Has the standard changed

[Andy S]

In peoples opinion has the standard of football increased or decreased in the championship since we were there. The reason I ask is there seems to be a bigger gap between teams that are promoted than when we came up 14 years ago. Both of the teams that were promoted when we were promoted stayed up. The teams coming up seem to have to spend a lot of cash to stay there now.

[fulhamben]

We spent lots of cash in the championship and our first season up.

[Lighthouse]

Not to answer your question. I think the standard in the Prem has gone down in the last few years. The Championship teams who come up are usually very good at going forward but lack the skill to defend for long periods. It takes time to climatise to the different type of football. Like league football and international football.

Oddly I think the overall standard has gone down recently in all the leagues generally.

[Bronaldinho]

The gap is massive I think, if you come up you have to spend at least £20-£30m to make a competitive side.

[Deanothefulhamfan]

I am not overly convinced that there is a huge gap between the top sides in the championship, and the lesser sides in the premiership..... Anyone who thinks differently just need to take a long hard look at Palace, who have got such a championship side on paper, yet are comfortably safe this season, and will finish mid table.

[BedsFFC]

I imagine palace will struggle next season.

In light of the money in the premiership, its inconceivable that a club who has been in it, for say, over ten years would go down.

That would have to be a result of serious mismanagement as they would have such a head start over about 6 or so clubs.

Oh, hang on...

[HatterDon]

I've seen this opinion in several football publications over the last 5 or 10 years: The standard of football in the Championship is exceeded only by that in the BPL, La Liga, serieA, and the Bundesliga. Some people add the French ligue 1 in that group.

[F(f)CUK]

I don't think we will really know until we play week in week out.  As we tumbled through the leagues I found it difficult to spot serious differences between them, but I noticed them all too well as we climbed the leagues with Mo's money.  I think me not spotting the difference had more to do with how poor we were becoming and not realising.

[YankeeJim]

To me, its a case of the rich getting richer. The gap between the top 5/6 and the rest of the league just get wider. If you took Citi's second team as a separate club, they would challenge for the top six. Maybe its time for a super league with the top Europe teams playing each other. The leagues could be seeded much like FIFA does the various regions. That would make the various domestic leagues more competitive, at least for a while until other teams spent so as to get to the top league. Silly idea I know, but short of a world wide salary cap I don't know of any other way to make the Prem competitive. A salary cap just on one league would simply see the outflow of all the most expensive players.

[rogerpbackinMidEastUS]

I always find it strange (and a shame really) when teams get promoted to the Premiership,
the promoted players celebrate (and rightly so) what is an amazing experience and a dream of playing against LPL, ManCity, ManUtd, Chelsea, Arsenal, Everton, Newcastle and Fulham.

Deep down inside many of them must know that their club will spend fortunes on new
players and fear that they may be the one/s that are 'got rid of' or resigned to sit on the bench.

[eloc]

there is a large large large gap between the top 4-6 teams in the league and the rest of it. league salaries would show that. the hardest part is getting into the league and staying there. you have to spend more than those in the championship, and that isnt always possible

[domprague]

The standard must be crap. The Ha Has are fourth.