Strength of the Championship.

"I have to say that the quality of teams in the Championship is very poor this year." Not my quote but it para phases what I hear at some point every year. Is the Championship a strong one or it is weak just how do you decide? Is there anything statistically to demonstrate from one year to the next how strong the Championship really is? Would a 10-20 point spread from top to bottom at the end of the season make it a strong league or a weak one? I'm just interested in what makes the Championship a strong one or a weak one from year to year. I don't personally think it varies that much.

 

Before the season started it looked like the weakest championship in a lot of years and that's how it's playing out.

 

Going into this season I personally thought it’s the weakest it’s been in a long time.

I thought Wycombe, Coventry and Rotherham would all be down there. I didn’t think to much of Bournemouth, Norwich and Watford coming down although they’re all up there.

Add to that; QPR, Birmingham, Middlesbrough, Cardiff who’re all boring sides.

It’d have been difficult had we gone down last season - compete re build. Pompey, Sunderland, Donny, Ipswich, Posh all good sides who’re always there or there abouts...

 

And a team we did the double over in the Championship currently leading the run-away title holders from the prior season.

Funny old game...

 

Weaker due to Covid financial restraints. But for "weak" I'd say "more even and competitive" instead. No, I don't like Coventry, but it's good to see clubs like them, Rotherham, Wycombe and Luton fighting in this League instead of the usual Prem mk2 clubs always here. Having a stint in League One won't do Ipswich or Sunderland any harm either. Football will always be about merit.

 

What make you decide if it is strong or weak?

 

It makes me laugh when people judge the quality of the teams in the league & not the quality of players , because Wycombe & Rotherham are in the league does not make it a weak championship , its the players that provide the quality , look at Wednesday one of biggest clubs in the world they cannot get off the bottom but seriously there will be only 3 teams that get promoted ,so the other 19 will have found the Championship two strong for them to be successful

 

My take on it would be the relative strength of those coming up, and those coming down from the Prem.

If those coming down feel like they'll be right in the top six and those coming up feel like they'll be at the bottom; then that's a strong championship.

If those coming down feel like they're all heading for the top 6 and those coming up feel like they're in the mix, then that's a weak championship.

This season the relegated teams are a cut above - mixing with the leftovers of last years top six, and the promoted teams look like they'd be heading back down if it wasn't for a few basket cases slumming with them.

 

Same reasons as Scott. You have smaller sides than us such as Rotherham and Wycombe. Coventry play away every game. Wednesday started on minus points. Lots of clubs who have gambled finances for years could no longer spend millions partially due to covid. I didn't think much of the three that came down even though they are up there at the moment.

 

Old saying but you can only play the team put in front of you

 

As our own stats prove, I suspect that that some of these so called "big" clubs are playing without the benefits of crowd pressure on the officials. This levels the decision making to a much fairer level. Week in week out we get terrible referees when we are playing with crowds. This season so far seems different. We will always get poor and biased referees but I think on the whole the fairness and quality of the officiating this season has benefitted the "smaller" less fashionable clubs.

 

#teamslikewycombeandrotherham

 

This is a particularly pointless debate. The championship is as strong as it is end, of debate.

 

Bournemouth and Norwich look a class above.. Watford are decent so are Brentford all the rest... Mah

 

Bournemouth look a very good side to me. Brentford latching on after a slow start. I don't see it's a weak Championship at all.

 

Very hard to assess strength of Championship . Huddersfield beat Reading in a dire game to win promotion 4 years ago. Villa Fulham and Wolves spent heavily to reach the Summit. Norwich and Bournemouth spent big in the summer and are up there but many teams including Derby Forest and Stoke spent big style with limited effect,

 

Norwich spent about £8 Million on 5 players, whilst cashing in on Godfrey & Lewis (Everton & Newcastle) for ~£40 Million
Bournemouth literally spent zero, whilst cashing in on Ake, Wilson, Ramsdale & Arter (Man City, Newcastle, Sheff U & Forest) for ~£85 Million

combined with incoming parachute payments it doesn't look like they've broke the bank does it?

 

So only reinvesting money from transfers . Both clubs have spent a fair amount in recent years to get into the Premier League, Bournemouth spent £77 million on new signings in 2018/19 net spend £59 million .Bournemouth - Transfer League

 

In recent years yes I agree. However you said Norwich and Bournemouth "spent big in the summer" in your previous post:

 

The Championship is incredibly strong this season, as it has been for a while. The majority of sides would hold their own in most of the top divisions in Europe. Most squads contain a fair few international players. I don't remotely buy the "it's a weak Championship this season" mantra. It's one of the strongest leagues in the world.