Entitled Fanbase

[Greenmile]

Yes there are exceptions no doubt.

There is a direct correlation between league finish and squad value that has been proven over years and years.

“Squad value” is a pretty nebulous concept. The best correlation you’ll find is between player wage bill and league tables.

Try telling that to (eg) the Leicester side of 2015, though, or this season’s Man City.

[Guller Bull]

What does disenfranchised mean in the context of supporting burney football club?

****** off, apathetic, not engaged, CBA. Etc

[Newcastleclaret93]

“Squad value” is a pretty nebulous concept. The best correlation you’ll find is between player wage bill and league tables.

Try telling that to (eg) the Leicester side of 2015, though, or this season’s Man City.

Statistically squad value is the best indicator. Wage bill is a close second.

Like I said there are exceptions but the trend has been proven over years and years.

[The Shire Claret]

Think you've missed one out there shire!

There's a club not that far away with fans squealing like a bunch of stuck pigs because their owners have "only" flushed £200m down the bog just to keep them breathing... they expect far more to be chucked at it....they've got around 4k adult paid up STH's..think about that....they've spunked over 50 grand on every adult STH.

Couldn't bring myself to type their name

[The Shire Claret]

Statistically squad value is the best indicator. Wage bill is a close second.

Like I said there are exceptions but the trend has been proven over years and years.

It's been proven both way though to be fair

Almost every team in the championship had the advantage of Parachute payments and didn't get back to the promise land

Money means nothing if managed badly

there are about 30 examples of that in the championship and below

[Greenmile]

Statistically squad value is the best indicator. Wage bill is a close second...

I don’t think you’re right there. How do you determine “squad value” for starters?

[Newcastleclaret93]

It's been proven both way though to be fair

Almost every team in the championship had the advantage of Parachute payments and didn't get back to the promise land

Money means nothing if managed badly

there are about 30 examples of that in the championship and below

Again they are all exceptions.

Look at the league again this season, the top 3 valuable squads are currently top 3 in the league. Like they are every single season

[claretonthecoast1882]

I knew Forest had spent a bit but had no idea they had the 3rd most expensive squad in the Prem. I also presumed Man City & Chelsea had 2 very expensive squads and wage bills. Man Utd n Spurs need to start spending money it is amazing that Brentford have spent more than both of them.

[The Shire Claret]

Again they are all exceptions.

Look at the league again this season, the top 3 valuable squads are currently top 3 in the league. Like they are every single season

I agree with you on that and your percentage of success is absolutely higher

But it does work both ways or we wouldn't have the majority of teams in the championship as former established premier league teams

[Shaggy]

Is this another moaning thread from a section of the old guard fanbase who cling on to the orient game and we are punching above our weight mantra?

Which club(s) currently in the championship has had a turnover close to ours in the last 10 years?

Our financial clout and squad strength is that strong for this league that we should be expecting top 2 minimum.

Playoffs would be a disappointing and failure to gain promotion a failure.

The football is also mind numbingly turgid, but that can be cast aside as long as we are successful first.

[dandeclaret]

I knew Forest had spent a bit but had no idea they had the 3rd most expensive squad in the Prem. I also presumed Man City & Chelsea had 2 very expensive squads and wage bills. Man Utd n Spurs need to start spending money it is amazing that Brentford have spent more than both of them.

All exceptions remember..... as are Birmingham, Blackburn, Blackpool, Bolton, Bradford, Cardiff, Charlton, Coventry, Derby, Huddersfield, Hull, Leeds, Luton, Middlesborough, Norwich, Portsmouth, QPR, Reading, Sheff Wednesday, Stoke, Sunderland, Swansea, Watford, West Brom, Wigan..... who all had the benefit of parachute payments and inreased wages, but have failed to return the the premier league.

Exceptions us probably the wrong phrase. Correlation yes, strength of that can be argued.

[dandeclaret]

Dande - I hardly ever post now on these threads because it gets to the point where it is just mindlessly repeating the same point of view (pro or against.)

But like everyone else with an opinion, it’s easy to get triggered to respond (when emotions are already high) when someone puts up a firecracker of a post designed to get a rise. So a rational person who is in the pro SP camp ,will be champing at the bit when someone like 007 starts typing one of his “sack him this instant “ posts. Conversely someone who is not a massive fan of the style of play that SP is churning out (like myself) will find themselves rising to the bait when somebody posts something like “where are all the usual suspects” when we have had a “resounding” 1.0 win.

