The Quality Gap

[Joe.]

OK I'm bored tonight and I'd just like to raise this point. Below is the FourFourTwo top ten players in the football league for last season. When you look where these players are now it just goes to show the massive gap in quality between the two leagues. I know it's obvious but just wanted to bring this list up:

1. Jason Koumas (then of West Brom, now of Wigan) (£5.3 million move)

2. David Nugent (then of Preston, now of Portsmouth) (£6 million move)

3. Gareth Bale (then of Southampton, now of Tottenham) (£5 million move)

4. Gary McSheffry (then of Birmingham, now of Birmingham)

5. Diomansy Kamara (then of West Brom, now of Fulham) (£6 million move)

6. Curtis Davies (then of West Brom, now of Aston Villa) (Loan move)

7. Grzegorz Rasiak (then of Southampton, now of Southampton)

8. Michael Chopra (then of Cardiff, now of Sunderland) (£5 million move)

9. Robert Earnshaw (then of Norwich, now of Derby) (£3.5 million move)

10. Giles Barnes (then of Derby, now of Derby)

Nine of these players listed above now play their trade in the Premiership this season.

Out of all those teams these players are currently playing for, 7 of them are either still in the Championship, or playing for bottom 6 Premiership clubs. Of those who aren't, Dave Nugent and Gareth Bale are both benchwarmers for their sides and rarely make the first team (although to be fair to Bale he has had a first team run and played well. And he's still very young).

Koumas hasn't exactly set the team alight at Wigan, Nugent warms the bench for Pompey, Kamara has returned virtually nothing from his £6 million fee, Davies has been disappointing for Villa, Rasiak is still in the Championship, Chopra has only 4 goals in 19 appearances so far this season and Earnshaw can't make a Derby side who are sitting comfortably bottom of the division.

It just goes to show the huge difference in quality between the Premier League and the Championship and that there are few players who make the step up successfully. From ripping teams up in the Championship to just getting by in the Premier League is a huge difference. It's not as if these players come cheap either, as shown by the pricetags.

Sorry for boring you all.

[WetFlannel]

I think the only notable players out of that are Koumas, Bale and Barnes. Koumas has done quite well, but i expect him to take time to settle, and Bale may not be playing much as he is only young and maybe needs to be drafted in to such an intense league. Kamara has showed signs, but isnt the force he is the championship, and i can see him being an average player at best there, despite his high goal scoring returns in the championship. Barnes has been linked to West Ham for a 5 million pound move, which still remains to see if it works out. If it does, it will also be interesting to see whether he can compete with Ljunberg and Solano; although i hate to admit it, hes a bright young player... Bale is an international aswell, but it doesnt really help his spurs career with that defence.

The step up is very big, and with players like Halmosi being linked with premiership teams, I dont think he could make the step up alongside someone like Giles Barnes... Usually, most promising championship players would most likely settle for struggling premiership teams...

One contrast to this though is James Beattie. Im surprised he dropped down and i think he could offer alot in the prem, as hes already proved.

[lildave3]

Harsh on Bale.

Given time Barnes, Bale, Davies will do well in the prem.

[Joe.]

Harsh on Bale.

Given time Barnes, Bale, Davies will do well in the prem.

Yeah I admit it was harsh :laugh:

I was just drawn up in the moment of slating the Championship

[Bryn]

Bale was in the first team wasn't he? I'm sure. He was playing quite well as well before he got injured.

[Joe.]

Bale was in the first team wasn't he? I'm sure. He was playing quite well as well before he got injured.

Yeah to be honest he was. I admitted it was harsh on Bale

[Simi]

OK I'm bored tonight and I'd just like to raise this point. Below is the FourFourTwo top ten players in the football league for last season. When you look where these players are now it just goes to show the massive gap in quality between the two leagues. I know it's obvious but just wanted to bring this list up:

1. Jason Koumas (then of West Brom, now of Wigan) (£5.3 million move)

2. David Nugent (then of Preston, now of Portsmouth) (£6 million move)

3. Gareth Bale (then of Southampton, now of Tottenham) (£5 million move)

4. Gary McSheffry (then of Birmingham, now of Birmingham)

5. Diomansy Kamara (then of West Brom, now of Fulham) (£6 million move)

6. Curtis Davies (then of West Brom, now of Aston Villa) (Loan move)

7. Grzegorz Rasiak (then of Southampton, now of Southampton)

8. Michael Chopra (then of Cardiff, now of Sunderland) (£5 million move)

9. Robert Earnshaw (then of Norwich, now of Derby) (£3.5 million move)

10. Giles Barnes (then of Derby, now of Derby)

Nine of these players listed above now play their trade in the Premiership this season.

Out of all those teams these players are currently playing for, 7 of them are either still in the Championship, or playing for bottom 6 Premiership clubs. Of those who aren't, Dave Nugent and Gareth Bale are both benchwarmers for their sides and rarely make the first team (although to be fair to Bale he has had a first team run and played well. And he's still very young).

Koumas hasn't exactly set the team alight at Wigan, Nugent warms the bench for Pompey, Kamara has returned virtually nothing from his £6 million fee, Davies has been disappointing for Villa, Rasiak is still in the Championship, Chopra has only 4 goals in 19 appearances so far this season and Earnshaw can't make a Derby side who are sitting comfortably bottom of the division.

It just goes to show the huge difference in quality between the Premier League and the Championship and that there are few players who make the step up successfully. From ripping teams up in the Championship to just getting by in the Premier League is a huge difference. It's not as if these players come cheap either, as shown by the pricetags.

Sorry for boring you all.

Don't worry mate, at least you tried.

In all seriousness there is a huge gap in quality between the two divisions. Let's face it, that gap is going to continue to get bigger with the amount of money that's involved in football, the chance to buy more developed players from abroad is always there.

Some good examples you used there, however I disagree with Jason Koumas. Personally I feel he's done well there in a fairly poor side.

But when you see sides signing these players it just makes you think what they're planning for, 'cos if any of those sides were to get releagted I'm pretty sure they'll be straight back up with the squads they have.

For me though, given more time in the Premiership, with clubs that are actually going to play them, Bale, Barnes and Davies will be good players for this teams in the Prem.

Your point is still valid though.