Is the Premiership too precious

A really interesting debate on the Premiership today on the radio about the Premiership and the importance of 4th to qualify for the Champions League. Some argued, that there should only be one place, for the champions and the other places given over to the winners of the League and FA Cups to ensure that teams 'took them seriously' Some argued 'what is 4th' and it was suggested that in the event of the format of 4 English Clubs in the Champions League stands, a way to spice it us would be for the 4th and 5th to play off for the last position.

The Play Offs in the other divisions has added fantastic excitement to the season end (we've benefited from it), but it was asked if The Premiership was too precious for such a climax to the season. After all they play 8 games less than the Championship teams already. Driving along, I was really wanting to phone in and put forward a suggestion and I put it here for your thoughts, not that it would ever happen of course.

I think its a brilliant idea. But extend it to those finishing 4,5 ,6 and 7 in the table and this would decide a Europa position too. My reasoning is this. Essentially the Premiership is 3 tables, top 6, middle 7 and bottom 7. My argument can be negated by Leicester last year of course but bear with me. The top 6 purely play for position, 1-6. Now heres where it gets interesting. Imagine or think yourselves lucky you're not a Stoke fan. Mid table mediocrity. They want to go higher but never will. Their only real targets are 41/42 points, a good run in the cups. WBA got to 41 points 2 months ago. Since then they have won 1 in 13 and scored 6 goals, They have been on the beach since February. Everton had no chance of catching 6th place have been on the beach since the end of March. The effect of them not turning up for games means that they have rolled over and had their tummies tickled by all and sundry (except Stoke who decided they had to win a game and chose us to do it) but Swansea had two roll overs against Stoke and Everton. In short their final league position means a few quid more and thats it. BUT, if you were in that middle tier and had a chance of Europe, would you not play to the season end AND potentially be a more attractive proposition for incoming players, with financial Sky benefits to the club.

A nice ending, if you agree with me about the 3 leagues, you will be pleased to know that Manure finished bottom of their league (come on Ajax) and Arsenal second from bottom and for me thats an actual reality.

Hope this wasn't crap, but a point for discussion and something to pass the time until we hear something to really talk about. ..?

 

He's just talking **** like usual.

 

Ah romance isn't dead.

Except the likes of BT don't pay hundreds of millions of pounds a season in broadcast rights to show the likes of Stoke City in the CL

 

If you want to be really pedantic and you patently do, you actually mean Rugby Union. You'll have never referred to the Premier League as the Premiership... of course not, why would you.

 

I do like the idea that champions league places go to FA and league cup winners.

The cups have lost all the importance they used to have.

Everyone would take them seriously and it would reduce the possibility of smelly little chavvy clubs getting to Wembley.

Oh erm...

 

Of course OLM will have referred to it PL as the Premiership... when it was called the Premiership.

You know, over 10 years ago.

 

I play it safe and call it the Prem..

 

It had to happen, Bummers has finally worn you down in the name of pedantry...oops, accuracy.

 

Being correct really is a terrible trait.

 

If we're being correct it's not really a trait.

 

bout time they made the euro super league and english football got back to being good again.

 

Thought this was going to be a thread about the PL being so "dear" compared to the EFL in terms of the gulf in wealth. I did raise the question with OLM yesterday in Twitter which got me thinking, but with the iFollow streaming coming out, and depending on how successful/lucrative that is, I wonder if those earnings will be passed on to the clubs, and could see different platforms bid for the streaming rights in years to come. Could be a way to increase the wealth for the EFL and somewhat bridge the gap to the PL.

 

I don't get why people are so bothered about the term Premiership. It was the name for it at one point, and it seems like a pointlessly minor change to go from Premiership to Premier League that a lot of people don't acknowledge it. I certainly don't think of Rugby Union when someone mentions the Premiership.

 

Just seems something for pendants to get worked up about.

 

I used to call it the Barclays Trophy but now I just call it The Englishliga.

 

Or for people to be correct about.