Standard of the Championship - Has it got worse?

[Fjortoft's Aeroplane]

So we've somehow managed to keep ourselves in 2nd for most of the season. We've often looked poor, but by and large the opposition has often looked equally poor, if not worse. (Though Hull and Portsmouth both impressed despite being lower down the league). Does anyone think possibly the overall standard of the Championship has dropped this season? And if so, is it a one-off or more of a clear trend?

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

Maybe I'm misremembering but this is the worst I've ever known it.

Up until Christmas every team that came to Bramall Lane apart from QPR and Sunderland were dreadful.

I know we were rock solid defensively but I was shocked at how poor some of the opposition were.

Watford, Derby, Wednesday, Luton, Stoke and Oxford could still be playing now and they never would have scored against us.

Even in previous promotion seasons I can't remember it being so easy.

 

[CT1889]

We are now a Parachute Payments team

Other than Leeds and Burnley, I would be amazed if any other team comes close to our budget.

We are in a Mini league of 3 teams playing for 2 spots

More interesting question are

What has happen to Luton this season? (I not really care)

Is there any chance of us staying up in the Perm? Or are we going to going to finish in the bottom 3 next season. And just repeat the cycle forever.

Football is broken but I don’t have any answers

I still enjoy watching the games, but can’t kid myself it is leading towards anything.

 

[3Cheers4Ramirez]

Half the league have attacks that would previously be L1 standard

What might highlight this better than anything is Burnley's defence. 9 conceded after 31 games. That should not be possible, and they're not that good

 

[moody1889]

A lot worse a lot of teams have regressed and not added any real quality to their teams which i have found surprising.

We have been poor in a majority of games this season.

It has been individual quality which other teams donr have that has swung it for us.

 

[Rufus Smalls]

One thing to note is that a lot of Championship teams can’t afford the wages of players that would be good enough to improve their team and help get promoted to the Premier League.

Average Premier League players that haven’t got a chance of regular football in that division are on ludicrous wages which takes them out of the financial reach of most Championship clubs.

Money really has massively divided the top two divisions over the past ten years.

 

[Champagneblade]

The fact with a third of the season remaining the top 4 teams are already 12 clear of 5th and the top two 17 or more clear shows there is a big gap.

The play offs can still be a levelled but they ought to really put a points limit. If you are already 2” clear of 6th then 6th just don’t get a shot at you. To think you can play them on parity if you finish 3rd is absurd.

I still think the playoffs should be 6th plays 5th on 5th’s ground, winner plays 4th on 4th’s ground and 3rd is already in the final and isn’t knackered.

Wednesday are still mid table and what have they actually done to improve? Inconsistent and relying on one ageing player has been enough to keep them safe.

But you still get Portsmouth coming and taking the game to us.

So the gulf at the top is higher but it’s still competitive in individual games.

For all Burnley’s run of not conceding and Leeds’ run of battering teams, we’re still a win within our game in hand and a home win can Leeds from being top.

I’d love it if we had an incredible end to Feb.

 

[nopigfansintown]

There's some unique things about it. Usually you get three relegation teams that were genuine Premier League clubs the previous seasons. This year you only have one in Burnley. That gives everyone an almost unique chance of a top two finish. This is making it more interesting as you have the genuine organic financial powerhouses Sunderland and - especially Leeds - able to break through and challenge with their settled squads they've been quietly building. A four team mini league has opened up as a result. The top four look in their own league in terms of both points and quality.

You then have the next league down to say 4 -12th that look much of a muchness. Either the most functional teams that lack quality (pigs, Bristol City, QPR, Millwall) or those that possess the most quality outside the top four (Blackburn, Watford, West Brom, Boro, Coventry).

I think outside of the top half the quality is lower than usual, but the top four is maybe even better. At least more competitive.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

Football is a simple game and in many ways all clubs are equal…But at this level that extra bit of money can provide teams with the individual brilliance we saw on Saturday. Team wise Portsmouth were more than a match for us and should have won, but they simply didn’t have the likes of Hamer and Rak-Sakyi to seal the deal.

