Championship or Premier League?

[Day]

Championship or Premier League, which league would you prefer to see Derby play week in week out?

It's a question that as I type it just seems so odd to ask, but some fans genuinely prefer the Championship.

One of those fans @BurtonRam7 just posted in the FA Cup thread (which I am kind of responsible for annual promotion or cup debate), but he's not alone so feel free to out yourself.

Whilst the Championship is entertaining through it's unpredictability, for the last 5 seasons now we have been in the promotion mix, winning more games than we lose so for that reason I get it, I can sort of understand it.

I'm assuming there is a fear that if we go up, that would be reversed and you lose more games than you win which was the case for clubs below Burnley in 7th place.

Now I'm a fan that loves to see us win, I made no secret I was a results first fan last season during Rowett's tenure, so going up would be difficult you would think? But no, I would find it easier to accept defeats knowing we're playing the best of the best and not the likes of Rotherham.

For me, that's where I want to see this club, competing with the best with the ultimate goal seeing us in Europe, even an away trip to Aberdeen in the Europa League would be better than a Wednesday night in Stoke.

I've used this word a fair amount over the last hour in the FA Cup thread "unsustainable", but winning more games than you lose in the Championship is unsustainable, for those that enjoy being in the Championship we have been extremely lucky to be in our 5th season fighting for promotion, but you can't possibly see that continuing season after season?

Sheffield Wednesday, Forest both tried and had to drop back to lick their wounds, Reading go from contenders to relegation battle. Which clubs have been consistently in the top 6 for large periods of the season other than Derby?

Each year Mel has to put several million in just for the club to open it's doors each morning, at some point without promotion his pockets will run dry, it's inevitable, when this happens we will either have new investors take a percentage of the club or complete control and we say our goodbyes.

These new investors or owners will either a) want promotion or b) be happy just to keep the club ticking over without reaching down the back of the sofa, these clubs ticking over are those down the bottom of the Championship making up the numbers, just happy to be here playing football in half empty stadiums and the attractive football we all crave, well you've got no chance!

I know there is a lot to dislike in the Premier League but the highs on offer are a lot higher than the Championship can offer.

To expand on my initial question, those that prefer to be in the Championship, how exactly do you see that working and where would you like to see this club long term?

Do you look at the table at all, if so is 7th the dream?

Are you in fear that Lampard would take us up?

Did you walk away from Wembley with a little crush on Bobby Zamora?

Very odd questions I'm asking but it's a difficult view point to understand, which is why I started the topic to dig a little deeper on what's to love about the Championship.

[Andicis]

In some ways, I prefer the Championship, the tickets are cheaper, and the fans seem way more real. I also like being able to play the likes of Forest, Leeds and the Sheffield clubs each year. The problem is, it is impossible to hold on to our best players if we're stuck in the Championship. We still have a chance of getting Mount and Wilson back on loan if we get promoted, if we don't there is close to a 0% chance of that happening.

A problem with the Premier League is it's split into two tiers, and even if we had an amazing year, the best place we could finish would be 7th. Then again, being in the Premier League at least offers you better odds of competing in the cup competitions. Ultimately, the financial difference is absolutely monumental, and because of this we need to be in the Premier League, because otherwise it is possible the Premier League teams pull away. Despite this, somehow, the Championship feels a lot more like real football than the Premier League. While the top 6 may play in front of full stadiums, a high proportion are just glory hunters and tourists. So whilst you cite half empty stadiums in the Championship, at least they're real supporters.

[Carl Sagan]

You've hit the nail on the head that it's fun to seemingly always be around the top of the Championship, but it's also unsustainable. I want to see our club progress, I believe we have the potential to be a sustainable top-10 Premier League side, Bring it on. Mel's money won't last forever; Frankie won't stay forever. Let's seize the moment and take this league by the scruff of the neck, and make an automatic place our own.

[Millenniumram]

Premier league, we aim to be the best we can be, should be no question about it. We’ll see better players playing for us, bigger pressures, that’s what we’re here for.

[DarkFruitsRam7]

Don’t get me wrong, if you offered me the choice of staying in the Championship or getting promoted to the Premier League I would choose the latter every time. What’s the point in supporting your club if you actively don’t want success? 

However, I just think the Championship is the more honest, entertaining and exciting league. The Premier League is just a battle of 6 teams with plastic fans. I don’t even care about the size of those clubs when we play them, and you use Stoke as an example of the Championship being worse as though you’ve forgotten that they’ve been a Premier League team for the last decade.

If someone asks me what the best league in the world is, I say the Championship every time. Nothing beats it.

[EnigmaRam]

Premier league now Frank is here. I think he could attract some top names and play good football to stay up

[1967Ram]

I enjoy the football in the Championship. It's a great league as there is a realistic chance that anyone can beat anyone else. However, I want Derby to be successful and therefore the ultimate goal has to be the Premier League IMO. I think that if we were to go up this season we would be in a better position than last season as we are trying to play a style which IMO would be more suited for the Premier League.

