Is the Championship THAT much better?

[snootyfenooty]

Thought the pigs had just chucked £10m at Rhodes. Can't see us emulating that kind of spend.

If we had £10m to spend I think we could do better than Rhodes. He might do a job in the championship but would be redundant in the prem. Not even as good as our Billy.

 

[BushBlade]

No. There are 2 runaway squads in the Championship one of which cost in excess of £100m to assemble and the other was built costing less money than we've spent. Of those in the play offs:
Huddersfield -spent next to nothing
Reading - one marquee signing this year £4m
Wigan - next to nothing
Wednesday - 2 biggish signings (£3m) in the last 2 years.

So the standard may be better (I doubt it) but it comes down to the managers getting teams to play that way rather than buying it. Now with this revelation on board should we get promoted I have faith in the man in charge to get us playing at the right level, to establish and then push on.

What are their wage bills? And I think you may be the first person to confuse Leeds with Wigan. Both shit holes though so fair enough.

 

[nicksufc]

Some interesting stuff there.

I didn't realise Wigan were in the play offs, but I must have missed the new rule change of .30 points for a win'.

I think Wendy spent £4m on Reach so their other 'biggish' signing must have a negative value. I know we are biased, but is he really that bad?

Wednesday spent £10m on Rhodes, £4m on Reach, £5m on Hooper and god knows how much wages on Fletcher, McManaman, Bannan, Forestieri etc.

Clubs are undoubtedly spending a hell of a lot in the Championship right now. Norwich signed Wildschut for £7m. Wolves signed Costa for £8m. Villa signed Kodija for £12m. Derby £8m on Vydra.

 

[Boxer Blade]

Didn't Wilder say recently about players at the moment are short/ medium / long term, not sure who obviously but I would think our midfield have the ability, if anything they will have more time on the ball than now, some of the games I have seen in the championship dont send shivers down my spine with worry, the top 8 possibly as you would expect but I see no reason to be overly concerned about the rest.

 

[seanbeenstattoo]

If we had £10m to spend I think we could do better than Rhodes. He might do a job in the championship but would be redundant in the prem. Not even as good as our Billy.

That's irrlevant to my point.
They spent £10m on ONE PLAYER. He happens to be called Rhodes. They also spent the same on a couple from Watford as others have just pointed out,along with Christ knows what on wages.
It's easy blathering on about how the Championship isn't all that and we've got Sharp (doubt he'd do a deal in the league above) etc.
The reality would be very different.

 

[snootyfenooty]

I can give you examples of plenty of recent transactions of less than £2m for players who will cut it in the championship or premiership:

Maguire, DCL, Adams, Murphy, Ramsdale............

 

[snootyfenooty]

That's irrlevant to my point.
They spent £10m on ONE PLAYER. He happens to be called Rhodes. They also spent the same on a couple from Watford as others have just pointed out,along with Christ knows what on wages.
It's easy blathering on about how the Championship isn't all that and we've got Sharp (doubt he'd do a deal in the league above) etc.
The reality would be very different.

Why is it irrelevant. I was simply pointing out that buying Rhodes is not a very sensible way to blow £10m. And even though my comment about Billy was a bit tongue in cheek I'd back him against Rhodes any day of the week.

 

[8lade]

Yeah can't see how I got confused with wigan and leeds, never mind doesn't really hurt the principle of what I was getting at.
Rhodes is a loan for Wednesday (from everything I can find) but they have made a couple of £3m signings (Abdi & Hooper) although one of them doesn't get near the team. Reach I have as undisclosed. I am using 'Soccerbase' as the source.

 

[seanbeenstattoo]

Why is it irrelevant. I was simply pointing out that buying Rhodes is not a very sensible way to blow £10m. And even though my comment about Billy was a bit tongue in cheek I'd back him against Rhodes any day of the week.

It's irrlevant because I was referring to the AMOUNT spent not the player it bought. I doubt we would spend £10m on a player or £20m on 3.
I love Billy as much as any Blade but unfortunately I don't think he would have much joy in the Championship. He didn't last time he was there and he's a few years older now.

