Is The Prem a Closed Book?

Southampton, Ipswich and Leicester are pretty much down.

Whipping boys at this stage.

I can't see any itteration of 3 in the current championship staying up.

Imagine if Bristol won the play-offs, they'd get abused weekly.

Wolves sit comfortably above the 'championship 3' with 7 wins. West ham then sit above Wolves with 9 wins, more than the bottom 3 combined.

Is a gap forming?

I don't think so. Every now and then there are a couple of consecutive seasons of all the promoted teams getting relegated. But that'll stop at some point.

I can see Leeds staying up next season.

Leicester would be in a much better position if they hadn't sacked Cooper early. I actually think they'd be outside the bottom three if he'd stayed.

Ipswich signed high quality Championship players so that they're well prepared to be at the top of the Championship next season. I think they knew it would be tough for them to stay up so took the pragmatic decision to prepare for next season.

Southampton are just a total mess.

I don't think so. Every now and then there are a couple of consecutive seasons of all the promoted teams getting relegated. But that'll stop at some point.

I can see Leeds staying up next season.

Leicester would be in a much better position if they hadn't sacked Cooper early. I actually think they'd be outside the bottom three if he'd stayed.

Ipswich signed high quality Championship players so that they're well prepared to be at the top of the Championship next season. I think they knew it would be tough for them to stay up so took the pragmatic decision to prepare for next season.

Southampton are just a total mess.

I dont think this Leeds get promoted from last years Championship myself. I cant see them winning 5 games, either.

I think the gulf from West Ham to championship is huge. Wolves suffered with injuries and now comfortable being back to full strength.

I don't think so. Every now and then there are a couple of consecutive seasons of all the promoted teams getting relegated. But that'll stop at some point.

I can see Leeds staying up next season.

Leicester would be in a much better position if they hadn't sacked Cooper early. I actually think they'd be outside the bottom three if he'd stayed.

Ipswich signed high quality Championship players so that they're well prepared to be at the top of the Championship next season. I think they knew it would be tough for them to stay up so took the pragmatic decision to prepare for next season.

Southampton are just a total mess.

Yhe imbalance is the championship? As you've alluded to Ipswich prepared for life back in championship other teams have done same previously untill recently relegated clubs didn't go straight back up but last couple years several clubs went straight back up result is top 6 getting dominated by clubs with parachute payments ..... be gobsmacked if the 3 relegated dont challenge for top 2 or 6 again.... by same token odd promoted club will scrape survival like Leeds may do.... at present the efl and premier league are trying to restart talks on the finance deal before regulator gets his hands on football.

Look at Burnley yo yo club like WBA used to be .But still struggle when they went back up.
I think Op is right ..the likes of Wolves Fulham and Notts Forest will be few and far between the gulf seems to increase.
Leeds may scrape yo stay up but I don't think sheff utd or Burnley will.

Look at Burnley yo yo club like WBA used to be .But still struggle when they went back up.
I think Op is right ..the likes of Wolves Fulham and Notts Forest will be few and far between the gulf seems to increase.
Leeds may scrape yo stay up but I don't think sheff utd or Burnley will.

I think the only thing that could happen is financial meltdown and points deductions; but FFP means clubs are far more concious of spend.

Which I guess that was the goal for FFP. Its causing mini-monopoly's though.

Look at Burnley yo yo club like WBA used to be .But still struggle when they went back up.
I think Op is right ..the likes of Wolves Fulham and Notts Forest will be few and far between the gulf seems to increase.
Leeds may scrape yo stay up but I don't think sheff utd or Burnley will.

I think the only thing that could happen is financial meltdown and points deductions; but FFP means clubs are far more concious of spend.

Which I guess that was the goal for FFP. Its causing mini-monopoly's though.

The financial rules have ruined a lot. Look at Newcastle today, they'll be celebrating but if they don't get in the Champions League then they'll have to sell Guimaraes or Isak to comply with the rules.

It's just created a whole lot of issues which were unnecessary.

Look at Burnley yo yo club like WBA used to be .But still struggle when they went back up.
I think Op is right ..the likes of Wolves Fulham and Notts Forest will be few and far between the gulf seems to increase.
Leeds may scrape yo stay up but I don't think sheff utd or Burnley will.

