The Championship - A Farce?

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Looking at the league table this morning and there is only 15 points between relegation and play offs. I did used to think this was a competitive & entertaining league but its turning into a bit of a farce now.

We will almost certainly see a team relegated with a record high points total (hopefully Soton ) and a team promoted with a record low.

Bristol City who are top have scored fewer goals than Colchester who are bottom. Bristol City could also conceivably win the league with a minus goal difference.

Whoever goes up is going to be a laughing stock in the Prem unless they build a totally new team, both on & off the pitch. If we have many more 'Derbys' playing in the top flight, how long before The Premiership start altering the requirements for promotion?

Anyway, the plus for Reading is that the points tally to stay up next year should be a lot lower than normal. If we stay up that is.

[The Surgeon of Crowthorne]

Looking at the league table this morning and there is only 15 points between relegation and play offs. I did used to think this was a competitive & entertaining league but its turning into a bit of a farce now.

I would say that this fact is proof that it is competitive. Obviously any side can take points of any other & surely, that is the definition of competitive?

It is interesting about Brizzle's GD and goals scored record compared to Soton, though & agree with your point about the real possibility of 3 very poor teams promoted.

[Stooper]

I think it's a much better league than the Prem and a lot more entertaining.

I do agree however that the teams who do come up have the potential to make the top divison a laughing stock.

[cmonurz]

Exactly – our 106 points was an indication of how good we were, and our unprepared other teams were for promotion to the Premier League. The fact that each of the promoted sides could go up with 10 defeats speaks volumes for the competitive of the division. I think you are confusing ‘competitiveness’ with ‘quality’ – there can’t be much doubt that the promoted sides will struggle next season. So as a Reading supporter I would love to see Bristol City, Stoke and Hull in the big league.

[handbags_harris]

The competitiveness of the Championship is one of the reasons why I wouldn't be overly fussed if we got relegated. That's not to say I want to get relegated, I don't, but at least if we went down we'd have a chance of winning something! Any one of about 15 - 20 teams this season had realistic hopes of doing something in that league, and it looks like Bristol & Stoke City have the top 2 places. Any team in the playoffs who gets promoted will be weak as well. West Brom are best equipped to mount a survival challenge however with their defence they'll also almost certainly be relegated. They will not outscore teams in the Premiership the way they do in the Championship. Stoke City, Bristol City, Hull City, Plymouth Argyle, West Brom, Wolves, Watford, Ipswich, Palace, Burnley, Charlton, Cardiff - Pick any three and if they come up they'll probably be relegated.

[Vision]

I think one of the main problems is the farcical loan system.

No-one actually builds a team they just plug a few gaps each month or so with a player from somewhere else. This inevitably leads to inconsistency in performance levels depending on the calibre of player attained at any given time. Norwich and Sheff Weds (2 of the bigger clubs fanwise by the way) have had something like 6 loan players at the club at the same time. While this may work in the short term i cant believe its of much benefit in the long term.

I firmly believe one of the reasons we were so good in the Championship was that our side was built up over a period of time and the team and squad all had the same goals and were all pulling in the same direction. I just don't see that being possible when teams constantly bring in players from outside.

[papereyes]

Competitiveness will be shown in the results of the league - and the Championship is competitive.

Quality will be seen by actually watching games.

I like the Championship. The standard isn't all that bad, there are one or two fantastic players in each team and, every game, someone does something stupid.

[BobKnows]

Whilst getting promoted to the Premiership felt brilliant, I will always have a soft spot for the Championship. It is competitive. There are good players. And there's a hell of a lot less hype and bulls**t. Which is why I've always said (without actively wishing it) that I would not mind if we ended up back there....

[Royalee]

Whichever three teams go up this season will all go straight back down - the league is the weakest it has been for years.

[Thaumagurist*]

.

[papereyes]

Haven't Bristol City just been promoted from League One last season? If they go up to the Premier League, they are guaranteed to go back down. We've all seen it, quick successive promotions aren't generally a great idea. Look at Brighton and Rotherham.

Watford under Taylor in the late 90s, early 2000s as well. I think.

[Fat Leather Jacket]

I try to avoid the Championship results on Saturday so that I can watch the highlights programme on Sunday morning. The quality of football may be poorish but there is something about it I like.

[The whole year inn]

Really does emphasise why it is so important Reading stay up. Next season will be much easier IMO

From the three sides that are coming up, at least two will struggle to amass 20 points.

[earleyroyal]

Whilst getting promoted to the Premiership felt brilliant, I will always have a soft spot for the Championship. It is competitive. There are good players. And there's a hell of a lot less hype and bulls**t. Which is why I've always said (without actively wishing it) that I would not mind if we ended up back there....

add in 'there's more exciting football and less negative, cynical teams than the Premiership' and that hits the nail on the head for me.

[Daniella]

Bristol city and stoke in the premiership? Jesus, how the hell did this happen?
Neither have a side anywhere near capable of playing up here....or the infrastructure to sustain any prem status.

[Tredder]

Bristol city and stoke in the premiership? Jesus, how the hell did this happen?
Neither have a side anywhere near capable of playing up here....or the infrastructure to sustain any prem status.

It's called playing as a team, the sole reason Reading won promotion.

[Daniella]

Bristol city and stoke in the premiership? Jesus, how the hell did this happen?
Neither have a side anywhere near capable of playing up here....or the infrastructure to sustain any prem status.

It's called playing as a team, the sole reason Reading won promotion.

Reading achieved 106 points and had several young players who went on to play international football. Reading played as a team and had better players than everyone else, not just work ethic, better players. None of those sides have any players nearly as talented and are miles behind in terms of points in a far easier championship,everyone else has been poor and made it easy for them. Id expect both sides to get a maximum of 20 points if they go up.

[Coppelled Streets]

Haven't Bristol City just been promoted from League One last season? If they go up to the Premier League, they are guaranteed to go back down. We've all seen it, quick successive promotions aren't generally a great idea. Look at Brighton and Rotherham.

Watford did just that under Taylor.

[Tredder]

Bristol city and stoke in the premiership? Jesus, how the hell did this happen?
Neither have a side anywhere near capable of playing up here....or the infrastructure to sustain any prem status.

It's called playing as a team, the sole reason Reading won promotion.

Reading achieved 106 points and had several young players who went on to play international football. Reading played as a team and had better players than everyone else, not just work ethic, better players. None of those sides have any players nearly as talented and are miles behind in terms of points in a far easier championship,everyone else has been poor and made it easy for them. Id expect both sides to get a maximum of 20 points if they go up.

That will be from a Reading perspective then.

[papereyes]

Bristol city and stoke in the premiership? Jesus, how the hell did this happen?
Neither have a side anywhere near capable of playing up here....or the infrastructure to sustain any prem status.

It's called playing as a team, the sole reason Reading won promotion.

A bit disingeneous to say its the sole reason, but its a big factor.

I think also the traditionally big clubs out there have struggled to realise that they're not in the Premiership anymore. With bigger clubs slipping down the leagues, smaller yet well run teams can slip upwards.