2023-24 EFL Championship Discussion Thread

Post #1 » by **Baphomet** » Thu Jun 15, 2023 5:40 pm

Discuss the upcoming English Football League Championship season here.

Promoted sides from last season were:

Burnley (Champions)
Sheffield United
Luton Town (Playoff winner)

Relegated sides from the Premier League are:

Leicester City
Leeds United
Southampton

Promoted sides from League One:

Plymouth Argyle
Ipswich Town
Sheffield Wednesday (Playoff winner)

Post #2 » by **Baphomet** » Thu Jun 15, 2023 5:42 pm

HIF wrote:.

Paging HIF

Curious what your thoughts are on Leicester's upcoming season and their chances of being promoted again.

HIF · Post #3 » by **HIF** » Thu Jun 15, 2023 5:57 pm

Toughest league in world football.

There are a dozen teams that could win the league.

Latest sound is that we're getting Maresca in with possibly Cambiasso as his assistant. It's a risk but it should be a fun one and certainly I prefer it over Scott Parker who people were saying has a proven record of Championship promotions (personally think he's ****).

With Marseca in, we can then concentrate on the high volume of signings we need and they'll make or break the year. The hope is that Maresca has the contacts and the knowledge of young players at the top of the game to get a couple of "unwanted" gems and a few top talents on loan as well as filling the squad with decent players.

I've got us down as champions as any fan should have for his team before a ball is kicked but a wise man would have us down as top half.

Boro and Sunderland are the accpeted favourites for automatic spots.

HIF · Post #4 » by **HIF** » Sun Aug 6, 2023 6:33 am

It's up and Running.

Cov for us today.

New manager , new system, new players.

4-0 even with Coady out.

HIF · Post #5 » by **HIF** » Tue Aug 8, 2023 6:50 am

Where are you Manchester, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs ...?

Baseline81 · Post #6 » by **Baseline81** » Tue Aug 8, 2023 2:37 pm

HIF wrote:Where are you Manchester, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs ...?

Is this actually something to be proud of?

HIF · Post #7 » by **HIF** » Tue Aug 8, 2023 3:37 pm

Baseline81 wrote:
HIF wrote:Where are you Manchester, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs ...?

Is this actually something to be proud of?

If you're not plastic, then of course it is.

Post #8 » by **Baphomet** » Tue Aug 8, 2023 4:52 pm

I think HIF is maybe being slightly facetious, but I agree that it is something to be proud of. If you're in it, be in it to win it. The Championship is a really tough league. Not as hard to win as the top flight because the top teams are transient and don't have to go through the oil rich/state backed clubs, plus if you're a relegated PL side you usually (not always) have a squad advantage in the Championship, but it's a gruelling league nonetheless.

I watched Sheffield Wednesday vs. Southampton on Friday evening and learned that Wednesday got rid of Darren Moore in June after he got them promoted, because they didn't want to pay him. What a joke.

Baseline81 · Post #9 » by **Baseline81** » Tue Aug 8, 2023 6:00 pm

HIF wrote:If you're not plastic, then of course it is.

I asked because what it says to me is that you're a yo-yo club.

HIF · Post #10 » by **HIF** » Wed Aug 9, 2023 6:47 am

Baseline81 wrote:
HIF wrote:If you're not plastic, then of course it is.

I asked because what it says to me is that you're a yo-yo club.

haha

I'm a supporter. football is football. The aim in pro sports is to win the trophy that you are competing for (in amateur too but less so). I enjoy watching my team at any level.

Some people only follow a team that is at the top of the highest league and that is usually because they are vain and clearly nothing to do with being a supporter. It wouldn't matter to me if Leicester were 4th division I'd still support them and be proud of their victories.

Plastics and Forest fans have been calling us a yo-yo club for all of my life. If anything that's made us so much more interesting to follow. never a dull season. And of course we won a prem title before the Mighty Liverpool :lol:

Baseline81 · Post #11 » by **Baseline81** » Wed Aug 9, 2023 12:47 pm

HIF wrote:haha

I'm a supporter. football is football. The aim in pro sports is to win the trophy that you are competing for (in amateur too but less so). I enjoy watching my team at any level.

Some people only follow a team that is at the top of the highest league and that is usually because they are vain and clearly nothing to do with being a supporter. It wouldn't matter to me if Leicester were 4th division I'd still support them and be proud of their victories.

Plastics and Forest fans have been calling us a yo-yo club for all of my life. If anything that's made us so much more interesting to follow. never a dull season. And of course we won a prem title before the Mighty Liverpool

The aim in sports is to not only win, but do so at the highest level.

Again, in order to win that many titles, you have had to gone from promotion to relegation just as many times. That, to me, says a lot about a club.

Post #12 » by **Shaazzam** » Wed Aug 9, 2023 3:51 pm

Meh, win the games and trophies in front of you.

