Is a change starting to happen?

[General]

In the championship? Perhaps we're at the beginning stages of it, but is the standard improving? Are players of a higher calibre more ok with playing down a division and is that boosting the overall quality of the league?

I know it seems like two teams are currently head and shoulders above the rest, but has that always historically been the case?

Back in the day any good players from relegated teams we're simply snapped up by teams who managed to stay in the Premiership.. but Bournemouth, west brom and ourselves have managed to increasingly hold on to top players.

On top of that, it's been mentioned historically that as far as European leagues go there is more money in the championship and also that the championship in quality terms is actually by others, from what I've read, considered by some the 5th most competitive league in Europe and with an increasing number of internationals plying their trade here, who play for respectable international teams, is that fair to say has a truth to it.

A while back people spoke of the championship and Premiership splitting into two separate leagues competing against one another come season end to find which was better...

Do people see these same changes and think there's any merit to what's been said or not really?

[Motspur Park]

There is a gulf between the premier league and Championship that is growing wider. That suggests the opposite to your points. We know that if we get promoted, we need 6-7 players of a higher level than what we have in order to 'survive'. Look at Norwich. Brentford are now faltering and although they may stay up, I think they will be looking over their shoulder soon.

The reason we are doing well this season is the core players recruited have stayed with us and are happy. We are currently a yo-yo club. Not good enough for the premier league but better than other Championship teams. Bournemouth's squad are still fairly strong but outside of that, the overall quality is fairly mediocre.

[RaySmith]

The  Prem clubs' wealth still  creates a big gulf in class - look at Norwich this season.

Us and WBA are leading Championship clubs this season, but  were  well  bottom of the Prem last season, despite both clubs having some very good results - and is either team really that much better now?
Though I know  we are playing a lot better football now, and certainly looking good, but  as said, we  would probably need a fair few acquisitions  if we go up, to survive.

Always going to be a struggle to survive  for clubs like Fulham in the Prem, if things stay the way they are, with the top clubs being able to maximise their wealth without any hindrance of checks, or serious attempts to create a more level playing field in pro footballing in this country.

On the other hand, clubs like Fulham and WBA, and many Champ. teams,  are separated from the lower divisions by their own wealth - we are a sort of elite.

[ALG01]

it has been my impression the gap is widening, especially this time. I think the gulf between the prem and us is getting wider.

we give up chances at fulham this season with seemingly gay abandon (amn old fashioned expression for which I expect no nonsensical comment) and the opposition simply wastes chance after chance. in the prem we would be punished and put to the sword.

most team have a good player or two but the depth of squads in the championship is lamentable. I do not think with a defence like ours we should be the outstanding side but we are. I think the effect of the finacial difference means the gap has and will continue to widen.

even the loans we had last season were of a very good quality in the main but these players would not give us a second look in the championship. the managers in the championship are ones that cannot or would not hack it in the prem by and large. that is the biggest gulf of all.

[Jamie88]

I think either the standard is getting worse or the PL-Champ gulf is getting bigger. As great our squad is for this league, and as great as our performances/results have been, I have been surprised at how poor the standard is this season with our opponents, generally speaking.

[Whitesideup]

I don't think it's fair to use Norwich as absolute evidence of the gulf between Championship and the Premier. Selling their best player and poor recruitment are part of the reason, and both Brentford and Watford are performing better.

I also believe the standard of both the Premier League and the Championship have been going up year on year. The wealth of the Premier League means many (not all of course) of the top players in the world find their way here.

But some sides have been able to establish themselves following promotion. Wolves in 7th currently, Brighton 8th for example. But it is true it is difficult to sustain the standard unless you are a big club .. and even big clubs may struggle eg Newcastle and Leeds.

And the difficulty is the difference in finances of say roughly £100 million a year, means inevitably it is hard to build a side fit for the Premier while still in the Championship. But that doesn't mean the standard of the Championship is poor, but yes, there is a difference and it's not easy staying in the Premier once you get there.

[RufusBrevettatemyhamster]

The gulf between the championship and Premiership is vast and continues to get bigger. The fact that the top teams can spend £100 million on one player and we get hammered by FFP for spending that on several, shows you all you need to know. 
We won't ever be able to compete for the league until we have an income on a pat with the likes of United, Man City and Liverpool etc and that comes from winning things, which comes from having money to invest in the very best players. It's a vicious cycle that is nye on impossible to break imo.

[filham]

Yes the gap between the Championship and the Premier league is vast but thank goodness there is always the sign of an exception. Brighton are proving good in the Premier right now, next season it could just be us.
Let us live in hope.

[Rupert]

I think we should not be looking at the gap between us and the "big" teams, our concern, should we go up, would be to overhaul three of the middling to poor Premiership teams. Essentially, we need a couple of them to have an off season, and us to do really well, and we would stay up. The next trick would be to move out of the survival group and into the mid-table obscurity group. The only time we have really been that comfortable was under Roy (season two and three), and arguably also under Mark Hughes.

When we went up in 2001 with Bolton and Blackburn, I believe it was the first time in ages that all three promoted teams survived the following campaign. I am not sure how often that has happened since, so I do not know how well the idea that the gap is getting wider stands up in practice. Obviously, if two or all three promoted teams regularly get relegated again then there is a major problem. However, if one or two survive, and then go on to establish themselves, then we have a chance to do just that. You will have to ask the stattos amongst us for how common any of that is.

[jarv]

The gap is getting wider between the divisions I feel. Where does financial fair play fit in? What is financial fair play?

The big clubs are turning in to a monopoly. All have bench loads of players not getting a game but would walk into the lower teams. I know it is the money but as a player would you want to sit and watch your team every week?