I think the only thing that could happen is financial meltdown and points deductions; but FFP means clubs are far more concious of spend.

Which I guess that was the goal for FFP. Its causing mini-monopoly's though.

The financial rules have ruined a lot. Look at Newcastle today, they'll be celebrating but if they don't get in the Champions League then they'll have to sell Guimaraes or Isak to comply with the rules.

It's just created a whole lot of issues which were unnecessary.

Ned on Newcastle since rules are changing I've read that when build new stadium "£1b" it will be gifted to them from P.I.F so that all income will be the clubs to use on players ect not on repayments for ground something which is strangling United and will continue to do so with new ground as financial set up different to ncastle... oh for owners like ncastle..

Look at Burnley yo yo club like WBA used to be .But still struggle when they went back up.
I think Op is right ..the likes of Wolves Fulham and Notts Forest will be few and far between the gulf seems to increase.
Leeds may scrape yo stay up but I don't think sheff utd or Burnley will.

I think the only thing that could happen is financial meltdown and points deductions; but FFP means clubs are far more concious of spend.

Which I guess that was the goal for FFP. Its causing mini-monopoly's though.

The financial rules have ruined a lot. Look at Newcastle today, they'll be celebrating but if they don't get in the Champions League then they'll have to sell Guimaraes or Isak to comply with the rules.

It's just created a whole lot of issues which were unnecessary.

Ned on Newcastle since rules are changing I've read that when build new stadium "£1b" it will be gifted to them from P.I.F so that all income will be the clubs to use on players ect not on repayments for ground something which is strangling United and will continue to do so with new ground as financial set up different to ncastle... oh for owners like ncastle..

Wow I didn't know that, they've done well there. I wonder if any other Middle East owners want to buy a capital city club

Was listening to Ratcliffe talking about Man Utd the other day. He seems to think they can build this new stadium and have plenty of money for players - don't know how he works that out.

They've got government funding for the redevelopment of that part of Manchester but apparently been told by the government that there's no way they'd help them with the new stadium money because that's a club thing and not something that would be beneficial to the rest of Manchester like the redevelopment project is.

Look at Burnley yo yo club like WBA used to be .But still struggle when they went back up.
I think Op is right ..the likes of Wolves Fulham and Notts Forest will be few and far between the gulf seems to increase.
Leeds may scrape yo stay up but I don't think sheff utd or Burnley will.

I think the only thing that could happen is financial meltdown and points deductions; but FFP means clubs are far more concious of spend.

Which I guess that was the goal for FFP. Its causing mini-monopoly's though.

The financial rules have ruined a lot. Look at Newcastle today, they'll be celebrating but if they don't get in the Champions League then they'll have to sell Guimaraes or Isak to comply with the rules.

It's just created a whole lot of issues which were unnecessary.

Ned on Newcastle since rules are changing I've read that when build new stadium "£1b" it will be gifted to them from P.I.F so that all income will be the clubs to use on players ect not on repayments for ground something which is strangling United and will continue to do so with new ground as financial set up different to ncastle... oh for owners like ncastle..

Wow I didn't know that, they've done well there. I wonder if any other Middle East owners want to buy a capital city club

Was listening to Ratcliffe talking about Man Utd the other day. He seems to think they can build this new stadium and have plenty of money for players - don't know how he works that out.

They've got government funding for the redevelopment of that part of Manchester but apparently been told by the government that there's no way they'd help them with the new stadium money because that's a club thing and not something that would be beneficial to the rest of Manchester like the redevelopment project is.

Ned we musnt forget utd got 500m+ of debt and Been same for 20yrs or so! That will not change substantially as got £50m in interest every year..... that's why ncastle is totally different from utd....... also musnt forget utd and other top 6 clubs tried to stop PIF takeover fearing ncastle will crash the cartel ? Don't be surprised if glaziers do sell their
majority holdings before ground is built for same reasons as ncastle.

Look at Burnley yo yo club like WBA used to be .But still struggle when they went back up.
I think Op is right ..the likes of Wolves Fulham and Notts Forest will be few and far between the gulf seems to increase.
Leeds may scrape yo stay up but I don't think sheff utd or Burnley will.