 

[I should coco]

I love Billy as much as any Blade but unfortunately I don't think he would have much joy in the Championship. He didn't last time he was there and he's a few years older now.

SBT

In all seriousness, I disagree. He was at DirtyLeeds and they didn't excatly play to his strengths. You may recall Messrs Robson and Blackwell trying to play him on the wing, which wasn't very successful either.

182 goals in 432 games is 3 goals every 7 matches. He is a poacher (eg last Staurday's goal) and a goalscorer and you never lose that.

If we did all right and weren't struggling all season, I'd back him to get at least 15 goals.

Having said that, I keep being a miserable twat on various other threads and telling people not to get ahead of themselves, so I better stop right now.

Not ISC.
Oh no, definitely not, just some other attractive charming intelligent bloke who looks like him.

 

[snootyfenooty]

It's irrlevant because I was referring to the AMOUNT spent not the player it bought. I doubt we would spend £10m on a player or £20m on 3.
I love Billy as much as any Blade but unfortunately I don't think he would have much joy in the Championship. He didn't last time he was there and he's a few years older now.

You "doubt" we'd spend £10m on a player. I'm fucking certain we won't.

Must take issue with you about Billy though. His and Rhodes profiles are not too dissimilar in terms of leagues played in vs goals scored. I would still back Billy against Rhodes. Next year will tell...........sorry!

Anyway, the main issue is why the pigs have spent £10m on him. At best he's only good enough for the championship. If he was any good for the prem someone would have taken a punt on him by now. Waste of fucking money.

 

[BushBlade]

You "doubt" we'd spend £10m on a player. I'm fucking certain we won't.

Must take issue with you about Billy though. His and Rhodes profiles are not too dissimilar in terms of leagues played in vs goals scored. I would still back Billy against Rhodes. Next year will tell...........sorry!

Anyway, the main issue is why the pigs have spent £10m on him. At best he's only good enough for the championship. If he was any good for the prem someone would have taken a punt on him by now. Waste of fucking money.

If he was any good in the PL, he'd be playing for 'boro. But £10m is the going rate for a championship striker these days.

 

[snootyfenooty]

If he was any good in the PL, he'd be playing for 'boro. But £10m is the going rate for a championship striker these days.

Yeah but there's no upside. Only if they go up (which they won't) can they afford to write it off. If not then it's £10m down the chute. Boro' have had their pants down.

Anyway, Billy cost us less than £1m and he's good enough for next season wherever we end up

 

[Dnblade]

There seems to be a lot of average teams knocking about in the Championship from what I've seen...Wilder would strengthen anyway if we went up...The teams chasing a less than sparkling Wendy outfit keep falling over themselves to make up the gap...they might aswell hand it to them on a plate,so inconsistent.
I personally wouldn't have any fear if we went up,especially with CW in charge.

 

[seanbeenstattoo]

SBT

In all seriousness, I disagree. He was at DirtyLeeds and they didn't excatly play to his strengths. You may recall Messrs Robson and Blackwell trying to play him on the wing, which wasn't very successful either.

182 goals in 432 games is 3 goals every 7 matches. He is a poacher (eg last Staurday's goal) and a goalscorer and you never lose that.

If we did all right and weren't struggling all season, I'd back him to get at least 15 goals.

Having said that, I keep being a miserable twat on various other threads and telling people not to get ahead of themselves, so I better stop right now.

Not ISC.
Oh no, definitely not, just some other attractive charming intelligent bloke who looks like him.

You're right. He's a poacher and he would be up against far better,quicker defenders if we go up. I would love to say I think Billy would get 15 next season in the league above. I don't. He dosen't make goals for others unlike Rhodes for example.
Anyway we aren't there so it's academic.

 

[Sheffsteel]

we've got Sharp (doubt he'd do a deal in the league above) etc.
The reality would be very different.

I put Sharp in a similiar category to Edwards, great finisher BUT needs setting up.
For example if Sharp played at Chesterfield I'm certain he'd struggle and look poor.
Sharp has never been quick, so that's not a concern.