Just to reiterate I don’t want SP out at this point as I think he will do the job he was employed to do.
I normally try and get down to about 5/6 games a season in the Championship- I honestly don’t think I will even get to one this year. It’s way too much money - could go to a couple of proper gigs for the price of a game. Not proud to say that and never thought I would. I think there is only about two or three games where I have raised a cheer from my chair (first game and Flemmings strike)

I have never felt so disenfranchised in 55 years of supporting them. Under Laws I was angry but that was better than apathy I honestly can’t see SP changing his style of play any time soon and that depresses me.

I understand it Casper, I do - as I said, it's unarguable that there have been a number of games that have been dull. There's been plenty of decent games that seem to get a prejudged battering though as well. I get it's not everybody's cup of tea, I understand why some are frustrated - people I get on with, whose views on football I am generally really aligned with, like agreenwood, Enola, Robbo, Spice and yourself. I do see and understand that frustration (and get frustrated myself with it at times), it's just those who label everything as negative that I take umbridge with - I genuinely did enjoy the game on Tuesday - 90% of it anyway, and I come on here, and you'd think they'd stunk the place out - I didn't see that at all.

[The Shire Claret]

All exceptions remember..... as are Birmingham, Blackburn, Blackpool, Bolton, Bradford, Cardiff, Charlton, Coventry, Derby, Huddersfield, Hull, Leeds, Luton, Middlesborough, Norwich, Portsmouth, QPR, Reading, Sheff Wednesday, Stoke, Sunderland, Swansea, Watford, West Brom, Wigan..... who all had the benefit of parachute payments and inreased wages, but have failed to return the the premier league.

Exceptions us probably the wrong phrase. Correlation yes, strength of that can be argued.

This

[Guller Bull]

I understand it Casper, I do - as I said, it's unarguable that there have been a number of games that have been dull. There's been plenty of decent games that seem to get a prejudged battering though as well. I get it's not everybody's cup of tea, I understand why some are frustrated - people I get on with, whose views on football I am generally really aligned with, like agreenwood, Enola, Robbo, Spice and yourself. I do see and understand that frustration (and get frustrated myself with it at times), it's just those who label everything as negative that I take umbridge with - I genuinely did enjoy the game on Tuesday - 90% of it anyway, and I come on here, and you'd think they'd stunk the place out - I didn't see that at all.

And that's just it right there. Decent debate without name calling or antagonism. We do all support the same club and always will.

The title of this thread is however an example of prime **** stirring. "Entitled Fans" my ar**.

Anyway lets crack on, get promoted and see where we are then!

[dandeclaret]

And that's just it right there. Decent debate without name calling or antagonism. We do all support the same club and always will.

The title of this thread is however an example of prime **** stirring. "Entitled Fans" my ar**.

Anyway lets crack on, get promoted and see where we are then!

I think that the wording and behaviour of some fans does come across as entitled….. stuff like the “minimum we should expect is winning the league”…… the minimum that you can possibky accept is the absolute maximum of what can be achieved….. something the bookies pre season rated a 12% chance. I fear how some of these lads get on in coin tosses

[Bordeauxclaret]

How many people have actually said or posted that “the minimum we should expect is winning the league”?

[dandeclaret]

Between social media and here, it’s a quite small (probably 10-20) but very noisy group who dominate plenty of comment and content.

[Spijed]

I have never felt so disenfranchised in 55 years of supporting them.

I can't understand this argument.

Does that mean that despite only getting 1600 fans to watch the match against Colchester, for example, a number of supporters were more engaged with the club in 1987, than they are now?

[GetIntoEm]

I'd literally do something else with my time if I was so upset with following Burnley

[Guller Bull]

I can't understand this argument.

Does that mean that despite only getting 1600 fans to watch the match against Colchester, for example, a number of supporters were more engaged with the club in 1987, than they are now?

When you say you can't understand, do you mean that?

[Guller Bull]

I'd literally do something else with my time if I was so upset with following Burnley

Is there anyone in particular you are aiming that at?

[dandeclaret]

I can't understand this argument.

Does that mean that despite only getting 1600 fans to watch the match against Colchester, for example, a number of supporters were more engaged with the club in 1987, than they are now?

I can understand it, I felt the same way last season to be honest. The club stands for different things to different people. And that’s ok, if there’s balance in there.

[Enola Gay]

We want a more offensive team. Pathetic.
Support the team and the current set up.
Or go and support man city if this isn't good enough.
Football is about fighting for the result, not just playing it pretty and at times you have to dig in.
We're second in the league having played the top sides bar sheff twice and it's not good enough to some.

