Championship Players in the Premier League

Jockney

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It used to be that signing Championship players was something of a low-risk gamble for established Premier League clubs -- gambles that didn't pay off, more often than not. Even worse, dipping into the football league was often the first sign of a manager sinking into desperation: think Peter Taylor going in for Akinbiyi as Leicester manager, or the initial teething problems of the Levy era where Tottenham alternated between Gregorz Rasiak and Andy Booth leading the line.

That isn't to say that there weren't notable success stories. Underpinning Everton's relative success in the mid-2000s was a team comprised of some of the best football league players of that generation: Joleon Lescott, Phil Jagielka, Tim Cahill, Andy Johnson, Lee Carsley and others were a large part of a foundation that helped transform Everton from the running gag of the late 90s and early 2000s back into a consistently competitive outfit.

But what is notable about the current crop of ex-FL players enjoying success in the Premier League this season isn't just how large the pool has grown, but also the make-up of that group. Glenn Murray, an able but otherwise above-average Championship striker has been dependably scoring goals for Crystal Palace, and now Bournemouth, for nearly two seasons. Bournemouth, a genuinely talented side managed by an even more talented manager, are essentially a who's who of discarded and rejected Football League talent, many of whom, at one time or another, were not even particularly well-regarded at an even lower standard than the Championship. Then of course you have probably the best three examples: Crystal Palace, Watford and Leicester, who are mounting top six challenges mostly with players who cut their teeth at, and until very recently were plying their trade in, the second-tier.

So what has changed over the past few years? Is the Football League, as a whole, catching up to the Premier League, is the Premier League getting weaker or is the answer a little more complicated? Certainly the capital being thrown around in the Championship in this era seems to suggest that Football League clubs are more empowered than they've ever been.
 

Storzy

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I'd imagine it's a combination of a lot of factors.

But with more and more money going into the Premier League, some very talented young English players are going to have drop down further into the Football League and Championship in search of regular football. That's likely to help improve the overall quality of the lower leagues. Not too mention there is also more money in the the English 2nd Tier than ever before, making it easier to offer more competitive wages.
 

HarvSFC

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Out talented FL players left us for bigger things. :( I miss them.
 

AFCB_Mark

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There isn't really much in the PL that should scare a good FL side. I think too many PL sides get seduced into buying European tat that isn't much better than they could find in the FL if they looked hard enough.

I think quite often the basics are forgotten still at this level..set pieces, break aways, crosses. It's rarely anything spectacular or special that wins a game at PL level anymore. It's just gotten much more level a playing field.

That's as someone who's watched football league all his life and just come to this level and comparing it to years of MOTD.
 

Art Morte

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I'd imagine it's a combination of a lot of factors.

But with more and more money going into the Premier League, some very talented young English players are going to have drop down further into the Football League and Championship in search of regular football. That's likely to help improve the overall quality of the lower leagues. Not too mention there is also more money in the the English 2nd Tier than ever before, making it easier to offer more competitive wages.

I think that's exactly it. There are less opportunities available in the Prem with at least half of the PL clubs constantly buying some of the better players from all round Europe. Not necessarily all of them are even better players than what you have in the Football League, but an Shinji Okazaki's or Brown Ideye's or Jordy Clasie's resumes and reputation probably look more impressive on paper than many of the Football League players'.


There isn't really much in the PL that should scare a good FL side. I think too many PL sides get seduced into buying European tat that isn't much better than they could find in the FL if they looked hard enough.

Well, that depends. Can you find a Sadio Mane, Marko Arnautovic, Bojan, Andre Ayew, Dimitri Payet or Dele Alli from the Football League? Okay, well, Alli you can, but my point is that if mid-table Premiership clubs are in position to buy this caliber players from the continent, they absolutely need to be looking there, too. Sometimes you strike gold and sometimes shite, but the Premiership clubs need to be looking out for these good players just as much in the Austrian league as in the Football League.
 

SUTSS

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There isn't really much in the PL that should scare a good FL side. I think too many PL sides get seduced into buying European tat that isn't much better than they could find in the FL if they looked hard enough.

I think quite often the basics are forgotten still at this level..set pieces, break aways, crosses. It's rarely anything spectacular or special that wins a game at PL level anymore. It's just gotten much more level a playing field.

That's as someone who's watched football league all his life and just come to this level and comparing it to years of MOTD.

The price is a big factor in that as well of course. You can certainly get more for your money if you shop abroad, especially with even more television money coming in.
 

Abertawe

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someone put together an 11 of ex fl players.
 

GodsGift

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someone put together an 11 of ex fl players.

Joe Hart

Nathaniel Clyne
Chris Smalling (non league, rather than ex-FL)
John Stones
Leighton Baines

Theo Walcott
Aaron Ramsey
Fabian Delph
Riyad Mahrez

Jamie Vardy
Troy Deeney

Subs: Jack Butland, Ashley Williams, Aaron Cresswell, Phil Jagielka, Jonjo Shelvey, Adam Lallana, Yannick Bolasie, Jonathan Walters, Danny Ings

That's pretty much half of England's squad...
 
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Jockney

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Joe Hart

Nathaniel Clyne
Chris Smalling (non league, rather than ex-FL)
John Stones
Leighton Baines

Theo Walcott
Aaron Ramsey
Fabian Delph
Yannick Bolasie

Jamie Vardy
Troy Deeney

Subs: Jack Butland, Kieran Trippier, Aaron Cresswell, Phil Jagielka, Adam Lallana, Jonathan Walters, Danny Ings

That's pretty much half of England's squad...

Joe Hart

Nathaniel Clyne
Chris Smalling (non league, rather than ex-FL)
John Stones
Leighton Baines

Theo Walcott
Aaron Ramsey
Fabian Delph
Yannick Bolasie

Jamie Vardy
Troy Deeney

Subs: Jack Butland, Kieran Trippier, Aaron Cresswell, Phil Jagielka, Adam Lallana, Jonathan Walters, Danny Ings

That's pretty much half of England's squad...

Have Shelvey and Ashley Williams over Trippier. Also would rather have Mahrez than Bolasie.
 

AtaturkOzgutson

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I'm not sure the likes of Mahrez are really in keeping with the spirit of this. Signing someone from abroad and getting promoted isn't quite the same as picking out a gem like Dele Alli from the Football League.
 

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Leeds have apparently accepted a bid of £3.7m from Everton for Sam Byram. Any good?
 

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AFCB_Mark

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Club by club percentage of English-born Goal scorers in this years Premier League:

Bournemouth – 90.9%
Sunderland – 67.8%
Tottenham Hotspur – 63.8%
Norwich City – 50%
Leicester City – 46.8%
Liverpool – 37.8%
Aston Villa – 35.3%
Manchester United – 33.3%
Watford – 33.3%
West Bromwich Albion – 31.8%
Crystal Palace – 30.8%
West Ham United – 30%
Everton – 27.9%
Arsenal – 17.9%
Stoke City – 15.4%
Newcastle United – 11.5%
Swansea City – 8.7%
Chelsea – 6.9%
Southampton – 6.7%
Manchester City – 4.2%

ENG-ER-LAND
 

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Absolutely disgraceful stuff from Manchester City.
 

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