 

 

[Day]

2 minutes ago, BurtonRam7 said:

Don’t get me wrong, if you offered me the choice of staying in the Championship or getting promoted to the Premier League I would choose the latter every time. What’s the point in supporting your club if you actively don’t want success? 

However, I just think the Championship is the more honest, entertaining and exciting league. The Premier League is just a battle of 6 teams with plastic fans. I don’t even care about the size of those clubs when we play them, and you use Stoke as an example of the Championship being worse as though you’ve forgotten that they’ve been a Premier League team for the last decade.

If someone asks me what the best league in the world is, I say the Championship every time. Nothing beats it.

The Stoke thing was just a little dig, replace them with Ipswich if you like. 

Would you say the same about the Championship if we was at the other end of the table for the 5th season running, Paul Lambert in Charge and David McGoldrick up top?

Can't help but feel we have a warped view of the Championship as we have seen some very good football and been competing at the top. 

Whilst more teams put themselves in the mix each year, you have a number of also rans which I'm sure are sick to the back teeth of this league right now.

[ramit]

i want Derby to become the most successful team in world history, but one step at a time, Premiership first

[Jimbo Ram]

20 minutes ago, Millenniumram said:

Premier league, we aim to be the best we can be, should be no question about it. We’ll see better players playing for us, bigger pressures, that’s what we’re here for.

Saved me a post.....

[Rampage]

Championship for me. Maybe one Premier season to get some cash for 4 years and then repeat the cycle. Winning 7 games out of 38 is not exciting. Would rather win 21 in championship. 

[Rampage]

Great thread, David

[Ellafella]

40 minutes ago, David said:

Championship or Premier League, which league would you prefer to see Derby play week in week out?

It's a question that as I type it just seems so odd to ask, but some fans genuinely prefer the Championship.

One of those fans @BurtonRam7 just posted in the FA Cup thread (which I am kind of responsible for annual promotion or cup debate), but he's not alone so feel free to out yourself.

Whilst the Championship is entertaining through it's unpredictability, for the last 5 seasons now we have been in the promotion mix, winning more games than we lose so for that reason I get it, I can sort of understand it.

I'm assuming there is a fear that if we go up, that would be reversed and you lose more games than you win which was the case for clubs below Burnley in 7th place.

Now I'm a fan that loves to see us win, I made no secret I was a results first fan last season during Rowett's tenure, so going up would be difficult you would think? But no, I would find it easier to accept defeats knowing we're playing the best of the best and not the likes of Rotherham.

For me, that's where I want to see this club, competing with the best with the ultimate goal seeing us in Europe, even an away trip to Aberdeen in the Europa League would be better than a Wednesday night in Stoke.

I've used this word a fair amount over the last hour in the FA Cup thread "unsustainable", but winning more games than you lose in the Championship is unsustainable, for those that enjoy being in the Championship we have been extremely lucky to be in our 5th season fighting for promotion, but you can't possibly see that continuing season after season?

Sheffield Wednesday, Forest both tried and had to drop back to lick their wounds, Reading go from contenders to relegation battle. Which clubs have been consistently in the top 6 for large periods of the season other than Derby?

Each year Mel has to put several million in just for the club to open it's doors each morning, at some point without promotion his pockets will run dry, it's inevitable, when this happens we will either have new investors take a percentage of the club or complete control and we say our goodbyes.

These new investors or owners will either a) want promotion or b) be happy just to keep the club ticking over without reaching down the back of the sofa, these clubs ticking over are those down the bottom of the Championship making up the numbers, just happy to be here playing football in half empty stadiums and the attractive football we all crave, well you've got no chance!

I know there is a lot to dislike in the Premier League but the highs on offer are a lot higher than the Championship can offer.

To expand on my initial question, those that prefer to be in the Championship, how exactly do you see that working and where would you like to see this club long term?

Do you look at the table at all, if so is 7th the dream?

Are you in fear that Lampard would take us up?

Did you walk away from Wembley with a little crush on Bobby Zamora?

Very odd questions I'm asking but it's a difficult view point to understand, which is why I started the topic to dig a little deeper on what's to love about the Championship.

Ohh @David Our Rovrum chums are going to love you ?

[Rev]

One Club that are often in contention but don't go up other than us is Brentford. 

Always there or thereabouts, and on a much lower budget too.

I love going into each and every game with the real anticipation of winning it, and the real danger we won't if slightly off the pace.

We could look forward to a realistic chance of winning maybe 1/3rd of a Premier League season, at best.

As for Mel's money, no-one has forced him to spend the money he has, that's been his own choice, if he calls it a day and we have to cut our cloth to suit, so be it.

