Championship or Premier League?

[1of4]

It's got to be the Prem. Once we get promoted and established as a solid mid-table team, I'll be very happy.  Win some lose some matches in exciting games against other good teams, year in year out, along side good cups runs with maybe picking up a cup at Wembley.

[uttoxram75]

Prem is the aim of course but going to Derby has nothing whatsoever to do with what division we happen to be in at any given time. 

Anyway, for a highly intelligent and handsome forum owner you don't half ask some daft questions. We don't have a choice on what league we will play in. If we get promoted we will all celebrate like we've won the lottery and worry about getting tickets for Man Citeh away......if we don't, we'll look down the table to see if the gumps have stopped up....either way, since I was young etc...?

[Day]

3 minutes ago, uttoxram75 said:

Anyway, for a highly intelligent and handsome forum owner 

Should have stopped right there, you was doing so well!

[Gone]

For me the championship is the best league in the world, you don’t know what’s going to happen week in week out. Due to this I’m excited to go to games every week. In the prem it’s far more predictable and I don’t want to go to games knowing we’ll get beat. I also don’t want to be in a league where survival is your aim, finishing 4th from bottom is a success. No thanks Championship all day long for me. 

[The Key Club King]

I love the Championship and it is clearly more unpredictable and entertaining, but I harbour dreams of Derby being in Europe at some point in my lifetime and this is only likely to happen through the Premier League.

This may only involve us travelling once to Moldova to play a tie against a team that make a Wednesday night in Stoke look exotic but it is my loftiest ambition.

Unfortunately, the nature of the Premier League means that this dream would be ruined by playing the U23s so that the players aren't too tired for the subsequent 5 nil defeat to Man City on the following Sunday. So many English clubs have done this to preserve the glory of finishing 16th in the Premier League and tramples on the fans wishes more than anything else I have seen. And this is the problem with the Premier League - money takes precedence over sporting endeavour. 

Thinking about it, we could get in to Europe by winning the League or FA Cup whilst in the Championship, so I will  go for this option. 

 

[Igorwasking]

When Derby win it’s great. When Derby win something, it’s beyond great (Ella can insert a word here). So I just want to win something. The next reasonable target is promotion, so yes, I want that.

[BathRam72]

It is a question that seems to crop up every year.

I for one love the unpredictability of the championship and the very fact that we (recently over the past few years) are performing better than most.

I wouldn't want the reverse that would certainly be the first few years in the Premiership (if indeed we could indeed survive a few years).

But let's face it and be honest, those who say they prefer the championship because we can perform at the top end, all and I mean all deep down are watching to see us win every game (if possible) and that brings promotion. I can't believe there would be one fan on here who would say 'if we could win every game and stay down, I would take that' .

So while the prospect of turning up on a wet windy day to watch us face the top six might be daunting and maybe we would lose more than win, I think I would rather take that than fail at the last hurdle every year.

[Wolfie]

10 hours ago, David said:

 

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.

I was going to post this. It's certainly affected my feelings towards it.

This season does feel better, though...

IF we can get promoted playing the entertaining stuff we have been, then IMO we stand a better chance of succeeding with that style of play in the Prem, than against some of the clogging teams we struggle against down here.

[Spanish]

the longer we stay out of the prem the less likely it will be for eventual promotion.  The threat is that the relegated 3 will become increasingly powerful until such time as the playoffs will be the only option.  It could kill the championship as an exciting league.  then. as someone said the 11 points nightmare comes to mind as a consequence of the gulf in buying power between the prem sides.  Best to yo-yo until you get enough funds behind you.  Every difficult year is followed by a good one if you play your cards right.

[Marriot Ram99]

Premier League for me, the standard of football is  better and we would get better players playing for us. Also,  if clubs like Bournemouth this season and Burnley last season are doing well why should we think that we will only manage to scrape 17th place. First season maybe but after some investment in the team we could slowly build up the quality of the squad in the same way Bournemouth have done to get themselves a similar amount of points to Man u and become an established Prem team. Brighton are another example of a team going up and adapting well to the premier league. 

[WoollyJumper]

I like to think that my team will win more than they lose, so therefore feel comfortable being in the Championship.

But what I would really relish is for us to challenge the best and trying to beat them? Who knows we may even have the pleasure of being successful. It is not a crime to try and to even fail, ask Mel, as I'm sure he's probably failed more times than he's triumphed and many would see him as being successful. 

If we want to be the best we have to have goals that exceed our comfort zones, and continue to challenge ourselves constantly. Otherwise, what's the point, we wouldn't be even competing. Just happening.

[FindernRam]

10 hours ago, 1of4 said:

in exciting games against other good teams

I've watched a lot of games and in general the Championship games are the more exciting. The Prem is often a chess game (Top 8 against each other) or one side parking the bus (most other games). Not hugely exciting.

The Prem is totally money driven and you will not break into the top 6 or so, so what's the point. Yes Leicester did by a miracle but only for one season. The Prem is going the way of F1, its not a race, or competition its a procession to the crowning date.

[Day]

6 minutes ago, FindernRam said:

I've watched a lot of games and in general the Championship games are the more exciting. The Prem is often a chess game (Top 8 against each other) or one side parking the bus (most other games). Not hugely exciting.

The Prem is totally money driven and you will not break into the top 6 or so, so what's the point. Yes Leicester did by a miracle but only for one season. The Prem is going the way of F1, its not a race, or competition its a procession to the crowning date.