I think the only thing that could happen is financial meltdown and points deductions; but FFP means clubs are far more concious of spend.

Which I guess that was the goal for FFP. Its causing mini-monopoly's though.

The financial rules have ruined a lot. Look at Newcastle today, they'll be celebrating but if they don't get in the Champions League then they'll have to sell Guimaraes or Isak to comply with the rules.

It's just created a whole lot of issues which were unnecessary.

Ned on Newcastle since rules are changing I've read that when build new stadium "£1b" it will be gifted to them from P.I.F so that all income will be the clubs to use on players ect not on repayments for ground something which is strangling United and will continue to do so with new ground as financial set up different to ncastle... oh for owners like ncastle..

Wow I didn't know that, they've done well there. I wonder if any other Middle East owners want to buy a capital city club

Was listening to Ratcliffe talking about Man Utd the other day. He seems to think they can build this new stadium and have plenty of money for players - don't know how he works that out.

They've got government funding for the redevelopment of that part of Manchester but apparently been told by the government that there's no way they'd help them with the new stadium money because that's a club thing and not something that would be beneficial to the rest of Manchester like the redevelopment project is.

Ned we musnt forget utd got 500m+ of debt and Been same for 20yrs or so! That will not change substantially as got £50m in interest every year..... that's why ncastle is totally different from utd....... also musnt forget utd and other top 6 clubs tried to stop PIF takeover fearing ncastle will crash the cartel ? Don't be surprised if glaziers do sell their
majority holdings before ground is built for same reasons as ncastle.

Utd are being left behind because
of the level of debt they've got...
Since arsenal built Emirates and the well known financial restrictions that had on player purchases clubs stopped building new stadiums but recent years its started again but clubs learned from arsenal saga and now are reaping the benefits of vastly increased capacity with attendance to match along with match day income...lots example like Brighton brentford Fulham small clubs but financially stable..
City should have been such a club but tan as ruined the prospect of growing similarly while he's here.

I was thinking Leeds would be ok next year and Burnley but there is such a gulf.

Weird that Luton had a pretty good crack at it but are now down the bottom of the champ.

Ipswich spent a lot of money this season and based on results to this point have not got it right .
The likes of Brighton - Brentford - Bournemouth have shown what can be done in results and the players in and they sell .

I do remember when Forest went up, people said they'd go straight back down.

Now they're on the verge of the Champions League.

It works in cycles.

I do remember when Forest went up, people said they'd go straight back down.

Now they're on the verge of the Champions League.

It works in cycles.

They spent loads and still struggled.

I think the trick is to stay up one season. Once you do that you have a great chance to solidify.

With this board in charge I can’t see it,need a 5 year plan we do we haven’t got a 5 week plan at this rate,the clubs like Brighton Bournemouth and Brentford have got a way of playing and sign players to fit that,don’t think I’d trust our board to get it right tbh have they ever got anything right?

I do remember when Forest went up, people said they'd go straight back down.

Now they're on the verge of the Champions League.

It works in cycles.

Interesting one, Forest and quite unique as they went up with alot of loans and expiring contracts and pretty much recruited a new starting 11 give or take; whereas Ipswich have signed very good championship players and are heading there.

Is the 'Forest method' the one to break the mould; write off the team that got you there (as the quality gap is evident) and re-recruit from scratch? It's an expensive gamble, and may not even be possible with FFP etc.

I do remember when Forest went up, people said they'd go straight back down.

Now they're on the verge of the Champions League.

It works in cycles.

Interesting one, Forest and quite unique as they went up with alot of loans and expiring contracts and pretty much recruited a new starting 11 give or take; whereas Ipswich have signed very good championship players and are heading there.

Is the 'Forest method' the one to break the mould; write off the team that got you there (as the quality gap is evident) and re-recruit from scratch? It's an expensive gamble, and may not even be possible with FFP etc.

The market is very small to do what forest did? Only a couple of championship clubs have the money to pay for good players released by Premier league clubs even the newly promoted ones! The secret is to buy players that fit into your style but make sure they're better than what you had.... but thats harder to fo because of inflated prices.... the other problem now is clubs promoted and getting relegated (with parachute payments) are occupying more of top 6 places in past 2 seasons leaving less places for average clubs to get to playoffs ..... haves and have not in championship