Is a change starting to happen?

[itombomb]

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.

I do agree we probably would have stayed up if Roy or Benitez were our manager, but you have to remember that even then it would have cost us a load of money to do so - even ignoring the BDR/Cav/Knockeart deals (which cost at least £20m), if you add up our purchases that Summer and account for us converting all the loans we would have had to spend around £80m.

Re the bolded, I think your general thesis is a bit off - it isn't that the Championship is getting better as a whole necessarily (though more coaches have more modern approaches and like to try and play football which is good), but a fragmentation is happening in the Championship that is a symptom of a broader problem linked to Parachute payments (and compounded by Covid).

Yes us and other relegated teams are now more likely to retain quality players - look at Norwich with Buendia or Watford with Sarr - but a huge part of that is that with 'yo-yo money', Fulham and other similarly positioned clubs are able to pay more in wages than pretty much anyone across Europe not in the Champions League so players aren't as quick to rush for the exit, and the presence of the Parachute Payments means that in the first year teams go down they don't 'need' to do a firesale. Though if you don't go up at the first time of asking, then you really do need to sell - see Bournemouth having to sell Danjuma this Summer, or Huddersfield the year before selling Mounie and Kongolo for far less than they paid for them.

[YankeeJim]

The discussion about the difference between the Prem and the Championship is one that is endless. What I prefer to consider is, as a fan, is the football more enjoyable in the Championship? I say a resounding yes! In the Prem there are six teams that we compete with every several years and beat even less often. The best team we ever fielded in the Prem finished 7th. Fulham has no chance of ever winning or even getting close to the Champions League competing in the Prem. In the Championship we are in every match. It may not be a popular opinion, but other than the issues with television here in the colonies, I prefer the Championship. I think a great cup run is the best we  can hope for. COYW!

[copthornemike]

In the next few years maybe yes.
This year, and possibly next year, may be an outlier as the economy recovers from the COVID emergency - thankfully we have the parachute money to cushion the blow and maybe our unusually high number of loan players last season may have been a blessing in disguise for a relegated team as we were not left with a large tranche of new players on premiership wages!
It has undoubtedly been more difficult for EPL teams in general whilst TV money has softened the blow for Premiership clubs.
Mind you Sheffield Utd are still struggling to an extent to be promotion candidates!

[ALG01]

The discussion about the difference between the Prem and the Championship is one that is endless. What I prefer to consider is, as a fan, is the football more enjoyable in the Championship? I say a resounding yes! In the Prem there are six teams that we compete with every several years and beat even less often. The best team we ever fielded in the Prem finished 7th. Fulham has no chance of ever winning or even getting close to the Champions League competing in the Prem. In the Championship we are in every match. It may not be a popular opinion, but other than the issues with television here in the colonies, I prefer the Championship. I think a great cup run is the best we  can hope for. COYW!

I think you are right save for one thing. I find the quality of football less good and I noticed the gulf has widened this time. I am not excited this season the way I was when we had macdonald or tigana because the opposition is less competent.

My preference is to play in the prem, I can cope with losing more often but I do like the clinical nature of the games... on the other hand I hate the bias of the refs and the cheating of the players and officials, but still to see the top stars and test yourself against the best, for me, is much more exciting. Even a 7 0 win, for me  was devalued by the poor quality of the opposition and the fact they have a failed manager (lucky to be on the gravy train roundabout).

i much oprefered the days of roy when we competed and held our own with the best.

but this is just preference.

[rebel]

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.

The Championship is looking pretty average, we might look world beaters, but none of the teams look particularly strong when you consider that 90% of teams in the Championship has been in the Premiership one time or other. 

[itombomb]

In the next few years maybe yes.
This year, and possibly next year, may be an outlier as the economy recovers from the COVID emergency - thankfully we have the parachute money to cushion the blow and maybe our unusually high number of loan players last season may have been a blessing in disguise for a relegated team as we were not left with a large tranche of new players on premiership wages!
It has undoubtedly been more difficult for EPL teams in general whilst TV money has softened the blow for Premiership clubs.
Mind you Sheffield Utd are still struggling to an extent to be promotion candidates!

The "blessing in disguise" was an intentional strategy tbf.

[bobby01]

Strange as it may be, I am not bothered about what division we play in, I pay my hard earned money to watch football and at the moment I am delighted by what I am seeing.
Take out the period between Slav and Marco it has been great watching us play.