Reality checks are in order.

Someone bump the season prediction thread from summer and I bet where we are is inline or better than where about 90% of people thought it would be. Yet we're here and it's not good enough.

I wouldn't have half of you lot in the trenches with me.

Ooh, so so close to an “ickle Burnley” cliche clean sweep.

The early deployment of “go and support man city” was a ballsy opening gambit bolstered by a solid “fighting for the result”.

“Reality checks” was textbook and “in the trenches” was a lovely touch.

Sadly though you missed out a reference to the Orient game, the one thing that would have completed the full house. A noble effort nonetheless, though.

[Notsosuperstevedavis]

I understand it Casper, I do - as I said, it's unarguable that there have been a number of games that have been dull. There's been plenty of decent games that seem to get a prejudged battering though as well. I get it's not everybody's cup of tea, I understand why some are frustrated - people I get on with, whose views on football I am generally really aligned with, like agreenwood, Enola, Robbo, Spice and yourself. I do see and understand that frustration (and get frustrated myself with it at times), it's just those who label everything as negative that I take umbridge with - I genuinely did enjoy the game on Tuesday - 90% of it anyway, and I come on here, and you'd think they'd stunk the place out - I didn't see that at all.

You’re assuming some saying its dull are referring to the game they just watched.

The oxford game was marginally better. My point is a cumulative observation. Its just that I’ve chosen this topic to state back to goal Subbuteo football is driving many of us mad!

[Raconteur]

We had a squad which was blown away in the Pemier league, then was decimated with what, 20? ish depatures in the summer.
All things considered, I think SP's done a great job.
Even in the Championship, we're always punching above our weight, a town team with small population, going up against numerous city clubs with 30,000+ attendances. This year, there's 13 clubs averaging higher attendances than us.
We've no God given right to be romping away with the league, blowing everyone in our path away.

We are not always punching above our weight in the Championship. We have one of the highest budgets. Size of the crowd is irrelevant , the size of the budget is more relevant. The last time we could be classed as punching in the Championship would be back in 2014.

[Darnhill Claret]

Obviously I'm 'old school' in terms of age and experience, but also open minded.
We do have an entitled fan base, but no more than any other club. The percentages of entitled fans will of course vary from club to club, but with the explosion of social media it is inevitable. Having a thread like this from the opening poster is borne out of frustration, I guess, as I get similarly frustrated from time to time. Personally I think the majority of Burnley fans would get frustrated by negative posts. The Leeds game, to me, was the only boring game, but that was offset by anticipating that was also very predictable. Most fans who complain, expect us to win each game, whilst in the same breath would accept that we can't win every game.
Even though most appeared to accept SP's early interview points, that there would be 'bumps in the road' they seem to lose their steering and their heads at every bump.

I understand the language of 'we want to be entertained' but don't get football fans thinking that that can be a reality, especially when fans say that Man City are boring. If a club dominates like City have done, I understand some being bored because football should be competitive and unpredictable, yet a lot of our fans expect our games to be uncompetitive and predictable and are bored because our games are more competitive and unpredictable.

Do you see where I'm going?

Football is often a difficult game to win. It can be difficult to score a goal. It can be difficult to stop your opponents scoring. It can be difficult to overcome a team that sets out to 'spoil' a game. Bumps in the road. Injuries, another bump. Poor decisions, another bump. Weather conditions, tiny bump. Poor play, big bump. Every game starts 0-0. It is the score you want if you are unable to score.

Despite all this, we are in a very strong position, yet a lot of fans are finding things to moan about which probably says more about them, than they want to reveal.
Chill out guys, even if we don't go up, we have been in contention for more than 31 games out of 46. This has so far been a very good season. I believe it will get better and we will be in the Premier League again next season. I might end up being wrong. It is only an opinion and a prediction, but there has been nothing this season that has made me think differently. I hope I'm right.

[Ric_C]

Ooh, so so close to an “ickle Burnley” cliche clean sweep.

The early deployment of “go and support man city” was a ballsy opening gambit bolstered by a solid “fighting for the result”.

“Reality checks” was textbook and “in the trenches” was a lovely touch.

Sadly though you missed out a reference to the Orient game, the one thing that would have completed the full house. A noble effort nonetheless, though.

What are your thoughts on all this Enola? It would be good to see what yours is.

