Gap between Premier League and Championship

[Snake]

Well the stinky 40% of Sheffield football fans told us a few years ago that the Championship was now La Liga! Apparently it had strengthened ten-fold since our last time there. If that's true, then how much has the Premier League strengthened, even since the last time we were up?

That Everton team / performance yesterday would walk the Championship. Last season we walked it (in the end at least!) with a team worse than the team we put out yesterday. We (along with Luton and Burnley) are looking odds on for the drop - with teams like Everton, Forest, Bournemouth not too far in front.

The standard of the Prem now really is frightening. The stupid money that is being thrown around is making the gap ridiculously big. How many times have we beaten Leeds and Leicester to a signing this year? Last year that would have been unthinkable. Even tiny fish in the Prem seem more attractive than the big fish of the Championship. It can't all be about wages either, it just seems players now are increasingly desperate to be in the Prem - whether they are being picked or not. The situation at Forest is crazy! Surely many of the players they are signing are well aware that game time - even off the bench - is going to be very limited.

 

[Sheffsteel]

We were saying the same.

Let’s imagine we were playing Everton last season in the Championship.
I would have been really impressed with them.
Last season, only Middlesboro impressed me more than Everton, it was mainly Boro’s front 2 of Archer and Akpom
but there was a 20 minute spell in the 2nd half where Boro looked a class above us.

Agree, if Everton are one of the weakest teams in this division, then there’s a massive gulf between the PL and Championship.

 

[Yellarbellyblade]

It did feel like we were under the cosh quite a bit yesterday but for balance how many big saves did Wes have to make? One? That Dacoure then scored on the rebound?
Pickford made four at least if you count the McBurnie one as two. So maybe the difference wasn’t as great as I and most others thought yesterday.

 

[ancientblade]

the gap is definetly getting wider mainly through the ammounts the top 10 premier clubs are spending its getting very much like a closed shop and hate to say it because it includes us but the 3 teams that came up look odds on to go back down and think this pattern will continue i dont think were far off a premier super league consisting of 12 clubs playing each other 4 times a season

 

[NateDogg]

Well the stinky 40% of Sheffield football fans told us a few years ago that the Championship was now La Liga! Apparently it had strengthened ten-fold since our last time there. If that's true, then how much has the Premier League strengthened, even since the last time we were up?

That Everton team / performance yesterday would walk the Championship. Last season we walked it (in the end at least!) with a team worse than the team we put out yesterday. We (along with Luton and Burnley) are looking odds on for the drop - with teams like Everton, Forest, Bournemouth not too far in front.

The standard of the Prem now really is frightening. The stupid money that is being thrown around is making the gap ridiculously big. How many times have we beaten Leeds and Leicester to a signing this year? Last year that would have been unthinkable. Even tiny fish in the Prem seem more attractive than the big fish of the Championship. It can't all be about wages either, it just seems players now are increasingly desperate to be in the Prem - whether they are being picked or not. The situation at Forest is crazy! Surely many of the players they are signing are well aware that game time - even off the bench - is going to be very limited.

And yet many of the Everton fans think they are crap based on their comments.

What I think may be our downfall is our lack of depth. Our bench yesterday didn't fill me with huge confidence. If we lost Hamer or Archer I'm not sure where our creativity would come from. I love Bash but Jesus if he's our first choice to bring on then it's not ideal.

I personally think we can stop up but our problem is every other club barring Luton have spent an absolute fortune and we simply can't compete in that way right now without a takeover.

If we can keep our head above water and keep track of 17th spot then who know in January if a takeover eventually materialises.

Our biggest strength is our team spirit and togetherness. You can see the scatter gun approach of clubs like Chelsea and Forest may have millions worth of players but they aren't really good 'teams' at the moment.

 

[Yoonited]

the gap is definetly getting wider mainly through the ammounts the top 10 premier clubs are spending its getting very much like a closed shop and hate to say it because it includes us but the 3 teams that came up look odds on to go back down and think this pattern will continue i dont think were far off a premier super league consisting of 12 clubs playing each other 4 times a season

Maybe not altogether a bad thing

 

[Hamandcheese]

Plenty of good squads have been relegated from the PL before. Only have to look back to last season. That should give us hope. But given the strength of all the existing PL teams it seems certain now that we'll at least need to finish above Luton and Burnley. Then one of the others needs to have a bit of a shocker. There are 4 or 5 of them who you look at and think 'will definitely struggle, but can't see them going down'. But with that many in that category, the chances at least one will have a shocker are good

 

[Blade56]

We were saying the same.

Let’s imagine we were playing Everton last season in the Championship.
I would have been really impressed with them.
Last season, only Middlesboro impressed me more than Everton, it was mainly Boro’s front 2 of Archer and Akpom
but there was a 20 minute spell in the 2nd half where Boro looked a class above us.

Agree, if Everton are one of the weakest teams in this division, then there’s a massive gulf between the PL and Championship.

