[Football] Premier League vs Championship

[Change at Barnham]

Leeds under Farke will get annihilated. Can’t wait

The delicious thing about Leeds getting promoted with Farke is that they will feel unable to sack him until about November.

 

[amexer]

I feel the big difference is depth of squad. OK to give players that got side promotion a chance but once they have injuries players coming in not good enough. Just look at Albion bench yesterday

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

A closed shop with the likes of Southampton or Sheff Utd getting pillaged every week is bad news for the PL, though mildly amusing.

The PL a victim of it's own success

 

[Gabbiano]

I think that yes, clearly the gap has got wider.

This year is unusually bad in that:
- Ipswich were always going to struggle after successive promotions, they don't have the depth
- Leicester are probably weaker than their team in the Championship after having to make PSR sales.
- Southampton also weren't able to strengthen and were lucky to get promoted in the first place.

The previous season, Luton were in a similar position to Ipswich and Sheffield United similar to Leicester. The real shocker was that Burnley were so poor after dominating the Championship.

The worrying thing for next season is that Leeds look like getting promoted with a weaker squad than they failed with last season. Sheffield United will surely flop again without much of note. Maybe uber defensive Burnley will make a go of it, but they will be dull.

Am I right in thinking Sunderland have money now? The teams that come up need to really put money into strengthening in order to compete. Look at how Forest and Villa spent when they came up, replacing loanees with sufficient squad depth, that's the unfortunate reality.

 

[Beanstalk]

My take on this the newly promoted clubs are showing the PL no respect. Hoping to come up and play expansive football from day one isn’t going to work.
Obviously there is meant to a difference in class between the leagues. If we found ourselves in the championship league for the first time we would expect it to be very difficult to compete.

I agree that newly promoted clubs aren't showing the PL enough respect, but not because of the style they're playing. Ipswich have gone from a free-flowing attacking force to a counter-attacking style. Last season they attempted an average of 525 passes per 90 and this season it's dropped to 399 per 90. Leicester have changed their style even more dramatically. The blueprint is still; get promoted playing good football, survive the PL by being more defensive. It's how we did it, and Burnley and Southampton aside, it's what most promoted teams do.

The lack of respect is in terms of investment. Luton and Sheffield United almost certainly made a profit from their year in the top flight. Southampton only signed three players over the age of 24 for a fee and one of those has been shipped out on loan to the Championship already. Ipswich didn't buy a single player for a fee that was playing in any top flight regularly last season, not just the Premier League.

Too often teams get promoted and their recruitment has one eye on preparing to go back down. That's where the lack of respect for the competition is.

 

[Brovion]

This is exactly what CH understood when we first went up. Yes sometimes the football was torrid but it did the trick.

Exactly. We tried to make sure we as solid as possible working on the 'if you don't concede you can't lose' philosophy. We picked our battles, tried to win the games against the teams at our level and just 'parked the bus' and aimed to keep the score down when playing the Big Six. Indeed if we were playing a Big Six team even sending someone up to the half way line for the coin toss was seen as being a bit too gung ho.

 

[Deportivo Seagull]

Burnley is an interesting one, because they seemed to have focused on defence this season, only conceding 9 goals in 34 games. Perhaps they've done that with a view to going up and knowing defence will be critical in the PL, unlike their last attempt when they tried, unsuccessfully, to outplay teams. A strong defence might give them a better chance next time.

Very much this.
Both Burnley (first team round) and ourselves stayed up because our strength was defending. The teams that have come up recently and then gone back down are all about scoring goals which is easier in the championship. Once they are promoted they can’t score anywhere near as many and their weaknesses in midfield but mainly defence come to the fore.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Rather Ipswich go down. Cunha will be gone in the summer with his cheap buy out clause. Unless Wolves have a good transfer window they will be in big trouble. Ipswich have some good youngsters who might kick on next season.

Do they have that many though? Hutchinson has been OK in some games, anonymous in more. Delap no doubt, but there's a strong chance he won't be there next season. Philogene was a good Championship player, very much unproven in the PL. Who else is there?

