The Battle for the Football League Championship

For me, it's a hard watch. The quality is not there and I don't really know many of the players.

Unforgivable ignorance and Premier League entitlement, I know...

I'm intrigued to see who's coming g up. I wonder, hope, they won't emulate this season's promoted teams, who are heading straight back down. It's not healthy for the game.

You have me sussed. I'll watch football anywhere. Next week it's League 2 Bromley v Morecambe on Friday, then up to Liverpool on Saturday.

Is that coz it's on Sky… or coz it's not very good?

The Blades lads themselves aren't arsed, they want to win their league but would be quite happy to remain in the Championship. They prefer it. That says so much.

Shane Duffy.

Wow a blast from the past — still playing in the Championship for Norwich City.

Peter, hopefully that will come off. I'd be happy to meet up. My last visit to BramalL Lane was years ago. A pre-season friendly between the Blades and Everton just after Howard Kendall had come back again. I went with a Blades supporting friend. We were sat in the stand facing the new stand, which I think was the opening night for it.

Tony, as always, I'm looking forward to next Friday. Good football, great atmosphere and a probable sell out. Football how it should be.

Michael, my plans are to be across in July. I think you are US based, although I seem to remember you referencing Devon. Correct me!!

I am only planning on going to the West Ham fixture in Chicago, but will be using it to travel around the states, which I do often. If we get the chance, we can meet up and talk the blues.

Early to late '90s, I coached with really good success firstly a collegiate team (5 years with only 1 loss and 1 draw) and amateur (decent standard) from Div 1 through to Div 1 successive years. It was really enjoyable.

Recently, I was asked by one of them if I would coach. So I went to a few games and reported, "Sorry guys, this is way above my head. You need somebody much younger. I am coming on 77 in June."

The game has changed so much that I would be well out of my depth but I still love to watch all levels of football ('soccer' over here in Australia). So I can understand you watching Premier League, Championship and others. Keep it up mate. We have only one life and we should enjoy it.

Don't know if you follow Paul Quinn's podcast but it seems one of the three has crossed the line and called it a day. I only skimmed the transcript but I think that there Premier League can even be a hard watch for some.

Seemed you were getting close weeks back but have pulled away from the brink…?

Whereas, if your arse is sat nice and comfy in yer fave armchair with a nice chilled Devon cyder… (There's a clue, Danny!)

It’s good that you still love watching football, but it’s become oversaturated for me and I find it difficult to watch more than one game a week, (if I’m being honest, my favourite football is the latter stages of the champions league, but I still struggled to put Villa on because I’d already watched Arsenal the night before)

I’m going to Port Vale today, and the biggest thing I’ve noticed between the premier league and the lower leagues (even at notorious Millwall) is how much more relaxed it is for the match going spectator, away from the policing that comes with watching premier league football.

I’m probably going to miss the Manchester City game next week Michael, because I will be going to a kids football tournament so if you want to attend Goodison Pk, for one last time before it’s gone forever, then let me know before I offer the ticket to someone else!

If you take up the offer Michael, you will probably end up sitting next to Danny, (how can you refuse now😂) but if you can’t I did promise a ticket to the man, I used to call The Duke, although my daughter, who was responsible for pulling me back from the brink, is gonna be fuming!

I read that transcript, Michael. One of them, I think George (?), just seemed totally disillusioned.

Back to the theme. Both Leeds and Sheffield Untied have early kick offs. The play offs looks like it will be between Sunderland, Bristol City, Lampard's Coventry and Middlesborough. Maybe West From and even Millwall have an outside chance.

It's going to be interesting to see who comes up and who we will face next season. I've been to all of those stadiums, although technically, I can't claim Coventry, as I went to the old Highfield Road years ago.

Now that would be some match report Michael? A double act!!

I watch a lot of non-league around where I live and whilst the quality is not the same, in person it's engaging, fast-paced and entertaining. You are close up to the action and can see the commitment and ability (the players are still good footballers).

It's a bit like boxing, where unless you've been up real close, you don't quite feel it. TV sanitises football and it's been a major bugbear from me how the game is now primarily targeted towards the at-home viewer.

You might be onto something here, Danny!

Michael, we should do it. Mind, we'd have to figure out a title given the sensitivity caused yesterday!!

I might just take in Hull v Coventry tomorrow evening. See how Lampard gets on.