I think if we play to Sharps strengths and pass the ball to his feet then he'll still do well in the Championship.

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

It's not stronger, players are just more expensive.

I blame brexit.

Regarding a certain championship side I blame the Co-Op Bank .

UTB

 

[snootyfenooty]

For example if Sharp played at Chesterfield I'm certain he'd struggle and look poor.

Some on here still don't get Billy Sharp. Check his record out with the pikeys. 1 in 2. In the championship.

 

[bornablade]

You're right. He's a poacher and he would be up against far better,quicker defenders if we go up. I would love to say I think Billy would get 15 next season in the league above. I don't. He dosen't make goals for others unlike Rhodes for example.
Anyway we aren't there so it's academic.

Agree SBT. The last thing we want to do next season is start getting sentimental about the players that got us there.

It's a shame we couldn't have got past Bolton in round 2 of the FA Cup and then drawn a top half Championship side. I realise cup games are different but it would have given us some type of barometer reading of where we stood.

Can't remember the season when Birmingham came to the Lane in the 4th round of the cup and beat us comprehensively. Think that was a wake up call in the gap between 2 divisions.

 

[JordoBlade]

After watching a tonne of games from the Championship on the box I can honestly say the quality is no better than it once was. It's just another division full of over priced signings and inflated wages.

 

[DronnieBlade]

Absolutely, categorically not.

Game is played at a slightly higher tempo with greater overall physically demands on players and this should given due consideration if we are indeed promoted.

But we have the nucleus of a team that would be able to hold its own in the division on technical ability on its own, and I wouldn't swap Wilder for any other manager currently in the division.

UTB

 

[snootyfenooty]

Can't remember the season when Birmingham came to the Lane in the 4th round of the cup and beat us comprehensively. Think that was a wake up call in the gap between 2 divisions.

That's a huge contradiction when you consider the teams we've beaten in the cup recently when the boots been on the other foot. In fact on balance the results against higher placed clubs are well in our favour since then.

 

[blade too long]

well Southampton and Bournemouth have come from league one recently , got through the championship , and stayed there, in the past bolton and stoke both made it

man city and leicester have come from league one and both won the league and others like blackpool and burnley have gone further than the second tier

so theres definitely no need to struggle in the championship for years on end

I look at our squad and all the key players have played in the championship or the prem in their careers
this isnt some raw bunch of league one standard players that never been there
and the championship suits our style of play,
I have no fears we can compete as has been said when weve met championship sides in the cups weve won more than weve lost

The teams up there , make mistakes , have so so players just as much as weve seen at the Lane

 

[bornablade]

That's a huge contradiction when you consider the teams we've beaten in the cup recently when the boots been on the other foot. In fact on balance the results against higher placed clubs are well in our favour since then.

Of course I recall the teams in the Premier and Championship that we beat in those cup games. They gave me a belief that if we did get promoted with that side then we could do OK. This team is a different set of players and I cannot find evidence to tell me they'll be OK in a league higher.

That's why I post opinions on here and why Wilder and Knill are paid to find out those answers.

 

[Bladeinleeds]

We need to get there first obviously.

To my mind a well drilled organised side with an genuine style / identity - as ours is can have a good season.

IF we go up I don't expect us to trouble the top 6 or anything because I think that would take considerable investment - which we wont have.

IMO if we add one or two good quality additions to the squad and spend a bit of money we should be strong enough to compete.