 

[SwissBlade]

I watched the champions league game last night between Man City v Real Madrid. If you thought the Championship was bad this had it all. City got a pen when Foden got clattered with a very clumsy tackle. Real Shinned one goal in, the second the Keeper let it hit him and bounce back to the Real player to score and then not celebrate his goal because he played for city 6 years ago for a few games, then the winner was shocking pass from a city midfielder to put his own RB under pressure and Real eventually scored after Bellingham followed in a woeful attempted lob.

Of course it had the usual VAR nonsense as well. Terrible game but lots of goals and drama at the end

And City had a big shit flag

 

[Berkshire Blade]

No it's always been pretty shit with a smattering of youngsters and loans increasing quality slightly.

It's unwatchable as a neutral

 

[Houston_Blade]

I can’t watch Championship games when we’re not playing, it’s dire. Imagine watching some of our games this season as a neutral.

The PL is far better in terms of technical ability and entertainment despite this imaginary notion that the Championship is a ‘much better league’.

 

[Millhousesblade1889]

I think there’s such a big gap between Championship & Premiership that teams who go up come back down too strong for the rest of the division.

You look at Leeds, Burnley & our squad and it’s packed with players who are probably too good for this division and would get in the squads of most of the bottom half Premiership teams.

You then have the Norwich scenario where they’ve been relegated for a while now so their squad is changing back into a normal championship squad.

The teams that by-pass the parachute payment teams tend to be those with momentum & a good manager like we did 18/19 or Ipswich did last season & maybe Sunderland this.

 

[Blacksea]

Norwich v Preston was dire,and look where they are

 

[nopigfansintown]

I can’t watch Championship games when we’re not playing, it’s dire. Imagine watching some of our games this season as a neutral.

The PL is far better in terms of technical ability and entertainment despite this imaginary notion that the Championship is a ‘much better league’.

I'm the same with a lot of Prem games. You have five or six teams with the rest being glorified sparring partners for them. I watch when the big six play each other (especially Arse, Liverpool, Man City). The rest of the games are borderline unwatchable and regularly get turned off in the first half.

 

[Houston_Blade]

I'm the same with a lot of Prem games. You have five or six teams with the rest being glorified sparring partners for them. I watch when the big six play each other (especially Arse, Liverpool, Man City). The rest of the games are borderline unwatchable and regularly get turned off in the first half.

I enjoy the games between the also rans much more than the top teams. The exception being the Arsenal v Man City game the other week where there were lots of goals.

I like watching the likes of Palace v Fulham or similar as they normally both try to win. That’s not the case when the top teams are involved.

 

[Melbourne Blade]

It's just a big slow stirred pot of sh1t porridge unfortunately.

You have the parachute teams who have a substantial budget, the teams who were parachute teams 3-4 years ago in massive debt and then teams from league 1 who are trying to survive aswell as the newly promoted league 1 sides who are clinging on. And also probably massively in debt.

So basically the majority of games are either a battle with poor quality football or a chess game (between the fancied teams).

Leeds are the only team who are actually watchable this year it hates me to say. They'll win the league by 10 points at least. Then probably come straight back down

 

[mattbianco1]

So we've somehow managed to keep ourselves in 2nd for most of the season. We've often looked poor, but by and large the opposition has often looked equally poor, if not worse. (Though Hull and Portsmouth both impressed despite being lower down the league). Does anyone think possibly the overall standard of the Championship has dropped this season? And if so, is it a one-off or more of a clear trend?

It's always a poor standard when United are in it. We're so lucky

 

[CopenhagenBlade]

The fact with a third of the season remaining the top 4 teams are already 12 clear of 5th and the top two 17 or more clear shows there is a big gap.

The play offs can still be a levelled but they ought to really put a points limit. If you are already 2” clear of 6th then 6th just don’t get a shot at you. To think you can play them on parity if you finish 3rd is absurd.