Okay, the quality of football may obviously not be there but the competitiveness is, and it's attractive.

I enjoyed watching the likes of Derby and Forrest, Huddersfield and the like quickly do brilliantly in the top flight once promoted. I enjoyed Leicester waving two fingers at the alleged "top-clubs" when they won the league with graft, skill, belief and a lethal, already aging non-league striker they signed from a club 40 miles away from Goodison via their knock-out scouting team (Steve Walsh having an administrative role only - and yet we signed him anyway and then made him very wealthy for sod all, as ever).

More and more though, the promoted clubs to the Premier League struggle like hell, can't afford players that may even enable survival, and massively diminish the competitiveness of the whole division as a result.

That said, diminishing competitiveness seems to be the ambition of whomever might be actually in charge of exerting control of the Premier League.

Sigh.

To me there's always something poignant about playing a 48-game season to get to Wembley for promotion and coming up a goal short.

Pete #18, sounds to me like they do want to come up!

Danny #9, don't forget you are invited to beautiful Seattle... where summertime is staggeringly lovely and the voters definitely didn't vote for that scumbag. (Les please note that Trumpies despise Seattle.)

As a meritocrat (is that a word) I’ve always hated the playoffs in the sense every year you have three teams neck and neck, one misses out then gets usurped by a team 20 points behind who crept into 6th on the last day of the season.

However, it always serves up cracking matches.

Danny,

Near contemporary maybe you can relate but it’s weird to me seeing Leeds, Sheff Utd and Huddersfield as the EPL Yorkshire contingent. Growing up Sheff Wed with their cloned Goodison stadium were the only show in town.

Even after a 3 game losing streak, Sheffield Utd are 7 points clear in 3rd place. They deserve to go up.

Great drama for us neutrals but just not fair or correct imho.

On the play offs, in principle, I agree, the team that finishes 3rd should be promoted. The play offs, like any knock out competition is a lottery. It's great for the neutral, the TV and generating revenue and a few good days out for the supporters.

I think the first season it was introduced, there was a 2-up, 2-down system, with 3 from bottom in the top tier playing 3rd placed in the 2nd tier.

They still do that in Germany's 3 professional leagues. If you're in the fairly recently formed Bundesliga 3, it can be a bit brutal as 4 drop down to the regional, non-professional leagues at the next level of their pyramid, allowing 1 club (Champions), from each league to progress to the Bundesliga system.

But what I do not understand is why on earth you would deny me the pleasure of watching bawling, devastated, broken-hearted, and inconsolable Leeds, Sunderland, and West Brom fans (for instance) after losing the Play-Off Final.

Back in the day it was three from division 2 and one from Division 1 in the play offs.

I think they should be okay now, but Sheffield United could still spoil the party.

Looks like anyone from 4th placed Sunderland to 9th placed Millwall as it stands.

Keeping an eye on Harrison Armstrong. Quiet so far.

3-0 Leeds now after 20 minutes.

En-route derby just scored another. Holgate not looking the best..

Holgate hooked. He had a bit of a mare.

Bellingham has some promise, but the others are way off the Premier league level.

West Brom choked and have probably thrown it away. A big ask for Middlesborough now.

Derby have a lifeline, as do Luton

Looks like Burnley are joining Leeds as it stands. Tom Cannon hitting the net in reply for Sheffield United.

Didn't see a lot from Harrison Armstrong. He looked a bit leggy and tired and was playing a lot deeper than I recall in his few cameos for Everton, where he was more of a number 10?

Not much to see from Fellows, however, as I said earlier, difficult to judge on one match and a very poor performance from the Baggies.

Whilst he's unlikely to ever be England quality, I expect Fellows to be a hard-working dependable sort who can fill in a few positions. Not an essential purchase by any stretch, but probably not a bad one - and certainly not bad value from the sub-£20m bargain bin.

Assuming the top 3 from the Championship go up (they're the strongest by some distance) that will leave the following available for purchase alongside Fellows:

- Rigg (AM) Sunderland
- Van Ewijk (RB) Coventry
- Doak (RW) Boro / loan RS
- Hackney (CM) Boro
- Ivanovic (Striker) Millwall
- Sainz (LW) Norwich
- Doyle (CB) Norwich / loan CIty
- Kolli (LW) QPR

There may even be fans who would still be keen on "clearly better than DCL" Adebayo (5 in 39) from struggling Luton.