 

[kevo]

I think people are discounting the fact Wolves could still easily get relegated. They are without Cunha for a long run of games now, and he is their main attacking threat. That could really bite them. Don't be surprised if Ipswich catch them.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

I think people are discounting the fact Wolves could still easily get relegated. They are without Cunha for a long run of games now, and he is their main attacking threat. That could really bite them. Don't be surprised if Ipswich catch them.

Wolves have a 5 pt and +12 GD advantage.
More importantly, still have their Southampton voucher.

Big game between the 2 on the 5th of April.
If Ipswich don't win that, then Wolves will stay up, IMO.

 

[GT49er]

I agree that newly promoted clubs aren't showing the PL enough respect, but not because of the style they're playing. Ipswich have gone from a free-flowing attacking force to a counter-attacking style. Last season they attempted an average of 525 passes per 90 and this season it's dropped to 399 per 90. Leicester have changed their style even more dramatically. The blueprint is still; get promoted playing good football, survive the PL by being more defensive. It's how we did it, and Burnley and Southampton aside, it's what most promoted teams do.

The lack of respect is in terms of investment. Luton and Sheffield United almost certainly made a profit from their year in the top flight. Southampton only signed three players over the age of 24 for a fee and one of those has been shipped out on loan to the Championship already. Ipswich didn't buy a single player for a fee that was playing in any top flight regularly last season, not just the Premier League.

Too often teams get promoted and their recruitment has one eye on preparing to go back down. That's where the lack of respect for the competition is.

Accusing somebody of lacking respect because they didn't spend enough money (and run up a big loss they couldn't afford) is, frankly, a bit rich.

 

[oldboyroy]

Out of the current hopefuls I can see Sheffield United and Leeds going up….and I’d like to see Coventry or Blackburn go with them.

Would certainly love Coventry to make it. What a transformation since Frank took over

 

[Beanstalk]

Accusing somebody of lacking respect because they didn't pay enough money (or show a big enough loss they couldn't afford) is, frankly, a bit rich.

I don't think there is much evidence of teams who are promoted not spending money in general (a few examples aside - Luton and Sheffield Utd in particular). All sides are expected to invest in the step up, just as you would from League One to the Championship.

The issue is the logic and strategy behind that investment - too many recently promoted sides spend their money on the idea that if they go down again they'll have built a squad to challenge for promotion again, or they'll be able to sell their signings for a profit to fund another push. Don't make a loss trying to survive. It's a strategy where investment is less about being competitive on the pitch and more about delivering financial rewards season on season. Southampton have purchased 18 players for a fee this season: 14 are under 23, and a lot were sent back out on loan. Ipswich arguably have done similar with Delap, Philogene and Hutchinson who they'll either sell for considerable profit or keep and destroy the Championship with.

They'll make a profit, be competitive again next season and many will say they used their Premier League season well in the grand scheme of things. But in terms of respect for the competition, you should be looking to progress in the league, not live in purgatory and pocket the money.

 

[spence]

Do they have that many though? Hutchinson has been OK in some games, anonymous in more. Delap no doubt, but there's a strong chance he won't be there next season. Philogene was a good Championship player, very much unproven in the PL. Who else is there?

Jack Clarke but I think he has disappointed this season.

 

[Hovegull]

There are some PL regulars who haven’t found it easy to break back into the PL - Sunderland, West Brom, Boro, Norwich, Stoke - but I expect there is more money than most to put in - is there lack of appetite to compete at this level due to expectations of PL clubs?

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Wolves have a 5 pt and +12 GD advantage.
More importantly, still have their Southampton voucher.

Big game between the 2 on the 5th of April.
If Ipswich don't win that, then Wolves will stay up, IMO.

 

[Lenny Rider]

Ipswich must be celebrating Cunha's latest brain fart. He'll get a minimum three games, possibly more with his history. It's the only way Ipswich are staying up now

Unless Man City know something we don't.

I do hope Super Leeds go straight back down again

 

[Whoislloydy]

Thankfully we got promoted when we did, the PL TV money is making it harder every year for Championship clubs to compete when promoted. Also doesn't help that they come up and try play like 2008/2009 Barcelona.