You just can’t beat a bit of Championship football. It’s a rogue, off the cuff division for many-a-season now but are we slowly starting to see a shift in play?
Relegated teams from the prized Premier League are continually yo-yoing between the two divisions, but as they swim and farm in its riches they’re scooping up pools and pools of talent, prepared for a life in the second tier.
There’s the famous quip from Norwich City when they suggested that promotion was a mere preparation for the following season back in the lower tier of English football, or words to that effect. Maybe a new notion that to collect the bag, face relegation isn’t so bad after all.
The point is that 2 Gameweeks into the season and already we’re looking at a mightily fine and equipped Burnley. Even with doubts about their managers credentials they still have a Premier League set-up and a squad teeming, teeming with worldwide talent. With a 4-1 victory away at Luton and a 5-0 victory against Cardiff it would appear that they will seemingly “Piss the League” for much want of a better phrase.
They leave in this very early wake a revised yet always unstable Sunderland and to many’s surprise a bullish yet seasoned Watford. The last mentioned looking every-bit the archetypal championship football side and these teams can do things in this division.
Following on we have to keep an eye on West Bromwich Albion as always and a resurgent Leeds United who gathered a very good 2-0 away victory against Sheffield Wednesday. With a recent depletion of noteworthy players they will be looking to cook up one of their decent runs of winning form.
But that’s precisely why we love the Championship, it just takes that one moment to click, that one surprise result away from home and momentum can quickly become a promotion push. I look at newly promoted Oxford United, Bristol City and Coventry as being teams that could really make a good push for at least the playoffs this season. A quest that every Championship team has one eye on.
Its a wonderful division, even with the slight spillage of the Premier Leagues Millions giving us a golden horse at the front of the pack each season. Roll up the sleeves, put on your Copa Mundials and enjoy the passion of the second tier.
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