It did feel like we were under the cosh quite a bit yesterday but for balance how many big saves did Wes have to make? One? That Dacoure then scored on the rebound?
Pickford made four at least if you count the McBurnie one as two. So maybe the difference wasn’t as great as I and most others thought yesterday.

I think that our players like our fans are lacking confidence. Yesterday could have been 3 points but for several brilliant saves. We haven’t lost a game by more than one goal so far and we’ve played the best team in the world.

Theres been some big scores against lower teams. Just feel we (players and fans) need to believe, there’s not a lot to lose, unlike any other league we can’t get promotion. All we can do like 12-14 other teams is fight to stay in the PL at least until we get our new wealthy owners

 

[s20Blade]

I'm actually missing the championship already, getting beat everyweek obviously makes you enjoy the Prem much less but since we've been here before now nothing seems new or exciting to me. Games feel like a lifetime apart and nothing is confirmed due to VAR.

 

[Tezza1889]

The 5 subs and the added time are the new gap creating measures, the richer teams will have a bench of world class players ready to go, that's the edge that anybody in the championship (possibly bar Leeds) who comes up will fail to deal with.

Billionaires playground, that's all they want.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

Is the gap really that big or are we just shit? Luton have different priorities and even Burnley aren't exactly a premier league sized club traditionally but it's only a year ago all three promoted stayed up

 

[wavy-blade]

I look at Luton in the table now , and they look a million miles from us , a whole 3 points between us , if they win tonight we will never catch them !

 

[Disco_Blade]

Is the gap really that big or are we just shit? Luton have different priorities and even Burnley aren't exactly a premier league sized club traditionally but it's only a year ago all three promoted stayed up

I don’t think last years promoted teams are comparable though.

Fulham, location and money.
Bournemouth, money, money, money (just hide it well)
Forest, shit fivers and buy buy buy

All three were in a MUCH better position than the three that came up this year.

The gap is getting bigger, I feel. Only have to look at the top of the Championship and apart from Leicester, it’s hardly terrifying and think with this team we’d be straight back up again.

Until we have the cash and/or ambition to do better, we’ll just keep yo yo’ing for a few years at best.

But considering the dross we had for years and years, in the Champ/League 1 etc…I’ll happily take it and enjoy the ride

 

[Berkshire Blade]

I don’t think last years promoted teams are comparable though.

Fulham, location and money.
Bournemouth, money, money, money (just hide it well)
Forest, shit fivers and buy buy buy

All three were in a MUCH better position than the three that came up this year.

The gap is getting bigger, I feel. Only have to look at the top of the Championship and apart from Leicester, it’s hardly terrifying and think with this team we’d be straight back up again.

Until we have the cash and/or ambition to do better, we’ll just keep yo yo’ing for a few years at best.

But considering the dross we had for years and years, in the Champ/League 1 etc…I’ll happily take it and enjoy the ride

There is is course a gap but most years on average one side manages to bridge it. It's nothing new imo.

 

[jono_t2000]

I look at Luton in the table now , and they look a million miles from us , a whole 3 points between us , if they win tonight we will never catch them !

Not sure what's worse.. Luton winning and being even further ahead.

Or Burnley winning and us being only team without a win this season

 

[CornwallBlade]

Not sure what's worse.. Luton winning and being even further ahead.

Or Burnley winning and us being only team without a win this season

Theres a long, long way to go yet. For those of us at the bottom, injuries will play a massive part. Key player gets crocked and you’re in trouble. As long as we can stay within 6-9 points of 4th from bottom by Christmas we’ll have a chance as long as we reinforce in January

 

[Bladezz]

Theres a long, long way to go yet. For those of us at the bottom, injuries will play a massive part. Key player gets crocked and you’re in trouble. As long as we can stay within 6-9 points of 4th from bottom by Christmas we’ll have a chance as long as we reinforce in January

Yes 6-9 points gives us a chance. My concern is we are already 6 points from teams like Wolves already.

With potentially some very tricky games coming up.

 

[ATL Recs]

Yes 6-9 points gives us a chance. My concern is we are already 6 points from teams like Wolves already.

With potentially some very tricky games coming up.

Every game in this league is tricky especially for us

 

[Bladezz]

Every game in this league is tricky especially for us

Yes but Everton / Forest / Palace are games we look to try and win.

We know we are going to lose against the top sides and best we can hope for is nicking points.

 

[Richeee]

Theres a long, long way to go yet. For those of us at the bottom, injuries will play a massive part. Key player gets crocked and you’re in trouble. As long as we can stay within 6-9 points of 4th from bottom by Christmas we’ll have a chance as long as we reinforce in January

Really hope you are right but we as a club tend not to recruit in the January window...

 

[Snowflake]

I don’t think last years promoted teams are comparable though.

Fulham, location and money.
Bournemouth, money, money, money (just hide it well)
Forest, shit fivers and buy buy buy

All three were in a MUCH better position than the three that came up this year.

The gap is getting bigger, I feel. Only have to look at the top of the Championship and apart from Leicester, it’s hardly terrifying and think with this team we’d be straight back up again.