 

[Balham]

The Championship breaks down into 6 groups:

1) The Haves
These are the sides who have come down from the Premier League recently with all the parachute payments. They are generally found spending big money on proven top end Championship players while also shifting on their better performers from previous years back to the top flight: Newcastle, Norwich, Villa,

2) The Nouveau Riche
These are the sides who have been taken over by loaded new owners who have varying degrees of knowledge about how to run a football club. They're spending big money but almost exclusively on foreign imports or mid-to-top end championship players: Wednesday, Wolves, Derby

3) The Tarnished
Sides whose recent takeovers have failed and whose owners are seemingly losing interest: Leeds, Cardiff,

4) The Canny
These sides focus their purchases on value for money - either picking up up-and-coming younger players from the lower leagues or cheap signings from Premier League teams who haven't worked out at their previous clubs for one reason or another: Brighton, Barnsley, Bristol C, Reading, Fulham, Brentford, Preston

5) Those punching above their weight
As it says: sides who rely on picking up points here and there with their sole aim being to stay in the division: Wigan, Burton, Rotherham

6) The rudderless
Rudderless teams with seemingly no idea how to shake out of their malaise despite throwing various amounts of money at it: Blackburn, Birmingham, Derby, Forest, Ipswich, QPR. Us between 2009 and 2011.

There's no correlation between the category and where the team finds itself in the league except that those you'd class as canny are generally outperforming those who have loads of money. I'd like to think that, should we get promoted, having Wilder in charge and Mitchell heading up the scouting we'd be in the canny group: Wilder's speciality is identifying middling players and coaxing a high level of performance out of them as a group. We're not going ot be spending £5m+ on players so that's where we'll have to try and find our success

 

[I should coco]

The Championship breaks down into 6 groups:

2) The Nouveau Riche
These are the sides who have been taken over by loaded new owners who have varying degrees of knowledge about how to run a football club. They're spending big money but almost exclusively on foreign imports or mid-to-top end championship players: Wednesday, Wolves, Derby

Actually I'd say 7 groups.

I think Group 2 ('The nouveau rich') has a special sub group; 'The Deluded'.

The Porcine Massive should go in there for thinking that they are bigger than all the other 23 clubs combined.

 

[snootyfenooty]

Actually I'd say 7 groups.

I think Group 2 ('The nouveau rich') has a special sub group; 'The Deluded'.

PMSL. Funny as fuck

 

[BushBlade]

The Championship breaks down into 6 groups:

1) The Haves
These are the sides who have come down from the Premier League recently with all the parachute payments. They are generally found spending big money on proven top end Championship players while also shifting on their better performers from previous years back to the top flight: Newcastle, Norwich, Villa,

2) The Nouveau Riche
These are the sides who have been taken over by loaded new owners who have varying degrees of knowledge about how to run a football club. They're spending big money but almost exclusively on foreign imports or mid-to-top end championship players: Wednesday, Wolves, Derby

3) The Tarnished
Sides whose recent takeovers have failed and whose owners are seemingly losing interest: Leeds, Cardiff,

4) The Canny
These sides focus their purchases on value for money - either picking up up-and-coming younger players from the lower leagues or cheap signings from Premier League teams who haven't worked out at their previous clubs for one reason or another: Brighton, Barnsley, Bristol C, Reading, Fulham, Brentford, Preston

5) Those punching above their weight
As it says: sides who rely on picking up points here and there with their sole aim being to stay in the division: Wigan, Burton, Rotherham

6) The rudderless
Rudderless teams with seemingly no idea how to shake out of their malaise despite throwing various amounts of money at it: Blackburn, Birmingham, Derby, Forest, Ipswich, QPR. Us between 2009 and 2011.

There's no correlation between the category and where the team finds itself in the league except that those you'd class as canny are generally outperforming those who have loads of money. I'd like to think that, should we get promoted, having Wilder in charge and Mitchell heading up the scouting we'd be in the canny group: Wilder's speciality is identifying middling players and coaxing a high level of performance out of them as a group. We're not going ot be spending £5m+ on players so that's where we'll have to try and find our success

Good analysis but you've missed out those that have been relegated in previous seasons and are still receiving parachute payments. Although some of those probably fall into the 'rudderless' category.

 

[BushBlade]

Yeah but there's no upside. Only if they go up (which they won't) can they afford to write it off. If not then it's £10m down the chute. Boro' have had their pants down.

Anyway, Billy cost us less than £1m and he's good enough for next season wherever we end up

If they ever end up paying £10m. As far as I'm aware it's a loan. Whether they're obliged to buy or not, regardless of whether they go up, I don't know.