How big is the gap between Championship and League 1?

[a1canary 0]

I think it''s bigger than people realise. The best 5 teams in this league could probably cut it without pulling up any trees but the top half of the championship has teams that themselves would compete with the bottom 6 or so premier league teams which puts them light years ahead of us.

Looking too far ahead again of course, but it''s hard not too!

[grantroederdisaster 0]

I think the present squad minus some of the no mark squad players and add about 3 better players would be more than comfortable in the Championship!

 

I think about 6 of the top teams in League 1 would hold their own in the Championship but below them the rest would struggle!

[G 0]

Judging by the way we played last season, are top scorers and they way we went down on the last game. I think survive in The Championship easily and with a few more additions do pretty well.

[CDMullins 436]

Leeds, Charlon, Norwich, Colchester, Huddersfield and Swindon would cut it in the Championship??

Give over!

The gap is much bigger than you obviously think.

Leeds have tried for a couple of years to get back, Us and Charlton were horrible, and the squads of Huddersfield and Swindon are hardly setting the world alight!

[G 0]

[quote user="CDMullins"]Leeds, Charlon, Norwich, Colchester, Huddersfield and Swindon would cut it in the Championship?? Give over! The gap is much bigger than you obviously think. Leeds have tried for a couple of years to get back, Us and Charlton were horrible, and the squads of Huddersfield and Swindon are hardly setting the world alight![/quote]

Did you see how bad we played last season? We only just went down. Are top scorer was OG. We are playing superb football and have a front three banging in the goals. I think we could ye.

[CDMullins 436]

Were playing in a league lower, if we wernt playing better there''d be something seriously wrong!

We have one real addition to last years squad and he is unproven at Championship level!

What makes you think Rusty, Semi, Cody, Martin, Wes, Drury, Doc and co would cut it in the championship now?

[Allez17 0]

The gap between the Champ and L1 is bigger than that between the Prem and Champ. Being in L1 really makes you realise the level of quality in the Championship.

[gazzathegreat 0]

Not as big as many think. Last season we were dire, and that is taking into account the managerial merry go round, the obvious ill feeling between various sections of support, the Cullum affair, Roeder''s turn at the AGM etc - and then what went on during games which wasn''t much to write home about. Someone else said it all, OG being one of our highest scorers. Let''s face it we were a club going nowhere but down by Xmas, if not before.

This season, despite being a league down (and obviously not the same quality of opposition) we are third, have scored numerous goals, have a settled side, managed by an astute manager. As far as we know, we don''t have players wanting away or being frozen out of the side. We have unity, or as good as, which is amazing considering what was happening this time last year.

IF we manage to hang on to our best players, (I tend to think we will), and we have no major injury concerns, we should be promoted, hopefully without going through the play off lottery. Next season I would expect us to carry on the good work, bolstered by a few additions.

We know we can do well in the Championship. It''s all about ability, stability and planning. We can do it now, with new faces and new ideas now in place at CR. All we really need is some timely investment. But I firmly believe the majority of our squad are certainly capable of playing well in the Championship and with four or five additions go on and within a couple of years focus on promotion to the Premiership.

[a1canary 0]

[quote user="CDMullins"]Leeds, Charlon, Norwich, Colchester, Huddersfield and Swindon would cut it in the Championship??

Give over!

The gap is much bigger than you obviously think.

Leeds have tried for a couple of years to get back, Us and Charlton were horrible, and the squads of Huddersfield and Swindon are hardly setting the world alight![/quote]

Sorry, who said Swindon and Colchester would cut it?

I said the BEST 5 teams. I think most would agree that includes Southampton and certainly not Swindon!

Either way though, there''s obviously a difference of opinion here about just how big the gap is. Certainly outside of the top teams it''s huge. I do believe though that the top teams in this league could avoid relegation from the Championship. There''s another big gap now between the top and bottom of the Championship, much as with the Premier League.

[Yorkshire Canary 118]

Not all but the majority of clubs that have been promoted from league 1 over  the last decade have either established themselves at that level or kicked on to better things eg Hull and Burnley. It is more difficult i think for clubs relegated from the championship to bounce back though. With our current squad which is far better organised and motivated i am confident that we would be above the drop zone

[. 0]

[quote user="a1canary"]I think it''s bigger than people realise. The best 5 teams in this league could probably cut it without pulling up any trees but the top half of the championship has teams that themselves would compete with the bottom 6 or so premier league teams which puts them light years ahead of us. Looking too far ahead again of course, but it''s hard not too![/quote]

Massive.

Ordinary players get confidence by beating non entities each week. A few heavy defeats by better teams and this lot would be lost.

[Brendo 0]

[quote user="Cluck the Purist...."]

[quote user="a1canary"]I think it''s bigger than people realise. The best 5 teams in this league could probably cut it without pulling up any trees but the top half of the championship has teams that themselves would compete with the bottom 6 or so premier league teams which puts them light years ahead of us. Looking too far ahead again of course, but it''s hard not too![/quote]

Massive.

Ordinary players get confidence by beating non entities each week. A few heavy defeats by better teams and this lot would be lost.

