Our system detected that your browser is blocking advertisements on our site. Please help support FoxesTalk by disabling any kind of ad blocker while browsing this site. Thank you.
Jump to content
 Share
Sly

The Championship Thread 2023/2024

By Sly, in Leicester City Forum

Recommended Posts

Lambert09

Lambert09

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, davieG said:

https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league-distorted-championship-leeds-leicester-2922899?ITO=newsnow

OPINION
By Daniel Storey
Chief Football Writer

 

The Premier League has distorted the Championship – look at Leeds and Leicester
The promoted clubs go straight back down and the relegated clubs go up again - this is not a good system for anyone, but other Championship clubs are suffering the most
February 23, 2024 1:02 pm(Updated 1:03 pm)

On 10 February, Southampton trailed 2-0 at half-time in their Championship home fixture against Huddersfield Town and Russell Martin knew that he needed to change something, ideally several things.

Martin had already brought on Joe Rothwell after 33 minutes, and continued in the same vein thereafter: David Brooks, Samuel Edozie, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Sekou Mara. Those players provided four goals and three assists and Southampton won the game 5-3.

Brooks and Rothwell were January loan signings from Premier League Bournemouth. Their wages will be considerable. The other three were signed for combined transfer fees of around £35m last season. And these were Southampton’s Plan B players in the second tier. Huddersfield’s five substitutes: three academy graduates and two players signed for less than a million pounds combined. This wasn’t a Championship fixture; it was two in one.


This has been a season like no other in which to assess the financial disparity between English football’s mini-tiers. The Premier League’s bottom three are, currently, the three promoted clubs, potentially the first time since 1998 that all three immediately go back down.

One saving grace may be the points deduction handed down to Everton – and another could follow for Nottingham Forest – two clubs who overreached in the vain hope of matching the financial elite.


In the Championship, three of the top four are the relegated clubs. Leicester have found life supremely easy after relegation and hold a nine-point lead with 13 games left.

Leeds and Southampton both wobbled at the season’s start under new managers, but have enjoyed extended unbeaten runs. For the first time ever, it may well be the same three coming down and the same three going up.

There are theories, reasons to explain this away as a freak. Sheffield United came up with ownership uncertainty. Burnley had a dogmatic tactical philosophy that got found out. Leicester’s team was never a relegation candidate on paper.

Southampton and Leeds paid the price for a series of bad decisions and the Championship permitted a period of spring cleaning and introspection. Ipswich have been a glorious exception and may yet crash the parachute payment party. We should wish them well, as an antidote to the status quo if nothing else.

Now take several steps backward to take in the full panorama. Effective competition in the Premier League and Championship is struggling to exist as a concept.

Promoted clubs (who have been in the EFL for the previous two years) are permitted to record three-year losses of £61m, £44m lower than existing Premier League clubs, despite missing out on the same broadcasting riches. They begin the race from behind the start line. Increasingly, some are choosing to bank the money rather than gambling on survival in a league weighted against them and you can’t blame them.

In the Championship, the imbalance is just as stark. More than the depth of first-team squads and transfer activity, it is wage bills that accurately predict performance. Football finance site Capology estimates that Leicester’s wage bill for this season is around £60m with Southampton and Leeds around £40m.

BURNLEY, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 17: Josh Brownhill of Burnley looks dejected after his team concede during the Premier League match between Burnley FC and Arsenal FC at Turf Moor on February 17, 2024 in Burnley, England. (Photo by Harriet Lander/Copa/Getty Images)
The Premier League’s three promoted clubs could go straight back down (Photo: Getty)
Not only are they the top three in the division by a distance, those estimates would make Leicester’s wage bill at least four times higher than 17 other clubs in the division. Parachute payments were intended to create a soft landing. They’re now acting like a trampoline.

How do other clubs cope? They mostly don’t. We can cherish the honourable exceptions, the Luton Town of last year and the Ipswich Town of this, but they are increasingly rare. Between 2010 and 2019, eight clubs bounced back to the Premier League within two years. Since the new TV began in 2019-20, six clubs have already done exactly that and six may become nine before the end of May.


Were this simply a case of replacement, the only issue would be the erosion of competition: the same select clubs, relying upon parachute payments, go up and the same clubs eventually return from whence they came; rinse and repeat. But it’s the by-product of that cycle that is most damaging: wanton desperation.

In the Premier League, clubs feel the heat and so invest heavily to try and avoid relegation back to the financial apocalypse.

Nottingham Forest have bought 40-odd players since promotion, Bournemouth spent £120m last summer, Burnley have signed 19 players since promotion at a cost of over £100m and Farhad Moshiri spent £400m trying to shift Everton away from their mediocrity. What’s the alternative, accept your fate and succumb?

In the Championship, desperation culture rules all. Parachute payments allow those relegated to retain deep squads and the rest of the division urges to keep up with the Joneses.

For the last five years in a row, Championship clubs have spent more on wages alone than they make in revenue. Not only are they pitted against the parachute payment tide, they’re actually trying to fight it because to avoid doing so is to be accused of a lack of ambition. Every now and then one comes close to popping. West Brom have just got new owners and just as well too.