HIF · Post #13 » by **HIF** » Wed Aug 9, 2023 3:54 pm

Baseline81 wrote:
HIF wrote:haha

I'm a supporter. football is football. The aim in pro sports is to win the trophy that you are competing for (in amateur too but less so). I enjoy watching my team at any level.

Some people only follow a team that is at the top of the highest league and that is usually because they are vain and clearly nothing to do with being a supporter. It wouldn't matter to me if Leicester were 4th division I'd still support them and be proud of their victories.

Plastics and Forest fans have been calling us a yo-yo club for all of my life. If anything that's made us so much more interesting to follow. never a dull season. And of course we won a prem title before the Mighty Liverpool

The aim in sports is to not only win, but do so at the highest level.

Again, in order to win that many titles, you have had to gone from promotion to relegation just as many times. That, to me, says a lot about a club.

Your comments say a lot to me about a supporter.

I can't disagree more with your assertion that the aim in sports is to win at the highest level. That would make 99.99999% of sport pointless. There are many aims in sport with equal validity to "winning" and even for winning it's about each individual match regardless of age/level.

Baseline81 · Post #14 » by **Baseline81** » Wed Aug 9, 2023 4:48 pm

HIF wrote:Your comments say a lot to me about a supporter.

I can't disagree more with your assertion that the aim in sports is to win at the highest level. That would make 99.99999% of sport pointless. There are many aims in sport with equal validity to "winning" and even for winning it's about each individual match regardless of age/level.

You do realize we are discussing professional sports, not those played by children and other amateurs.

HIF · Post #15 » by **HIF** » Wed Aug 9, 2023 5:43 pm

Baseline81 wrote:
HIF wrote:Your comments say a lot to me about a supporter.

I can't disagree more with your assertion that the aim in sports is to win at the highest level. That would make 99.99999% of sport pointless. There are many aims in sport with equal validity to "winning" and even for winning it's about each individual match regardless of age/level.

You do realize we are discussing professional sports, not those played by children and other amateurs.

We are talking about sport, you are the only one who has a hang up with top level sport. The championship is supposedly the 11th bestfootball league in the world. Still following your theory, the US league (not even top 15), the French Ligues, the Italian leagues should all just shut up shop because none of them are the highest level and the teams will never win at the highest level. Think on that and perhaps you'll realsie what a load of rubbish you are spouting.

Baseline81 · Post #16 » by **Baseline81** » Wed Aug 9, 2023 6:05 pm

HIF wrote:We are talking about sport, you are the only one who has a hang up with top level sport. The championship is supposedly the 11th bestfootball league in the world. Still following your theory, the US league (not even top 15), the French Ligues, the Italian leagues should all just shut up shop because none of them are the highest level and the teams will never win at the highest level. Think on that and perhaps you'll realsie what a load of rubbish you are spouting.

And what do the players in those lesser leagues want most?

According to you, it's to win a title. Of course, we both know the answer is to move to a better league.

Here in the states, no player wants to remain in the minors. The dream is to play in the MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL.

LDNMagic90 · Post #17 » by **LDNMagic90** » Wed Aug 9, 2023 8:22 pm

The Championship is one of the most competitive leagues around, it’s a lot harder to predict in comparison to the Prem. In theory you can say (I somewhat agree with this) it’s more entertaining that the prem.

There’s a whole host of players that are good enough for most of the top 5 leagues, and they can go to these leagues and become one of the better players in the respective leagues.

Yes players still want to play in the top divisions of their countries that’s always going to be a given. However, the level of the championship is not really any different to some of the top divisions around Europe.

Post #18 » by **Shaazzam** » Wed Aug 9, 2023 9:00 pm

Baseline81 wrote:
HIF wrote:We are talking about sport, you are the only one who has a hang up with top level sport. The championship is supposedly the 11th bestfootball league in the world. Still following your theory, the US league (not even top 15), the French Ligues, the Italian leagues should all just shut up shop because none of them are the highest level and the teams will never win at the highest level. Think on that and perhaps you'll realsie what a load of rubbish you are spouting.

And what do the players in those lesser leagues want most?

According to you, it's to win a title. Of course, we both know the answer is to move to a better league.

Here in the states, no player wants to remain in the minors. The dream is to play in the MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL.

Nope, not what was said. Nice strawman.

Baseline81 · Post #19 » by **Baseline81** » Wed Aug 9, 2023 9:08 pm

Shaazzam wrote:Nope, not what was said. Nice strawman.

How?

HIF disagreed with my assertion the aim in sports is to win at the highest level.

I will wait for you to show me multiple examples of players who would rather play in lesser leagues. And yes, I say multiple because there are always outliers.

Post #20 » by **Shaazzam** » Wed Aug 9, 2023 9:54 pm

"The aim in pro sports is to win the trophy you are competing for."

Anyways, this is a stupid argument. It's a lesser league. Everyone acknowledges that. Some choose to celebrate success while others choose to only celebrate the highest levels of success.

That said, boo on Leicester.