[/quote]Mmmhmmm [Y]

[Hairy Canary 701]

If you look at the teams that have come up there is often a stark difference with the way they cope. Leicester and Swansea have done well while Scunthorpe (twice) and Peterborough have struggled. We have have a much better manager who is getting the best from our players, rather than the couple of numpties we had last year who managed to massively underachieve. That and our style of play which I feel is better suited to championship level football would see us survive. Anything more than that would require strengthening.

[Nuff Said 5,131]

I don''t know the answer to this, so I''m not trying to make a point either way, just curious - how different is Leicester''s squad now to the one they won promotion with last season?

[CDMullins 436]

[quote user="Nuff Said"]I don''t know the answer to this, so I''m not trying to make a point either way, just curious - how different is Leicester''s squad now to the one they won promotion with last season?[/quote]

A little bit premature quoting Leicester, I yhink they will be on a sharp decline very soon!

[Nuff Said 5,131]

[quote user="CDMullins"][quote user="Nuff Said"]I don''t know the answer to this, so I''m not trying to make a point either way, just curious - how different is Leicester''s squad now to the one they won promotion with last season?[/quote]

A little bit premature quoting Leicester, I yhink they will be on a sharp decline very soon![/quote]Really? What are next week''s winning Lottery numbers BTW?

[Camuldonum 0]

I think it worth making the point that Leicester came down into this League with a predominantly Championship standard team.  They lost very few players through relegation.  In a calculated risk they also paid at least the key members of their squad Championship money throughout the season which was a gamble which obviously came off.  Not every club can afford to do that or take the financial risk associated with it.

[Northern Canary 0]

Obviously the top end of the champ will be quite a bit better but i think theres a lot of overlap between the bottom of the championship and the top of league 1.

[Nuff Said 5,131]

For me, the fact that we were able to more than hold our own last season against the sides that were promoted, but nevertheless went down, illustrates that it''s not just about your squad, it''s about how they''re managed and whether they work together consistently as a team. Lambert seems to have down an excellent job of making us perform pertty consistently week in, week out, which should stand us in good stead if we do go up. Equally, if we do bring in new players, they need to fit into the team as well as being the right quality.

[Tetteys Jig 830]

If wes hadn''t been injured last year, there''s no way in hell we''d have gone down

[Barclay hero 0]

[quote user="Camuldonum"]I think it worth making the point that Leicester came down into this League with a predominantly Championship standard team.  They lost very few players through relegation.  In a calculated risk they also paid at least the key members of their squad Championship money throughout the season which was a gamble which obviously came off.  Not every club can afford to do that or take the financial risk associated with it.[/quote]

Cam, agree with you but its also worth noting that they were perennial Championship strugglers - yet theyre in the top 6 with virtually the same side

Key to it all is confidence from winning games - look also at what happened to Reading, Man City et al

As for the original question, I think the general gap is huge - but there are a few sides in League 1 that would cut it in the Championship - Leeds, Charlton, ourselves, Southampton, with possibly Swindon and Huddersfield.  Thats why those sides will win the majority of their games - although there will be the odd ''freak'' result....

[Camuldonum 0]

I most certainly agree that a team playing with confidence will definitely stand a chance of doing well, if not better than that but it seems to me very hard to talk about the "gap" because I think it varies from season to season and is very difficult to predict.  At the end of this season there will be three more teams coming down from the Premier League, possibly some of them with the sort of money that most clubs really just dream about.  Although they can have a blip, of course, at the moment Newcastle and West Brom really look a different class from what little I have seen of both.  I also think the gap is fairly substantial but, as BH says, the top teams in this League should at least hold their own against the middle of the table downwards Championship teams.  I think strength in depth is the key because in every League every club runs the risk of key players out for a long time - ankle injury, that pulled hamstring that just won''t get better.  If the replacements aren''t up to it you can quickly be in trouble.  

 

[Green and Yellow 0]

The gap,in my opinion, is as big as the gap between the Premiership and the Championship. having said that there is some right dross in league one.

[I am a Banana 0]

its nto a huge differece it just seems huge when your a team of loanees!

[UEAstudent 0]

I think the gap is about two inches but it depends on how the news paper prints it.

[Boot 0]

This team of players with this manager (the main bit) would finish comfortably above half way in the Championship and would have a chance of a play-off place if they remained relativiely injury free.

[MyGodWeArePoorToWatch 0]

I dont think the difference is a big as people think.

To be succesfull in L1, you need a strong side, both physical, and mentaly.

I happen to think, under the set up we have now, we would be pushing the top 4 places.

People underestimate the difference a great manager can and does make,

In both style of play, and differences in training.

Average players can become great players under great managers.

 

[Dangles 0]

We''ve signed a few players, but on the whole its not been much different. We''re being found out now and need to spend a few million in jan to get some quality players in so we can finish in the top half, there is a big difference in quality between a good league one side and a mid-table championship side.

If we hadn''t signed anyone in the summer, we''d be in the bottom 3 for sure, thats why Posh and Scunny won''t be able to get top half - lack of finance. Will be the same for you if your board don''t invest imo.

[Longy 1]

I would take the team we fielded on Saturday to beat the teams we were fielding last year, assuming Lambert was in charge against a Roeder/Gunn managed team. So I think the current first team would survive but not by much in the Championship.

[Forever Norwich 0]

well if your leeds just one place [;)]