The same three clubs going up and the same three clubs going down, if it happens, would be a line in the sand. We need greater redistribution of wealth. We need effective competition to be enforced. We need clubs at the lower end of the Championship to believe that the Premier League is a dream that doesn’t rely upon risking the club’s entire future. 

completely ignore the fact that all 3 teams that came down lost their spots to clubs coming up from the championship the year before .

ordinarily you might have to deal with one established club coming down so it’s hardly a shock that if 3 established clubs come down they are likely to be well placed to get back up. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
cruzFOX

cruzFOX

Posted
Posted

They are making this a big deal due to who we are. Leicester and Southampton established premier league sides. Leeds with all their history but they’ve been in the prem enough seasons they shouldn’t be going down. The term ‘yo yo’ clubs is not us. The last time we were called a yo yo club was probably during & after MON time.

 

The fact remains we really should not have slipped down. Get close to the hairy edge in poor season yes but never go down but we did. At the very very least in a poor season we should be finishing like crystal palace. 
Just goes to show what an almighty top to bottom cockup by the club last season. So if it can happen to us it sure can happen to anyone if they completely fall asleep at the wheel. How everton keep pulling the rabbit out their ass trick every season baffles me!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Popular Post
Daggers

Daggers

Posted
  • Popular Post
Posted
1 hour ago, Wymsey said:

Father and Son banned over helicopter tragedy chants.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-68383249

 

I know this should be in the unpopular opinions thread - but this is not a “hate crime”, and should have been written off as two cvnts being cvnts given that a period of time has elapsed.

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Lionator

Lionator

Posted
Posted
18 minutes ago, Daggers said:

I know this should be in the unpopular opinions thread - but this is not a “hate crime”, and should have been written off as two cvnts being cvnts given that a period of time has elapsed.

I think it's a public order offence rather than a hate crime. If the police feel that there's a risk it could escalate into violence then it's a problem, otherwise I agree its a pretty petty thing to ban people for.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Daggers

Daggers

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, Lionator said:

I think it's a public order offence rather than a hate crime. If the police feel that there's a risk it could escalate into violence then it's a problem, otherwise I agree its a pretty petty thing to ban people for.

Kick them out of the ground, job done. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
DennisNedry

DennisNedry

Posted
Posted
On 20/02/2024 at 22:52, Wigston Tractor Boy said:

BTW is there some deep seated trauma that is making you guys so worried? You're 9 points (practically 10 because of goal difference) clear of 3rd and on track for the biggest ever points total, but there seems to be a lot of worry on here from some people. I'd get it if it was Friday night and Leeds just thrashed you (please don't let that happen)*, but there seems to be a few people writing you off and preparing for the worst already which is frankly bizarre. Also, even if the worst came to pass against Leeds, it's still a 6 point gap with 12 games to go. Hardly panic stations IMO :dunno:. 

 

*Seriously don't, give them a nice demoralising 4-0 thrashing and let us get back in the top 2.

Here it is made.

 

Absolutely battered Leeds on their own pitch. Make them look like relegation fodder.

 

First sign of a Leeds attack second half we fold. And then fall apart like wet toilet paper.

 

Bottling seems to be in our club DNA now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
HybridFox

HybridFox

Posted
Posted

My only take from tonight is at least we can end the fascination of breaking records etc. There's a reason that 106 has stood for so long and looks like it may remain that way. 

 

But promotion is the goal from here by hook or by crook. Take it game by game and let's get over the line. Will be happy going up by any method atm, title or not

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Chrysalis

Chrysalis

Posted
Posted
5 minutes ago, silverfox23 said:

Still 36 points to play for. That's 114 if some who we win every game..what's the record guys?

I think we getting 20-25 points.  So probably looking at about 98-103 points finish now.  Most seasons thats fine, but this isnt most seasons.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Aus Fox

Aus Fox

Posted
Posted

Tonight bar the finishing, and some horrendous refereeing was the reason we are the best team in this league. On another day that’s 4-0 us and no one says it flattered us.

We will use this, like the Arsenal defeat in 15/16 and will go on and win every remaining game this season.

 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites
silverfox23

silverfox23

Posted
Posted
9 minutes ago, weller54 said:

Win every game?😂😂😂.

You've got to have a mentally strong team of players to attempt to do that!

Ohh after the last few game I totally see what you mean. Enzo strange subs don't help...instead of passing a million times at the back just go for the kill every now and then

Link to comment
Share on other sites
FrankieADZ

FrankieADZ

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, Aus Fox said:

Tonight bar the finishing, and some horrendous refereeing was the reason we are the best team in this league. On another day that’s 4-0 us and no one says it flattered us.

We will use this, like the Arsenal defeat in 15/16 and will go on and win every remaining game this season.

 

what some on here fail to realise, every game we have lost this season we had chances in all to get something

 

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
weller54

weller54

Posted
Posted
5 minutes ago, silverfox23 said:

Ohh after the last few game I totally see what you mean. Enzo strange subs don't help...instead of passing a million times at the back just go for the kill every now and then

Yep, worked quite well in 15/16 if I recall.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...