Feels like there is a sliding scale of feelings, but everyone is pigeonholing each other at both ends of the scale

1. "You've never had it so good, we nearly went out of business in the 80's, if you don't support the team then **** off!"
2."Stay positive, we are getting there, I'm happy with the season"
3. "Parker was dealt a bad hand, we are doing well, even though a lot of the home games have been really frustrating to watch"
4. "Parkerball isn't for me. He's doing a fair job, but not sure how long I can watch this."
5. "With our squad and budget we should be wiping the floor with most of this league and easily be in the top 2. The football is awful and Parker should go."

I'd say the loudest voices preach either 1 or 5 but the majority of fans are somewhere in the middle.

[Newcastleclaret93]

I knew Forest had spent a bit but had no idea they had the 3rd most expensive squad in the Prem. I also presumed Man City & Chelsea had 2 very expensive squads and wage bills. Man Utd n Spurs need to start spending money it is amazing that Brentford have spent more than both of them.

Come on Claretonthecoast you’re smarter than that.

What is Forrest’s performance this season?

An EXCEPTION

[Dyched]

Ooh, so so close to an “ickle Burnley” cliche clean sweep.

The early deployment of “go and support man city” was a ballsy opening gambit bolstered by a solid “fighting for the result”.

“Reality checks” was textbook and “in the trenches” was a lovely touch.

Sadly though you missed out a reference to the Orient game, the one thing that would have completed the full house. A noble effort nonetheless, though.

[Stonehouse]

We want a more offensive team. Pathetic.
Support the team and the current set up.
Or go and support man city if this isn't good enough.
Football is about fighting for the result, not just playing it pretty and at times you have to dig in.
We're second in the league having played the top sides bar sheff twice and it's not good enough to some.

Reality checks are in order.

Someone bump the season prediction thread from summer and I bet where we are is inline or better than where about 90% of people thought it would be. Yet we're here and it's not good enough.

I wouldn't have half of you lot in the trenches with me.

Oh you’ve done it there Conroy ,”Trenches “ mentioned them once and didn’t get away with it conatations of the war and we can’t have that on a football forum

[Stonehouse]

Ooh, so so close to an “ickle Burnley” cliche clean sweep.

The early deployment of “go and support man city” was a ballsy opening gambit bolstered by a solid “fighting for the result”.

“Reality checks” was textbook and “in the trenches” was a lovely touch.

Sadly though you missed out a reference to the Orient game, the one thing that would have completed the full house. A noble effort nonetheless, though.

How about ,And we lived in a shoebox ont Longside when it wer just cinders and glad of it,oh if Burnley had been in Yarkshire we could have had anicdotes bi thousand.

[Vegas Claret]

I'd literally do something else with my time if I was so upset with following Burnley

you are looking at it the wrong way around. People actually give a toss, I doubt you'll find a single person on here that doesn't give a massive **** about the well being and future of the club.

[Jacko]

There's a lot of straw man building going on here and with some of the more outlandish takes on this argument. Very few people see this in such black & white terms, in my experience.

It is quite possible to have more than one thought at the same time. Yes, I'm pleased we're doing well and second in the table; no, I don't think we're playing well. Yes, I like to be defensively sound; yes, i think we're too defensive. It's good to set up strongly against the top of the league; I don't think it's acceptable to set up the same way in all of our games.

I think our football this season has been largely negative and borderline atrocious at times, but I'd still take a 0-0 over a defeat every day.

Summed up to me in the comment of one chap who said to me as we were exiting Fratton Park, "That was bloody awful - we're terrible, i wish he'd try and win. Still we're second!"

[boyyanno]

I think people at both ends of the spectrum need to think about wether they're actually representing any truth or if they are just saying stuff to back themselves.

I've seen plenty of comments about how Parker doesn't want to win, doesn't try to win etc. That's obviously not true, I'm pretty sure he wants to win games.

Similarly people say they don't expect us to finish top, but then also go on to say that we should have turned the 0-0's at home in to wins (which would make us top and probably on for a record points tally).

I've also seen it be said we have created absolutely nothing, even in the aftermath of the Oxford game posters were doubling down about how we never once got in behind them.

I'm sure there are people on the other end of the spectrum that claim we play fast free flowing amazing football but I rarely see them, I feel like the negative posters try and spin any balance in to the whole "omg you're a happy clapper posts" there seems to be very little room for debate on here at times, you're either a doom-mongerer or a happy clapper.

[Conroy92]

Ooh, so so close to an “ickle Burnley” cliche clean sweep.