Until we have the cash and/or ambition to do better, we’ll just keep yo yo’ing for a few years at best.

But considering the dross we had for years and years, in the Champ/League 1 etc…I’ll happily take it and enjoy the ride

The problem will be that if we go down we will not have this squad. I would guess two will be sold and McAtee will go home.
How we recruit then becomes crucial unless some of the well lauded youngsters return from loans ready to tear up the Championship. Maybe they will.

 

[Inter_blade83]

Not sure what's worse.. Luton winning and being even further ahead.

Or Burnley winning and us being only team without a win this season

Bournemouth haven't won

 

[SwissBlade]

Is the gap really that big or are we just shit? Luton have different priorities and even Burnley aren't exactly a premier league sized club traditionally but it's only a year ago all three promoted stayed up

Bit of both.
We started badly prepared, when we last came up, we had signed a bunch of players and the side looked fit when we started. We were 3 games in against City before we looked fit and 6 games in against Newcastle before we could really say that we'd filled the bench with enough fit players to come on...

We've signed the best we can with the money we have, some signings won't work out, we know that's always the way and others will. I think we've done alright in that respect, sets us up for future sales and Championship.

The gap though, is noticeably different. Extra subs, More added time at the end of each half, we can't compete and we'll struggle to meet the levels of quality that sides can bring on compared to what we can.

The teams are more physical, faster, stronger than us in most areas.

Tactically, we could improve things, but we also need fitter players as the one way we can beat teams is by going that extra yard... I don't think we're there yet and i'd say it'll be after the international break before we can even be where we want to be fitness wise.

Also weakest Premier league since 2000. So i heard

 

[Carlton Blade]

 

[skyjam]

The gap between premier league and championship is the same between league 1 and sunday football in any park in Sheffield.

 

[anglian blade]

I think the work ethic in the PL has improved since Covid. Before that we were able to outwork a lot of the prima donnas and get results (a bit like against Spurs last year). Now we are pressed harder, get less time and the gap in technical ability is more obvious. Add in the ability to add more subs, then our lack of depth shows up even more.

 

[beatific blade]

The key to January is if a sale of the club goes through.

If not, there will be no additional spend (possibly 1 loan) and we will be relegated for sure.

We have a real problem next summer. Around a dozen or more senior players out of contract.

We are going to need to rebuild the squad. We will need to spend money to retain some of those out of contract.

We won’t have McAtee. We won’t have Archer.

I suspect we would try to cash in on one of Hamer / Anel / Souza with their release clauses.

It’s a huge rebuild but it’s also an opportunity similar to that of Wilder when he took over and had loads of players out of contract. Opportunity to allow players to leave, make multiple additions and bring a new group of players in.

The one thing that’s clear to me is that we need to keep Baldock and make him captain. It’s so clear how he holds the team accountable for their actions. When Baldock was out of the team last year we lost our edge and our “bottle and bollocks” to grit our teeth and win games. When Baldock returned it was like some of the other players had rediscovered their belief.

We’ve lost a lot of games this season but our performances have been pathetic when Baldock’s been out of the side. He’s the difference between picking up points / heroic defeats, and utterly embarrassing rollovers on the other side.

That’s “My Take”

 

[ancientblade]

i think wolves will be ok its between 5 us bmouth everton luton and burnley imo but i still expect the 3 promoted teams to go back down even lower premier clubs are spending big these days its getting harder for championship clubs to compete in the prem unless theyve got rich owners

 

[jono_t2000]

i think wolves will be ok its between 5 us bmouth everton luton and burnley imo but i still expect the 3 promoted teams to go back down even lower premier clubs are spending big these days its getting harder for championship clubs to compete in the prem unless theyve got rich owners

Swap Wolves with Fulham potentially.

Wheels are just about falling off for them after an ok start.

We beat them then I think they end up stuck in relegation battle for rest of season.

 

[blade too long]

Well the stinky 40% of Sheffield football fans told us a few years ago that the Championship was now La Liga! Apparently it had strengthened ten-fold since our last time there. If that's true, then how much has the Premier League strengthened, even since the last time we were up?

That Everton team / performance yesterday would walk the Championship. Last season we walked it (in the end at least!) with a team worse than the team we put out yesterday. We (along with Luton and Burnley) are looking odds on for the drop - with teams like Everton, Forest, Bournemouth not too far in front.

The standard of the Prem now really is frightening. The stupid money that is being thrown around is making the gap ridiculously big. How many times have we beaten Leeds and Leicester to a signing this year? Last year that would have been unthinkable. Even tiny fish in the Prem seem more attractive than the big fish of the Championship. It can't all be about wages either, it just seems players now are increasingly desperate to be in the Prem - whether they are being picked or not. The situation at Forest is crazy! Surely many of the players they are signing are well aware that game time - even off the bench - is going to be very limited.

the prem is 3 leagues in one 7 capable of spending billions 6 wannabes trying to catch up and 7 hard working sides picking up crumbs
3 promoted stayed up last season so its possible to cling on but every year the rich get richer
wish theyd buggar off to a euro league so the competition improves