I believe Fulham will go back up this season, the fans will enjoy great entertainment on the way but what then? Another rebuild. Bringing in mediocre players?

Let's all hope there is a strategy in place whether promotion is achieved or not.

[bobby01]

I honestly believe the squad was good enough to stay up last season, the run in was absolutely diabolical and I think related more to problems between the players and manager than quality.

[General]

Think there's a slight bit of bias in the responses so far. Yes Norwich are doing poorly, we have done recently and the likes of West brom and Cardiff have done so.

But in that same vein, wolves, villa and Leeds have all gone up and stayed up so success can happen. Since we initially got relegated too Brentford are having a good go at the league and Newcastle were also promoted and have stayed up throughout our ups and downs without huge investment (villa the most(.

Teams can and do go up and stay up - Brighton, Bournemouth and Sheffield utd examples of this.

The key point though is that more players seem willing to make the step down and stay with clubs in the championship then I've noticed before.

I'd put our relegations under the khan's (all three) down to poor management at a senior level - not bringing in right players to complement what we have or not having a suitable enough and savvy manager to manage properly at that level.

If we hadn't had Parker last season but someone who knew the league with our defence in particular I'd say we should've had stayed up. We definitely had the quality.

[Lordedmundo]

No - I think it is simply that the teams with parachute money can manage to hold on to most of their best players if they go down and indeed strengthen if they remain within FFP.  In our case having a billionaire owner and being in London helps!

I agree with other posters that we could (and probably should) have stayed up last season. Primarily - I put it down to the negative tactics from the manager - but the loan of RLC being a complete disaster and a midfield devoid of creativity (was it zero goals and assists?) didn't help.

The objective when getting promoted is simply to finish in 17th place.  However, even teams that stay up comfortably one season are still in danger the following season if they don't recruit well again during the summer (look at Sheffield United, Watford, Huddersfield etc). With our resources we should be looking finishing above clubs like these (and Norwich, West Brom, Bournemouth etc). Perhaps the benchmark for us and most promoted teams is are Burnley who always manage to stay up despite one of the lowest net spends of any other club.

It wasn't so long ago that West Ham and Palace were in a divison below us for a time, so the longer term target should be surpass them both...

[mrmicawbers]

If we are to stay up,we need automatic promotion to give us a better chance.

[RufusBrevettatemyhamster]

Think there's a slight bit of bias in the responses so far. Yes Norwich are doing poorly, we have done recently and the likes of West brom and Cardiff have done so.

But in that same vein, wolves, villa and Leeds have all gone up and stayed up so success can happen. Since we initially got relegated too Brentford are having a good go at the league and Newcastle were also promoted and have stayed up throughout our ups and downs without huge investment (villa the most(.

Teams can and do go up and stay up - Brighton, Bournemouth and Sheffield utd examples of this.

The key point though is that more players seem willing to make the step down and stay with clubs in the championship then I've noticed before.

I'd put our relegations under the khan's (all three) down to poor management at a senior level - not bringing in right players to complement what we have or not having a suitable enough and savvy manager to manage properly at that level.

If we hadn't had Parker last season but someone who knew the league with our defence in particular I'd say we should've had stayed up. We definitely had the quality.

This isn't a knock at our support, but look at our local rivals - Chelsea, Spurs, Arsenal, Brentford and West Ham. All in London and all in the Premier league.
Who do wolves, villa and Leeds have to contend with for supporters? Even with fair weather fans, they can still appeal to the majority of the locals, because they're arguably the biggest in their respective cities.

[WindyCity]

There is a gulf between the premier league and Championship that is growing wider. That suggests the opposite to your points. We know that if we get promoted, we need 6-7 players of a higher level than what we have in order to 'survive'. 

Tend to agree with this and disagree with the OP.  I think the gap between the two leagues is very wide and more likely than not increasing.  Good point about needing some new troops should we go up.  If FFC stays with the squad as it exists currently, it will be relegation and the yo-yo all over again.  There is a significant gap and hopefully FFC can react to that reality next time it finds itself in top flight.

[Donnie Lonegan]

We beat Everton, Leicester City, and Liverpool away last season, I don't think the standard is way way higher than us.

[Jim©]

There is a gulf between the premier league and Championship that is growing wider. That suggests the opposite to your points. We know that if we get promoted, we need 6-7 players of a higher level than what we have in order to 'survive'. 

Tend to agree with this and disagree with the OP.  I think the gap between the two leagues is very wide and more likely than not increasing.  Good point about needing some new troops should we go up.  If FFC stays with the squad as it exists currently, it will be relegation and the yo-yo all over again.  There is a significant gap and hopefully FFC can react to that reality next time it finds itself in top flight.

Remember too, that Norwich beat Bournemouth 6-0 in the EFL cup this season. Bottom prem v top of Championship.
That just highlights the point.
We played Man City last season and they had £0.3billion of players on the bench. Crazy.

[The Rock]

We beat Everton, Leicester City, and Liverpool away last season, I don't think the standard is way way higher than us.

Agreed. 2 huge factors to note as well:

1. The Khan's waited until ~ 7 games into the campaign to make the replacements needed to stay up. I think we got 1 point.
2. Parkerball

If we had our best players to start, and a more agressive style/gaffer, I think we would have fought to get to 12th-14th instead of losing the plot.

[TC's Sporran]

i think an experienced manager here could have avoided relegation last season with our squad. but he would have had to have gotten inside both mitros  and rlc heads and got them playing to their potential. look at them both this season.
it was down to naivety from a new manager and lack of man management. silva is as yet unproven in the prem having failed with 3 clubs?
his sides usually have terrible away form and we are seeing that here this season .......