Plans to change the Play-offs

[dvalley69]

There is a fundamental reason why this is a bad idea - if a club is finishing that low down in the table they will almost uncertainly be ill-equipped for the Prem from a squad perspective and worse - potentially not ready for it from an infrastructure basis. Don't see how this solves anything really.

But what are the realistic chances an 8th-placed side is gonna go up? It'll happen an odd time but 9 times out of 10 it won't. But that's not a reason not to try it imo. If there's one point seperating 6th, 7th & 8th, is there that big a difference between them? 6th gets the chance. But a side 1 point off doesn't? There's no difference is there really. The whole point of competitive sport is to not set limits, do the best you can, go against the odds, etc. If a team like Millwall gets up, gets battered & comes back down they certainly haven't lost anything, and most likely gained money to help them build & become stronger as a club. Even clubs who go automatically up can be ill-equipped so what does it matter if you've got promotion from finishing lower down!

[Plissken]

The teams finishing at the top of the Championship are almost certainly ill-equipped for the Prem from a squad perspective and worse. I mean, both Leeds and us have signed at least 10 players we both finished well clear of third.

But that's more an indicator of the gulf between the two levels which no-one seems to want to fix.

[martin_p]

The teams finishing at the top of the Championship are almost certainly ill-equipped for the Prem from a squad perspective and worse. I mean, both Leeds and us have signed at least 10 players we both finished well clear of third.

But that's more an indicator of the gulf between the two levels which no-one seems to want to fix.

Liverpool signed 9 and they were champions so it’s not much of an indicator.

[Plissken]

Having not bought any the previous summer. And how many did we buy post relegation?

[martin_p]

Having not bought any the previous summer. And how many did we buy post relegation?

Less than we sold, but that’s what happens after relegation from the Premier League, players want to leave and you have to buy to replace them.

[Papabendi]

The gulf between divisions is obvious so I didn't think there was a need to spell it out. We don't fix it by allowing teams that low down an entry into it. A fluke people find entertaining at the time certainly won't seem like that a season later.

[ChorltonCharlie]

Ipswich and Leicester are still in the top 3 favourites to go up. Southampton are 4th favourites by a whisker.

Last season the top 3 teams all were in receipt of parachute payments.

In 2022/23 and 2023/24 it was two of the top 3.

When you look at teams coming down who have been in the PL prior to relegation for more than 1 season, or have yo-yo'd its becoming increasingly rare for them not to make it back whilst still in receipt of parachute payments.

The finances of Birmingham and Wrexham may mean we see a bit more disruption this or next year, but if both of them do get up their worldwide income is likely to make things even worse.

[Papabendi]

But what are the realistic chances an 8th-placed side is gonna go up? It'll happen an odd time but 9 times out of 10 it won't. But that's not a reason not to try it imo. If there's one point seperating 6th, 7th & 8th, is there that big a difference between them? 6th gets the chance. But a side 1 point off doesn't? There's no difference is there really. The whole point of competitive sport is to not set limits, do the best you can, go against the odds, etc. If a team like Millwall gets up, gets battered & comes back down they certainly haven't lost anything, and most likely gained money to help them build & become stronger as a club. Even clubs who go automatically up can be ill-equipped so what does it matter if you've got promotion from finishing lower down!

Well, I am not advocating that the current system is perfect either.