Momentum crucial in promotion race
Having played in all four divisions in England, I can assure you that the Championship is as tough as everyone says. Year after year it seems to get stronger, with teams who are relegated from the Premier League getting huge parachute payments to give them a better chance of getting promoted than the sides which have been languishing in the second tier for years.
Of course, it doesn’t always pan out like that — just ask Harry Redknapp, the manager of hotly-tipped QPR, whom my Brighton side have now faced twice this season, coming away with a healthy return for us of four points. With Richard Dunne and company making Rangers one of the hardest teams to breach, it’s a surprising lack of goals and creativity which has hurt them.
When we played them on Tuesday evening there was very little in it until we took the lead with 15 minutes to go and, even though they dominated possession in the second half, a late second goal from my fellow Dubliner Stephen Ward sealed the win to keep us in touching distance of the play-off places.
QPR are in that top six but given the severe financial implications for the club if they fail to get promoted — and with automatic promotion now looking unlikely for them — the pressure is starting to show on both their players and management.
I’ve know what it is like to be relegated from the Premier League and then trying to gain promotion at the first attempt, first with Wolves earlier in my career and last season at Bolton — although I’m not taking any responsibility for the relegations! When you do go down, it’s vital that a club tries to freshen things up over the close season. But there are other challenges too. If you look at the sides that were relegated last season from the Premier League, all three might still be in contention for promotion but none of them have found it easy. One of the reasons is that opponents will raise their game and try to knock you out of your stride by being overly physical — and if you don’t match their endeavour then you will get turned over.
Right now, Leicester are cruising at the top of the league and looking like ending a lengthy period at Championship level after sticking by their manager.
But the team that have impressed me most — and look like following Leicester into the promised land — are Burnley, under the stewardship of Sean Dyche. I cannot emphasis enough what a good job he has done at Turf Moor with a limited budget. I know he was well respected and liked by players during his stint at Watford but he has really put his stamp on this Burnley side.
On the eve of the season, they lost their talisman Charlie Austin to rivals QPR, but that gave Danny Ings and Sam Vokes the opportunity to become the main men — and their formidable partnership has taken the Championship by storm.
Behind Leicester and Burnley is a cluster of sides all aiming to get promotion via the lottery of play-offs, with ourselves here at Brighton confident of securing one of the places.
At this stage of the season it’s all about momentum and having that precious knack of winning matches even when you’re not at your best. We have struggled at times with injuries but currently have strength in depth in most positions.
As QPR, Derby County and Nottingham Forest have stuttered slightly in recent weeks — dropping from automatic promotion chasers to play-off contenders — Wigan have shown great form. Since Uwe Rosler’s arrival and their exit from the Europa League, they have been on a superb run that has propelled them into the fight for promotion.
The main difference between the Premier League and Championship is the quality of players you are facing week in and week out. In the Premier League the level of concentration needed to try and keep opposition players relatively quiet and deny them time and space is probably more mentally than physically exhausting. By the same token, in some ways it’s easier playing in the Premier League as a lot of teams will give you time to play in your own half but, again, if you give the ball away cheaply you’ll have a tough job getting it back off the top sides.
There’s no doubt the Championship is physically tougher but, as ever, it’s the quality gap which always has to bridged if a side going up is to survive, let alone thrive, in England’s top flight.