I still think the playoffs should be 6th plays 5th on 5th’s ground, winner plays 4th on 4th’s ground and 3rd is already in the final and isn’t knackered.

Wednesday are still mid table and what have they actually done to improve? Inconsistent and relying on one ageing player has been enough to keep them safe.

But you still get Portsmouth coming and taking the game to us.

So the gulf at the top is higher but it’s still competitive in individual games.

For all Burnley’s run of not conceding and Leeds’ run of battering teams, we’re still a win within our game in hand and a home win can Leeds from being top.

I’d love it if we had an incredible end to Feb.

That was my thought about the playoffs too. There should be some benefit of finishing 3rd

 

[Rodley]

It’s the worst standard league ever if you’re doing well, the hardest league ever when you’re getting relegated into it. Same story every year!

 

[Blademan89]

I thought we got told it was like la liga?

Anyway if you listen to certain fans it's reet hard league (when we aren't in it) but as soon as we are and doing well, then it's a case of weakest championship league in football history.

 

[S64 Blade]

I think football in general has just got worse to watch over the last 5 years. It might just be me, but I think part of it is the “Pep effect” and this new cult of football statistics driving absolutely everything has made a lot of games boring.

 

[HOT CURRIE 10]

I’m struggling to think of a “he looks a really good player “ on an opposing team this season. Ipswich have hoovered up all the ex decent ones ready for next season. It’s poor quality.

 

[robbiez666]

The biggest difference with the Championship now is how bad clubs are at playing as a team. You'd regularly play teams who didn't have a great amount of talented players but they'd have a way of playing that could trouble teams.

This season, teams seem to have 4-5 talents who can potentially make something happen but no system. They don't play as a team against us and give us chance after chance through mistakes.

It's been far too easy so far. Our defence has been good but they've largely had little to do. How many games has Cooper had to pull off a string of saves? Our mistakes must have created more big chances than other teams have done in their own.

 

[robbiez666]

A lot of the best young players now go abroad instead of dropping down to/playing in the Championship. While Championship clubs sign more talented young players from abroad. It's a different mindset, on the whole, so teams seem to have more individual players and less team mentality.

 

[Stretch]

The Pigs have got this conundrum wrapped up.

When we are above them, it's the weakest league in years. When they are above us (on the rare occasion that happens nowadays) it's as tough as it ever has been and they are leading the vanguard against the parachute bully boys.

 

[Mumbo]

I watched the champions league game last night between Man City v Real Madrid. If you thought the Championship was bad this had it all. City got a pen when Foden got clattered with a very clumsy tackle. Real Shinned one goal in, the second the Keeper let it hit him and bounce back to the Real player to score and then not celebrate his goal because he played for city 6 years ago for a few games, then the winner was shocking pass from a city midfielder to put his own RB under pressure and Real eventually scored after Bellingham followed in a woeful attempted lob.

Of course it had the usual VAR nonsense as well. Terrible game but lots of goals and drama at the end

And City had a big shit flag

Contrast that game with a great cup tie last night …..Exeter v Forest,
Football is still alive in the FA cup.
Exeter end packed with young fans.

 

[Chimpan-A]

I’m not sure it is as bad as people are making out. Having a division where anyone can beat anyone on a given day is probably an indication it’s a decent season.
There ARE a lot of sides playing a style of football they just aren’t equipped to play, cloggers trying to pass their way out from the back, but this will pass. Hell, even Pep’s lads can’t do it any more!

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

This all sounds like pigsplaining.

 

[nopigfansintown]

Contrast that game with a great cup tie last night …..Exeter v Forest,
Football is still alive in the FA cup.
Exeter end packed with young fans.

Unfortunately replays are gone so we can have the new Champions League format (Super League via the back door) and lucrative pre and mid season exhibition games so the top clubs hoover up an even higher percentage of the overall revenue from games.