The early deployment of “go and support man city” was a ballsy opening gambit bolstered by a solid “fighting for the result”.

“Reality checks” was textbook and “in the trenches” was a lovely touch.

Sadly though you missed out a reference to the Orient game, the one thing that would have completed the full house. A noble effort nonetheless, though.

I have bemoaned supporters in the past for there use of "the orient game". While under Dyche I was a supporter who believed with the right investment we could continue to eat and drink at the top table with maybe the odd cup run.

This is completely different.

This season started with 0 foundations of a team with the business conducted in summer. It's started with negativity aimed at parker from day one. And if you look at the season predictions from when the sales started 99percent of the fan base said they would be happy in the position we are currently in. Top two. I would also say that 90percent of the fan base thought Leeds and Sheffield United would be the competitor's of which they are.

So please tell me. Why all of a sudden. It's not good enough.

Actual clowns.

[Vegas Claret]

So please tell me. Why all of a sudden. It's not good enough.

Actual clowns.

I answered this earlier in the thread but I'll repeat it

Parker himself admits in pretty much every single interview that we don't do enough in terms of scoring, it's not where it needs to be and creating more chances is a work in progress.


That Parker, proper entitled expecting his team to do better in an attacking sense.

[Bordeauxclaret]

This season started with 0 foundations of a team with the business conducted in summer.

It did have the following first choice players -
Trafford
Roberts
Esteve
Cullen
Brownhill
Foster


This is what people mean about taking extreme positions.

The truth always lies in the middle on here.

[Enola Gay]

What are your thoughts on all this Enola? It would be good to see what yours is.

Feels like there is a sliding scale of feelings, but everyone is pigeonholing each other at both ends of the scale

1. "You've never had it so good, we nearly went out of business in the 80's, if you don't support the team then **** off!"
2."Stay positive, we are getting there, I'm happy with the season"
3. "Parker was dealt a bad hand, we are doing well, even though a lot of the home games have been really frustrating to watch"
4. "Parkerball isn't for me. He's doing a fair job, but not sure how long I can watch this."
5. "With our squad and budget we should be wiping the floor with most of this league and easily be in the top 2. The football is awful and Parker should go."

I'd say the loudest voices preach either 1 or 5 but the majority of fans are somewhere in the middle.

On your scale I'm probably around a 3.5.

I don't think the hand Parker was dealt was particularly bad apart from it seeming like most of the departures I expected seemed to happen all at once. Barring maybe Vitinho I don't think we lost anyone I wasn't expecting to and we kept a couple I thought would move on. Spread out those departures over the course of the summer and I don't think anyone would have batted an eyelid.

At the risk of taking the thread down an already well-trodden path I'm one of those strange folk who think there should be some entertainment involved in going to the match; too many times this season it's been lacking and that is largely on Parker and his tactics. Kompany's Championship team occasionally lapsed into the habit of possession for possession's sake and consequently coming down on the wrong side of the risk/reward equation, but what seemed a bug two seasons ago looks like a feature this time round. We usually look in control of the games but too often it's a sterile, passive kind of control.

One example from Tuesday (which was actually an atypical game in that it was just the finishing that was off) came in the second half when we had a throw-in deep in their half. Hannibal noticed that Oxford were asleep and moved into the yawning gap behind their defence. The two Burnley players dawdling over the throw weren't even looking and by the time they'd finished whatever riveting conversation they were having, the chance was gone. At times the intensity of this team going forward looks miles off where it needs to be for a team with ambitions of getting to the Premier League and staying there.

[PremierLeagueClass]

I answered this earlier in the thread but I'll repeat it

Parker himself admits in pretty much every single interview that we don't do enough in terms of scoring, it's not where it needs to be and creating more chances is a work in progress.


That Parker, proper entitled expecting his team to do better in an attacking sense.

What do you expect him to say?

[claretabroad]

I said it earlier in the season and I'll repeat it now.

This feels like the first 6 months under Dyche. We had a team that was conceding lots of goals and the new manager spent the first 6+ months sorting out the defensive shape. The performances were dull and boring. I know of several people who said they would never go back because the football was so dire. After SD instilled the defensive framework then the focus switched to what we do in attack and that slowly improved.

What we are doing now appears to be very similar. SP took over a team that conceded a lot and lost the main playmakers. He's managed to create a record breaking defensive unit and recently brought in some players with flair and creativity. I suspect we will be a far more dangerous threat going forward by the end of the season than we have been for the first half of it.