Since we were relegated, how many of our previous 10 Championship seasons have genuinely been exciting with just 3 resulting in us being top 6?

Before Steve McClaren arrived I would struggle to pick one season which offered sustained periods of excitement and attendances reflected that.

Since Steve McClaren arrived we have been promotion contenders, but it’s not sustainable with 3 clubs being relegated with Premier League money each season. As the seasons roll by the Championship will be split and without serious investment and FFP rework it will be a struggle to break into the top half. 

So what will be the difference between not breaking into the top 6 in the Premier League compared it being unable to compete for top half Championship with the exception of maybe one each year?

Premier League clubs are getting richer, Championship clubs poorer. It’s only a matter of time now.

[Rampage]

12 hours ago, David said:

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.

You did ask for an opinion and I gave it. I am still scarred by the 11 points season and a few Play Off situations. I think that we have a very good chance of being in the Play Offs this season and I will be delighted if we go up. I would prefer to go up when we are dominant in the Championship. Possibility of that next season if we can continue to attract good players, develop our younger players and keep two of our present loanees for another season. We will see. I am no longer desperate to get into the Premiership like I was before. We show great promise at times but how many Premiership standard players do we have at present? COYR

[Day]

6 minutes ago, Rampage said:

You did ask for an opinion and I gave it. I am still scarred by the 11 points season and a few Play Off situations. I think that we have a very good chance of being in the Play Offs this season and I will be delighted if we go up. I would prefer to go up when we are dominant in the Championship. Possibility of that next season if we can continue to attract good players, develop our younger players and keep two of our present loanees for another season. We will see. I am no longer desperate to get into the Premiership like I was before. We show great promise at times but how many Premiership standard players do we have at present? COYR

I did, and I replied to your opinion which is what forums are for, having discussions?

Fulham post Christmas were dominant in the Championship, they are currently sat bottom of the Premier League and not looking like moving unless things drastically improve after spending close to £100m.

I remember last season fans saying they would smash it up their with the football they play but it hasn’t happened.

Compare that to Huddersfield who scraped in and through the play offs, spent half the money and are still up there. 

Waiting for the fairy tale of destroying the Championship and then taking the Premier League by storm is just that, a fairy tale.

[TheresOnlyWanChope]

Premier league due to the chance to be among the elite, plus financial rewards but genuinely like the championship and enjoy seeing us win more than lose which is unlikely to be the case with promotion. Would rather a season of top 6 excitement in championship than a relegation battle in premier league however. 

Also would love a cup win over promotion however, although for the club promotion will be key to attract better players and progress. I remember the promotion in 96 and the quality of players we attracted afterwards allowed us some great memories in the premier league- Poom, Wanchope, Eranio, Asanovic, Baiano etc. 

With promotion we could possibly attract players of the Wilson and Mount quality as permanent signings. Or at least more likely. 

[BathRam72]

58 minutes ago, FindernRam said:

I've watched a lot of games and in general the Championship games are the more exciting. The Prem is often a chess game (Top 8 against each other) or one side parking the bus (most other games). Not hugely exciting.

The Prem is totally money driven and you will not break into the top 6 or so, so what's the point. Yes Leicester did by a miracle but only for one season. The Prem is going the way of F1, its not a race, or competition its a procession to the crowning date.

But that very point is one good reason to go up. 

It gives hope and belief.  If you don't have that then you might as well start the season off looking forward to the following season in the championship.

It is called ambition, with out that there is no point.

[Parsnip]

Would anyone prefer to be lower down the leagues? Maybe back at the Baseball Ground scrapping in league 1?

Most of my family are die hard Notts County fans. They go to every game - they even often chat to the players and staff there. I can't stand anything Nottingham but i do envy their more personal relationship with their team and I don't think that this season's relegation scrap in League one will even slightly diminish their enjoyment.

I sometimes feel like they look at me with the same disdain as I look at another of my family members who inexplicably supports Chelsea & Barcelona (and says 'we' when he talks about them). Idiot.

[DCFC27]

What a load of rubbish, the championship is an exciting league but the excitement and jubilation of actually making it to the premier league via the Wembley or automatics would be the highlight of our decade or at least on par with a 5-0 win over Forest... but playing week in week out against the best teams in the land would be just as fun as putting a few past Ipswich on a Tuesday night... with the size of this club and the players we could attract I could see us staying up and establishing ourselves... if you have the right manager/owner you that can identify attractive football and stay in the league it would be a lot better than playing in the championship look at Watford and Bournemouth, I don't see their fans moaning.... 

The only reason I can comprehend anyone wanting to avoid the premier league is that they are still having nightmares of the last time we played in the PL... that I can understand! We go up it would be the best thing to happen to our City in a long time.

[Comrade 86]

It's a good question. For my part, I think the Championship is one of the most competitive leagues on the planet, certainly that I've seen and I love the fact that we are a biggish fish in this particular pond. It's a great league where any team can beat any other outfit and it can be a thrilling ride for teams in the mix. That said, I do think we are something of a sleeping giant, not in the mould of United of course, but definitely a top flight club under the right management and ownership. Right now, I feel we have that management and ownership in place so I'd dearly love to see us promoted. I can't help but feel that if Frank and Jody see out their contracts, we could be a top 10 club or higher within 2 seasons if we can just get that little bit of luck that has evaded us in recent seasons.