If we go up

[The Great Mass Debater]

if we were to return to the Premiership, what would you most be looking forward to the return of, what would you most lament, and what would you miss most about the Championship?

For me it would be being able to watch the streams, the businesslike approach to football and a competitive league where anyone can beat anyone on their day (in that order)

 

[Brian Fantana]

Seeing what Alex Neil could do with  an increased budget and time to sign his own players, discussions with 'real fans' who also know the highs and lows of following a Championship / bottom of the Prem team, winning games and the sheer uncertainty going into each weekend.

I would also say that I fear we may all be getting a bit too excited, the momentum is with us but let's not forget that is the hope that kills you!

 

[KeiranShikari]

sheer uncertainty going into each weekend.

Is still like that in this league tbh.

 

[Brian Fantana]

Is still like that in this league tbh.

That's what I mean, I think you lose some of that in the Prem. Really can't predict anything in this league.

 

[Canaryboy]

I'd miss Jerome and Johnson scoring a worldie every few weeks. I've got a few local away fixtures coming up, which I'll hopefully be going to, so I'll miss those too. 

What I won't miss is the constant worry that if we fail to return to the Premier League with its Sky cash we'll end up having to sign the next generation of Mark Fotheringham's.

I'd enjoy the more frequent streams and being able to ditch Canaries Player (plus not having to listen to Daryl Sutch's attempts at co-commentating).

Those fans who attend a lot of away fixtures probably enjoy the Champs because of the fixture diversity. Each season 25% of the teams are new to the league (3 up, 3 down, 6 in total out of 24), so if we were in the Championship next season there would be 6 away fixtures that we didn't have this season.

I think that fixture diversity thing is why fans of bottom half Premier League teams start getting bored after a few years in that league, same games every year and much more predictable. 

 

[Lone Star Canary]

After I launched two cats from my lap when Jonno scored the go-ahead goal last night, my wife asked me why I'm so gung-ho on promotion when I clearly have enjoyed this season so much more than the last couple, punctuating it with "isn't Norwich better off in the Championship where they can at least compete?"

She's not the first person to ask or believe that, and while I too like what this season has brought, I also know what this club is capable of. If we can keep Alex Neil around after promotion I suspect, without getting too far out ahead of ourselves here, we really could settle into a role as a stable mid-table Premier League club.  That's a club that usually takes care of business against lesser clubs, shocks a couple of big clubs a season, and gets a little deeper into Cup runs.  I don't really care for Europe aspirations, but I'd like Norwich to be a team where folks here don't say "who?" when I tell them who I support, or think I'm wearing some Brazilian jersey when I'm in a Canaries shirt.  A big part of that means getting back on TV here.  The EPL is taking off in popularity in the USA, thanks to NBC's contract, and now is the time to get back in the PL to seize that exposure.  Plus, I'm just selfish.  I want to be able to see games on TV.

 

[yoraffetto]

Total selfishness. EPL status means I might catch a few more games on TV over in the States.

 

[It's Character Forming]

Under Lambert it was great to be back in the Prem and go to grounds like Old Trafford and the Emirates, Anfield etc.  What made it enjoyable too was that we went there and had a go and came away with some good results.  Even if we didn't, we didn't make it easy for them eg when we lost 2-0 at Man U, we had the better chances for the first 60 minutes, similarly at Man City when we were 3-0 down there was no damage limitation, we got a goal back and were trying for more, so I didn't mind too much coming away 5-1.

Under Hughton's first season we were at least pretty solid away at the big teams and we got some fantastic home results, but some of the away games were dire, eg the 0-0 draw at Reading was one of the worst games of football I've ever seen. 

By last season the novelty of Prem grounds had completely worn off and our poor approach made it a generally depressing season even when we were above the drop zone.  No way I'd want to go back to that approach even if it did bring safety.

Looking at the Prem table, at the start of the season there are probably 6 teams with hardly any risk of relegation.  Then there are a clutch of teams that are unlikely to be caught up in the relegation scrap (Everton, Newcastle, Spurs) but it only takes one season of mismanagement for them to be right down there. And for everyone else (bar the newly/recently promoted), eg Stoke/West Brom etc, no matter that they've been in the Prem for a few years, they can easily have a bad start to the season and they're right down in the drop zone - Villa the perfect example of an "established" Prem side who have only reached safety very late in the season for at least a couple of years now.

Another disadvantage to the Prem is that a lot of teams go away from home to try to defend a point.  Eg Stoke at our place last season were dire, a point was the summit of their ambitions and they were pleased to come away with one.

So for me, I don't mind too much if we're a yo-yo team.  I'm conscious the quality of our squad this season comes from parachute payments (and clearing our debt while in the Prem so we're not paying interest).  If we go back up, I hope we'll stay longer than last time, but it won't last forever.  And I don't mind having some seasons in the Champ TBH - this season has been way better than last season - as long as the gaps when we're out of the Prem aren't too long (like the scum, for example).

 

[The Great Mass Debater]

I would hate to approach a Premiership season the Hughton way. We should always do what Peter Beardsley said and expwess ourselves...

Id rather we had a go and gave ourselves a chance of causing a bloody nose (like we did under Lambert) than cowering in fear like we did under Hughton.

Id risk a good hiding for the chance of a good result, whereas Hughton seemed happy with a 'respectable' defeat. Nothing respectable about rolling over though, no matter what the scoreline is.

We're the canaries - we should be about ruffling some feathers...