These things take time but I think we are slowly getting there. We are still 2nd in the table despite being a team in transition. Its a fantastic place to be. We've sat through some tough watching games tbough. Somewhere between 2) and 3) above likely sums up my feelings.

[Burnley1989]

I answered this earlier in the thread but I'll repeat it

Parker himself admits in pretty much every single interview that we don't do enough in terms of scoring, it's not where it needs to be and creating more chances is a work in progress.


That Parker, proper entitled expecting his team to do better in an attacking sense.

I've certainly read his most recent interviews differently though, hes getting fed up of being called boring when you consider the job him and the young team are doing.

[gandhisflipflop]

I said it earlier in the season and I'll repeat it now.

This feels like the first 6 months under Dyche. We had a team that was conceding lots of goals and the new manager spent the first 6+ months sorting out the defensive shape. The performances were dull and boring. I know of several people who said they would never go back because the football was so dire. After SD instilled the defensive framework then the focus switched to what we do in attack and that slowly improved.

What we are doing now appears to be very similar. SP took over a team that conceded a lot and lost the main playmakers. He's managed to create a record breaking defensive unit and recently brought in some players with flair and creativity. I suspect we will be a far more dangerous threat going forward by the end of the season than we have been for the first half of it.

These things take time but I think we are slowly getting there. We are still 2nd in the table despite being a team in transition. Its a fantastic place to be. We've sat through some tough watching games tbough. Somewhere between 2) and 3) above likely sums up my feelings.

I never thought of it like that before but it’s a really good point.

[Vegas Claret]

What do you expect him to say?

He's telling the truth, that's what I'd expect him to say. You'd prefer him to lie ?

[PremierLeagueClass]

He's telling the truth, that's what I'd expect him to say. You'd prefer him to lie ?

No manager (in any field) is going to sit there and say everything is perfect, there’s nothing more we could be doing.

Not quite sure what your point is?

[Conroy92]

On track for 90plus points.

Can some of you show yourselves up and tell me your expectations was 100plus points.

Because it's unrealistic.

[Newcastleclaret93]

On track for 90plus points.

Can some of you show yourselves up and tell me your expectations was 100plus points.

Because it's unrealistic.

Yet to see a single poster saying they don’t like how many points we have.

People just want a slightly more attacking outfit. Not saying go gung ho every game.

But maybe score goals a bit more often.

[Vegas Claret]

No manager (in any field) is going to sit there and say everything is perfect, there’s nothing more we could be doing.

Not quite sure what your point is?

If you can't grasp it I'm not explaining it, I'd expect my 6 year old nephew to follow along easily

[PremierLeagueClass]

If you can't grasp it I'm not explaining it, I'd expect my 6 year old nephew to follow along easily

Probably for the best you don’t try

[Lew200100]

I speak for myself and my lads. We go to have a chat and get some food and be together. We also go because we all love Burnley. I also go as life is stressful and it would be nice to be entertained at least every other game. Last season was terrible for many reasons and this season is also not very enjoyable on the eye. Most games I don’t clap , sing or get involved as I find it bloody boring. I don’t speak for everyone but the atmosphere within the ground is very poor now which I personally don’t enjoy. It’s very sad when we are way ahead of most teams yet the football on show has been awful in the main. Hopefully Edwards may change this and bring confidence into the team.

[BigBadBarnes]

All exceptions remember..... as are Birmingham, Blackburn, Blackpool, Bolton, Bradford, Cardiff, Charlton, Coventry, Derby, Huddersfield, Hull, Leeds, Luton, Middlesborough, Norwich, Portsmouth, QPR, Reading, Sheff Wednesday, Stoke, Sunderland, Swansea, Watford, West Brom, Wigan..... who all had the benefit of parachute payments and inreased wages, but have failed to return the the premier league.

Exceptions us probably the wrong phrase. Correlation yes, strength of that can be argued.

While all of those teams have benefited from parachute payments, not all is equal. One thing to note is the timing of when clubs have been in the Premier League. There was such a massive increase in TV deals seen in the last 8 years so teams such as ourselves that have managed to consistently stay there have profited significantly from it. That's why the gap between the Premier League and the championship has grown, and is also why there are a subset of championship teams who are consistently gapping the rest of the league.

Granted, clubs still need to spend their money well and the leveraged buy over here certainly has not helped. But we certainly have been able to put together our squad with a budget that should represent promotion again, provided it's spent well and the manager does their job adequately.