The promotions in recent history of Huddersfield, Swansea, Cardiff, not to mention our own near miss on a shoestring, show that chucking cash around aimlessly isn't always the answer.

Going further back, Jim Smith cut his cloth to suit and ended up with promotion.

I wouldn't pass over promotion if it came, but I don't prioritise it over enjoying what I see on the pitch, even if that means not making the Premier League.

I've not looked at a table since Frank took charge, btw!

[Ellafella]

I like the Championship for the reasons cited above...but you’ve got to aim to be the best you can be so aim for the very top.

At the risk of sounding oh so obsequious i genuinely want us to get to the Prem for Mel. His vision and ambition, especially around the Academy and what he’s done for laying those foundations., allied  to his sanguine and pragmatic approach really deserves success. I’m sure FL is going to do it too. 

[Day]

8 minutes ago, Rampage said:

Championship for me. Maybe one Premier season to get some cash for 4 years and then repeat the cycle. Winning 7 games out of 38 is not exciting. Would rather win 21 in championship. 

The idea is you improve, straighten the team and establish yourself in the Premier League so you don't just win 7 games each season, which wouldn't keep you up anyway.

21 wins you're looking at top 5, but are you seriously telling me that winning 13 games in the Premier League in 98/99 finishing 2pts behind Liverpool wasn't exciting? We was only 5pts away from the top 5 and whilst you can argue that was a long time ago, times have changed, they have but it's still possible to finish 8th or better, both Bournemouth and Burnley have done it in recent years with Leicester doing the "impossible".

I sometimes wonder if some of us are still scarred from the 11pt season and see some kind of repeat if we go up, so many clubs have gone up and been successful in terms of establishing themselves, no reason why we can't also.

[Day]

10 minutes ago, reveldevil said:

One Club that are often in contention but don't go up other than us is Brentford. 

Always there or thereabouts, and on a much lower budget too.

I love going into each and every game with the real anticipation of winning it, and the real danger we won't if slightly off the pace.

We could look forward to a realistic chance of winning maybe 1/3rd of a Premier League season, at best.

As for Mel's money, no-one has forced him to spend the money he has, that's been his own choice, if he calls it a day and we have to cut our cloth to suit, so be it.

The promotions in recent history of Huddersfield, Swansea, Cardiff, not to mention our own near miss on a shoestring, show that chucking cash around aimlessly isn't always the answer.

Going further back, Jim Smith cut his cloth to suit and ended up with promotion.

I wouldn't pass over promotion if it came, but I don't prioritise it over enjoying what I see on the pitch, even if that means not making the Premier League.

I've not looked at a table since Frank took charge, btw!

Not sure you can throw Brentford in there, they have been up in the Championship for 4 seasons now with 1 play off campaign finishing 5th, 9th, 10th and 9th.

Derby have had 3 play off campaigns in the last 5 seasons with 3rd, 8th, 5th, 9th and 6th placed finish.

And you're right about money, nobody asked Mel to spend it but it has been spent as have many others, some failed, some successful.

 Of course you will find examples of clubs doing it without spending much, Blackpool and Ian Holloway another if you're going back in the history books, although times have changed since Trevor Francis went for £1m so we shouldn't look that far back.

Each season 3 clubs comes down with a ton of money to spend, like it or not the need to spend lots of money in this league will only increase just to stay competitive, if you're not competitive I don't see you finding much enjoyment on the pitch.

 

[B4ev6is]

Premership

Get european football

Are you lot mad

What hell wrong with you lot

All preamship side tickets cap at £30

[angieram]

I want us to go up; I want us to keep improving; I want us to play the best, most attractive football that we can.

I want us to strive for this because that is the only thing that is fair to the players - they all want to play in the Prem; I don't want to see those that are good enough having to leave like Hughes and Hendrick to do so. And I want to see those that have battled over many seasons to try and get us there get their chance to play in the Prem before their careers are over. Even if it's only for a few games as a reward for their loyalty.

I'm also a bit fed up with the trips to Hull and Birmingham and Brentford; I want to go to the Emirates and Anfield and Goodison again while I still can.

I want to look forward to Match of the Day, rather than Quest.

I want to go up for Lampard and Morris and for our excellent youngsters - we might not make it with them; they might not make it with us - but I want to be able to dream that they will.

I want Mel to be rewarded for his investment of both cash and passion in DCFC.

I want us to build a team, year on year, that is competing every round of the cups, not just to rounds three or four. I want us to have a tilt at Europe.

I want quite a lot for our club, really, when I think about it!

[Alph]

Championship for me too. I'd pick the PL if it was a bit more even. I like the coverage and quality of football more in the PL. But the teams down here are so closely matched. You can come 10th one season and top or 24th the next and nobody would be massively surprised.