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[Football] The PL/Championship 'gulf'



Petee

Well-known member
Nov 22, 2010
3,031
Brighton
I think the gulf between the Prem and Championship is over estimated a lot. Apart from the Big 6, there really isn't that much a difference.

In fact, the 3 promoted sides are currently 6th, 10th and 11th whereas the 3 sides relegated last season are currently 13th, 14th and 23rd in the championship.
 


Driver8

On the road...
NSC Patreon
Jul 31, 2005
15,951
North Wales
All three teams have strengthened though. I watched the Cardiff v Birmingham game the other day and thought the standard was awful compared to the one we are watching now.
 


Lurchy

Well-known member
Jul 2, 2014
2,341
I think the gulf between the Prem and Championship is over estimated a lot. Apart from the Big 6, there really isn't that much a difference.

In fact, the 3 promoted sides are currently 6th, 10th and 11th whereas the 3 sides relegated last season are currently 13th, 14th and 23rd in the championship.

Clubs like Villa and Norwich not automatically bouncing back to the Prem after relegation would also add extra weight to that. Think momentum can also add a lot to a clubs performance, that's a lot to do why promoted clubs like Sheff Utd are doing well in the Championship this season. Positive results help build confidence, sometimes it's difficult to turn things around on a psychological level and get that back after a long season that see's a club get relegated.
 


Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's Tackle
NSC Patreon
Oct 8, 2003
49,337
Faversham
Promoted teams are exhilarated, and strengthened with new plays. Relegated teams are demoralised, lose their best players and the ones remaining will have pay cut clauses in their contracts to remind them how shit they really are. The standard in the PL is (consequently and understandably) far above that in the championship (or, as we newly blessed should call it, the championshite).
 






Don Parasol

Active member
Jan 29, 2017
108
Whilst the overall standard is very different, I think the OP has a point if you compare top Championship sides to the PL minus top 6...

We're sometimes talking about fine margins players-wise after all - large numbers of talented players signed by PL sides (and young players) narrowly fail to establish themselves, and become available for moves to the championship. When you consider our first 11 last season, virtually all of them had recent premier league experience, or if not had attracted the interest of top sides.
 


Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
49,989
Goldstone
I think the gulf between the Prem and Championship is over estimated a lot. Apart from the Big 6, there really isn't that much a difference.

In fact, the 3 promoted sides are currently 6th, 10th and 11th
They won't finish that high though. We had to strengthen to be at a similar level to the clubs at the bottom of the PL. And the clubs below the top two last season just weren't as good.

Overall it's a big difference, but between the bottom of the PL and top of the Championship, no, not a great deal.
 


Albion 4ever

Active member
Feb 26, 2009
567
7 of our starting eleven last night were regulars last season.
Probably enough evidence straight away that there is not much difference between top of Championship and bottom half Premier League.
 




Da Man Clay

T'Blades
Dec 16, 2004
16,254
7 of our starting eleven last night were regulars last season.
Probably enough evidence straight away that there is not much difference between top of Championship and bottom half Premier League.
Not when you consider the 4 that were new players cost 35 million between them. They were also responsible for a goal and two assists of the 3 goals scored.
 
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dangull

Well-known member
Feb 24, 2013
5,105
I still believe staying in the PL each year will be a slightly easier task than trying to get up from the Championship each year.

Yeah, it looks like a game of lottery this year. Everyone can beat each other in that league. It was quite unusual that Newcastle and Brighton were head and shoulders above everyone else last year.
 


bWize

Well-known member
Nov 6, 2007
1,676
Have to agree with the OP. The PL has an element of Emperors clothes about it.

The Newcastle v Palace game I watched earlier was below championship standard yet Newcastle are sitting in 6th! The passing was all over the shop from both teams, lack of creativity and just all round bad.
 




biddles911

New member
May 12, 2014
348
Promoted teams are exhilarated, and strengthened with new plays. Relegated teams are demoralised, lose their best players and the ones remaining will have pay cut clauses in their contracts to remind them how shit they really are. The standard in the PL is (consequently and understandably) far above that in the championship (or, as we newly blessed should call it, the championshite).

Got to agree with this. The demands of the two divisions are different and teams invariably change personnel dramatically when they move between them so comparisons are pretty difficult.

In all the games I’ve watched at Brighton so far I’ve been struck by the extra pace of the Premier League and that players get significantly less time to play the ball before being closed down and, also, how quickly mistakes get punished.

You don’t really appreciate that just watching on tv.....

It’s also a bit early to start drawing conclusions on where teams will finish up which is the acid test......


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 


Apr 30, 2013
1,059
It's grim oop north
Thr way we are setup and how the team play for each other every game, coupled with argualbly the best manager we’ve ever had there is no reason why we cant be a steady and solid top 10 PL team
 


Giraffe

VERY part time moderator
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patreon
Aug 8, 2005
26,456
Totally agree with the sentiment of the opening poster. The reality is that the top six or so of the championship are very similar to the bottom 6/8 teams. Also I think the mid tier up to the top six is just what happens when you get a bit of the Prem money but can't attract the really good players. All the teams up to the top six are now receiving a lot of money which means there are marginal differences in performance.

The massive gap is to the top six. And it is massive. Like a whole division if not more.

The reality is you could finish 7th and be closer to 18th in points than you are to 6th! That is ridiculous but that's the nonsense hat is the premier league. We are all just making up the numbers for the big teams to have a league to play in.
 


scooter1

How soon is now?
I used to think the PL was made up of 3 mini leagues, the obvious top 6, a middle 6 or 7 and then the rest looking to avoid the drop. But this season as it stands, I think differently. The obvious big 6 are already there or thereabouts, but there doesn't appear to be a middle tier, just a free for all for the remaining 14 teams. lots to look forward to
 




Eeyore

Lord Donkey of Queen's Park
NSC Patreon
Apr 5, 2014
23,380
I think most folk sub-consciously see the Premier League as two separate divisions now.

Any club that comes up has to spend wisely. Newcastle United did a lot of their spending last year though.
 





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