A bloody good read

[sickParrot]

Modern football is well and truly fucked aye it.

[Johnnykayeengland]

Excellent article for me. I sadly agree about the pointlessness of the sainted premier League.
And yes, Norwich are in a better position than us.
But we're all trapped by our love of the club. I see no point in coming 17th only to repeat as nauseum.
Except if it comes to the last game and we need a win to stay up, I'll be desperate to win!
How to square that circle?

[Shabby Russian]

Ask Blues, Forest, Sheff Weds or Derby fans about the gloss of the Championship. They are equally gloomy being stuck there

They haven't been there for a while, a season or two in the premiership will quickly set them straight.

I am completely relaxed about us being relegated. I would prefer if we stayed up as i always want us to the best we can.
But i am also mindful that as an albion fan i enjoyed the last 2 championship seasons. But i am not enjoying this season, and to be honest i didn't really enjoy too many of our postv2010 premiership seasons The first 3 seasons after the RDM promotion were great, thereafter a tad tedious. A combination of the law of diminishing returns and being managed by Tony Pulis.

I also have to say that VAR is really testing my love of the game. It is close to making the game unwatchable. The reasons are long and for another thread i think.

[Lurker#3]

Ask Blues, Forest, Sheff Weds or Derby fans about the gloss of the Championship. They are equally gloomy being stuck there

Aside from a brief spell from Derby  all those clubs have fans pining for the good old days where their respective clubs were powerhouses, or they are looking to get that much revered financial boost and a shot at the 'big boys' and all the excitement that it originally brings. 

Where we differ is we were in that league for most of the decade where the product changed beyond recognition. 

And many of us now see it for what it is. A shit show.

[MassDebater]

I also totally agree with the article. Sums up how I've felt about footy for a while, we all knew what this year was going to be like, it's the way people act suddenly surprised at us struggling and think we should be doing better than we are that constantly amazes me. Well that and how all of a sudden Slav is being made out to have been a shit manager who really knew nothing, by some.

[Cheshire East Baggie]

There are some valid points in there. But the general tone of deprecation towards Big Sam is pure racism in my opinion. He's a big ugly lad from the Black Country. Everyone loves a cheeky Cockernee (the unspeakable twat Redknapp), a daft Geordie (Bruce and a few others), a friendly posh Welshman who is probably pick-pocketing your bonus scheme while smiling to your face - but we Midlanders aren't highly regarded in the media.

It was great to hear the dulcet tones of a local man pre- and post-match with Sam. I even like listening to the Bluenose Karen Carney on 5 Live. Maybe I've been away for too long - - - -

[Bromley Baggie 2]

Ask Blues, Forest, Sheff Weds or Derby fans about the gloss of the Championship. They are equally gloomy being stuck there

When Blues won the League Cup a 10 years ago, I remember the week before, Match Of The Day 2 had a feature on them and some of the fans were interviewed. To a man they said that they'd happily accept relegation if they won the cup. One said, that he'd much prefer a cup win than having to worry about how many Thierry Henry or whoever was going to score against them every week.

[HawkingsHalfpint]

An interesting read. But I don’t think it quite rings true anymore than it addresses a number of factors. Firstly why the disparity in the first place, why the playing field is so uneven (yet the oddity of Leicester winning and the league looking oh so very exciting until new year when the big clubs conquer fools most), why VAR is being used to control outcomes, and what happens to those who don’t parachute yo-yo, and just sink into the abyss. The EPL is about branding and betting, and making money overseas from favourite clubs. In fact, it’s little less rigged by the financial boundary conditions than boxing.

As a read I enjoyed it, and he’s right about a lot of things. But it doesn’t 100% reflect my view, as forlorn as my hope for Albion may be.

[MrFizz]

I'd rather be bouncing around in the top 6-8 of the Championship than the bottom 6 of the EPL. One is enjoyable, competitive and unpredictable. The other is frustrating, uncompetitive and ultimately predictable, not to mention the lack of respect and downright condescending comments from 'analysts'.

Unfortunately you struggle to have one without having endured the other.

[Spandaubaggie]

I'd rather be bouncing around in the top 6-8 of the Championship than the bottom 6 of the EPL. One is enjoyable, competitive and unpredictable. The other is frustrating, uncompetitive and ultimately predictable, not to mention the lack of respect and downright condescending comments from 'analysts'.

Unfortunately you struggle to have one without having endured the other.

It’s so grim watching the likes of a great draw with Man City when 99 percent of the analysis then focuses on City. 
There’s a club like us, until 15 or so years ago City’s equal being consigned to bit part actors in a soap opera. 
I believe a Prem 2 where there are 20 teams living without the same level of fear of the drop is needed. It will make the whole of the top end more equal, but it won’t happen. It’s all about the top 6 and nothing else.
I am hating this season more than any I can recall.