[Albion] Is the Premier League less interesting than the Championship?

[Triggaaar]

We're playing a League game at Old Trafford, and you're not interested ?

Just because I'm expecting to lose, I have no expectation.

I dunno what the point of getting promoted is if you can't look forward to occasions like this.

Being in the top couple of teams on the Championship was more fun for me, but that's not financially possible every year, so you need to get promoted to balance the books. Also, failing to be promoted is then disappointing, so being in the PL is the result. And longer term I'd hope we stay up and build our squad so that relegation isn't as big a concern and results away at places like OT become more achievable.

I realise that's not how you all feel, but that's where I am.

 

[Berty23]

I think your right Bozza.

Maybe the fun is all in the journey and not the destination

We discussed this back in April/may and most seemed to agree that nothing will be better than getting promoted because it was all about the journey from 91st and homeless to the prem.

 

[Bozza]

I have felt it is less interesting this year but haven't commented on it because it might just be because we have played relatively few matches and I miss the Tuesday nights. For the next couple of months we have a couple of games a week so it might be more fun. In fact in the first 4 months of the season we have played 6 fewer matches than champ but in the next 6 months we only play 2 fewer.

...and maybe it's that.

I've commented on the "pace" of the season before - it's felt so sedentary with I00 days covering the first 11 fixtures and 42 covering the next 11.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

IMHO it's always going to be far more interesting to test yourself against the best. Have hardly bothered looking at the Championship this season. Uninterested in it.

 

[Munkfish]

Big thing for me is all the coverage I feel much less the need to come on here and talk about the Albion with fellow fans, when now pretty much everyone I know can hold a fairly decent chat about the club and on a regular basis, Iam sure though when things go wrong ill be back here amoungst the masses having a good old rant, but when things are good much less to talk about and just enjoy it.

 

[Jesus Gul]

Remind me...’Championship’? Vague recollection

 

[Bladders]

In the lower leagues the goal is always promotion , and with even teams and the playoff format it’s achievable.

This year is about survival. If we do survive , and go on to establish ourselves what’s the goal then?

Hang around mid table ?

As pointed out a cup run would be great but managers use those as opportunity to rest players and rotate the squad .

So in the end it’s about making up the numbers in the money league, which too a fan might get a bit meh


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[Ernest]

IMHO it's always going to be far more interesting to test yourself against the best. Have hardly bothered looking at the Championship this season. Uninterested in it.

I can't find any interest in whichever team is risking bankruptcy trying to go up from the Championship

 

[Wellesley]

This is the league to be in. Tomorrow we are playing Manchester United!! Love 'em or hate 'em, arguably the most famous team in the World, not as plucky minnows in a one off cup game, but as a top flight club that are only seven places behind them. This is what makes all the years of struggling worthwhile.

 

[perseus]

I can't face the endless pressure to win every game in the Championship. I really think it could be wheels off if we go down. Premier League any day!

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

No, the Premier league is more interesting.

However, being IN the championship is possibly more interesting than being IN the premier league. There are more games, more teams, more teams with a chance, more positions that matter (top 2 promoted, next 4 playoffs), more intrigue about whos going UP and whos going DOWN, whether its teams, players or managers, and more stuff going on in general.

But on a wider level, the premier league is more interesting because thats where the very best are and more people know about whats going on there than anywhere else.

Plus, if I wasn't best friends with a Villa fan, I wouldn't know which team was where in the championship this year.

 

[scamander]

the great thing about the Championship is that each game has huge potential. Not always fulfilled, but it's there. Much of the Premier League is either not being thrashed by a top 6 club or trying not to lose versus a mid/lower table team.

The irony of Sky pundits complaining about teams being defensive or panicking over relegation due to the lost revenue is never lost on me.

 

[Bodian]

We're playing a League game at Old Trafford, and you're not interested ?

I dunno what the point of getting promoted is if you can't look forward to occasions like this.

I suspect he means that it's the feeling of 'we're almost bound to lose' that reduces the interest/excitement/anticipation. I remember in 79/80 it was so exciting to be playing the big clubs - because I always felt that we had a chance against them. And we did. This year, so far, it almost feels like we all approach these games with damage limitation in mind - which is, in general, less exciting. Maybe when we get a big scalp, it will up the enthusiasm for the next of the big six? I don't know.

