONE: 370

My intuition has been confirmed. In no other recent season has the sum of points for the top SEVEN at this stage reached 400 points.

Curious how some teams pop up regularly, whilst others are one season wonders.

In part, weighing up these stats and on your own instinct, would you say it is the most difficult season ever for these clubs to get promoted?

And will the three promoted teams in fact come from these seven? Or any surprise likely with a super charge from lower down the table, perhaps unforeseen at present?

Interested as a (well-behaved) Royals fan (as you know!) to hear your thoughts!!

Don't think this is a material difference, could easily be explained by the difference in the number of times the top 7 have played each other over the seasons; or that the bottom four are unusually crap this season. If anything it suggests the Championship is slightly weaker as there is less challenge to top teams.

Herr Tubthumper · Feb 13, 2017

warmleyseagull said:
Don't think this is a material difference, could easily be explained by the difference in the number of times the top 7 have played each other over the seasons; or that the bottom four are unusually crap this season. If anything it suggests the Championship is slightly weaker as there is less challenge to top teams.

And even your last point could be a sign of less competition which is not necessarily the same as being a weaker league. To me it seems pretty much the same as it always been even to the point where one relegated Prem team does well and the others not so well.

scousefan · Feb 13, 2017

I don't think you can measure how hard the division is by the number of points of the top teams. It perhaps suggests that there is a bigger quality difference between top and bottom. It's a bit different from the year that Poyet took us to the playoffs when the whole division was very even

Notters · Feb 13, 2017

Icy Gull said:
How come? We closed the gap and ended up quite far ahead of them in the final table having been six points behind at this stage of the season? Huddersfield are exactly six points behind us...I am a Brighton fan, used to disappointment, and this is a slight concern

Yeah sorry, am obviously not with it!

KingKev · Feb 13, 2017

Preston in 11th have 45 points and a realistic shot at the play-offs, that would have put them in 8th or 9th in some of those previous seasons....I think this probably argues that the division has finally broken into two leagues with the cash required to make a go of it just too much for about half of the teams (but also remembering that Villa and Wolves are currently among the also-rans despite laying out the sort of cash you'd expect to ensure a top 4 finish).
Next season looks likely to be even more clear-cut; points required for a playoff place edging towards 80 and anyone with promotion dreams will have to beat the vast majority of the bottom half twice as a minimum....

ditchy · Feb 13, 2017

daib0 said:
plus Sheff United and Bolton and maybe Bradford coming up and making an impact like Bournemouth and Southampton did first year up ...

I think Bolton , if they do go up will struggle badly , they look like a club who are a hairs breath away from administration .

Baldseagull · Feb 13, 2017

The Camel said:
The quality of the incoming players will, by definition, not be as strong as the players who have left for the Premier League.

Time for the new players to bed in and gel + the increased quality of the Championship...

I would be stunned by anything beyond mid table security and a decent start on rebuilding.

Thinking of players that have left to join Prem sides, or sides which were then promoted, I am not sure you are correct.
Would Bridcutt, Buckley, Noone or Barnes make our best 11 if they were in the current squad?
We have not signed many duds lately and I am confident that would continue, the problem may be in engendering the sort of team spirit we have now, if we have to make wholesale change.

Bob'n'weave · Feb 13, 2017

The Camel said:
Without Dunk, Stephens, Knocky and possibly Kayal, March and Stockdale too, Brighton are very very unlikely to be challenging for promotion next season.

WTF!

Sorry?? Did I hit a time warp?? Is the season over and we are now still in the Championship, struggling for mid table mediocrity with all our best players having fled the sinking ship?? In your 'fill my nappy' world, are Palace in the Champions League?? F**k off with your camel shite pal.

The Camel · Feb 13, 2017

Bob'n'weave said:
WTF!

Sorry?? Did I hit a time warp?? Is the season over and we are now still in the Championship, struggling for mid table mediocrity with all our best players having fled the sinking ship?? In your 'fill my nappy' world, are Palace in the Champions League?? F**k off with your camel shite pal.

Try actually reading my posts instead of hysterical overreaction?

I think promotion is extremely likely this season.

I'm just contemplating what MIGHT happen if isn't achieved.

Bob'n'weave · Feb 13, 2017

The Camel said:
Try actually reading my posts instead of hysterical overreaction?

I think promotion is extremely likely this season.

I'm just contemplating what MIGHT happen if isn't achieved.

Bollocks pal. Wallowing in what might happen if we choke is the job of our pet Palarse trolls. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. I just happen to think yours is like a toddler doodling on a wall with its own shite.

daib0 · Feb 13, 2017

Yep, perhaps I put 2+2=5 in the initial post ...
another valid view could be that if it's harder, then more matches are drawn, therefore making a lower points tally for the top teams? ...

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