I was reading one of the old programmes the other night, May 1982. The previous game had been a 1-0 defeat at home to ManU, and the press were quite scathing. One said "Safety first Brighton deserved this fourth successive defeat for playing eight defenders at home". Damage limitation at its worst. We're obviously far from that at the moment, and I really hope we don't go that way again. But of course, a year later we were playing attacking, aggressive football - and went down.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I said last season and the season before, that I would enjoy the journey more than the destination. It's great there is more money for the club, and that we seem to be doing ok, but what is there to aim for? Staying up? Maybe top ten? It's not exactly glamorous, is it? Would we have a seafront party and open top bus ride for coming tenth?

 

[wakeytom]

In the lower leagues the goal is always promotion , and with even teams and the playoff format it’s achievable.

This year is about survival. If we do survive , and go on to establish ourselves what’s the goal then?

Hang around mid table ?

As pointed out a cup run would be great but managers use those as opportunity to rest players and rotate the squad .

So in the end it’s about making up the numbers in the money league, which too a fan might get a bit meh


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I think this is the truth - a few earlier comments about Sunderland which are fair - we had 10 years this time in the prem with only 4 seasons at 14th or better (where I think mid-table roughly starts) although it was exciting to put a late run together to stay up in the last few years it was not much fun really.

This season was not expecting much however already enjoyed the away games more than I did generally in the prem - Brentford the other week was much more fun than Arsenal away. Looking forward to Fulham and Millwall as well as a few others.

With that said I always liked going away to United - the ground is much better than people give it credit for and there are a lot more die hard fans than people who have not been say (read a few comments on here about it full of tourists - yes there are some but there are also a lot of passionate United fans who go week in week out). Also Manchester is easy to get to from here, the transport in the town is easy and there are so many good places to go to eat and drink

 

[banjo]

Premier League. Best league in the world.

 

[Hamilton]

I have as much interest in games we are playing in the PL as I had when we were in League 2.

I think we’re just more circumspect about it all.

Of course, I’m looking forward to tomorrow, and I’m doing more away games than in other seasons, but I think we are sensibly all just treating this like another season.


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[Hungry Joe]

I have as much interest in games we are playing in the PL as I had when we were in League 2.

I think we’re just more circumspect about it all.

Of course, I’m looking forward to tomorrow, and I’m doing more away games than in other seasons, but I think we are sensibly all just treating this like another season.


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I'll second all of that. Personally, I am loving this season and keenly interested in every game, whether it's one where we reasonably have a chance of getting a result or not. The football, by and large, is a joy to watch, and it's great watching our manager and players pit their skills against some of the best in the world. If we get relegated I won't be despondent, as The Championship is a great league, but I'll be very disappointed as I'd like to keep watching us play at this level for as long as possible.

 

[Easy 10]

Just because I'm expecting to lose, I have no expectation.
Being in the top couple of teams on the Championship was more fun for me, but that's not financially possible every year, so you need to get promoted to balance the books. Also, failing to be promoted is then disappointing, so being in the PL is the result. And longer term I'd hope we stay up and build our squad so that relegation isn't as big a concern and results away at places like OT become more achievable.

I realise that's not how you all feel, but that's where I am.

Sure battling at the top of the Championship was thrilling these last 2 years, and I've also held the feeling that the journey may be better than the destination. But so far, I've loved every moment of being in the PL - that was the whole POINT of battling so desperately to get promoted. If we stay up and become furniture then it may become a little more "meh" each season, but at the moment, its epic.

Having no interest because you "expect to lose" - I can't process that. Brighton will be in front of a worldwide audience, playing in front of 75,000, taking on one of the biggest and most famous football clubs in the world. You couldn't get a more high-profile fixture than this. And yes, we'll almost certainly get beat...but I've NEVER not bothered with a game because of that being the likelihood.

I can't cuffing WAIT for tomorrow, and I'm not even going (moody stream time). I'm looking forward to tomorrow more than Tuesday quite honestly. I hate Palace games. Hate em.

 

[Monkey Man]

the great thing about the Championship is that each game has huge potential. Not always fulfilled, but it's there. Much of the Premier League is either not being thrashed by a top 6 club or trying not to lose versus a mid/lower table team.

The irony of Sky pundits complaining about teams being defensive or panicking over relegation due to the lost revenue is never lost on me.

Agree with this. I've watched more PL games on TV this season than I have for years and a lot of the games are low on quality and excitement because everyone is terrified of relegation. And every season about 14 clubs know it's a genuine possibility.

I'm enjoying the ride and grateful that we're here but this "best league in the world" stuff leaves me a bit cold at times.