Fulham and Norwich expose flaws
THERE is often hype when a team gets promoted to the Premier League, but that has not really been the case with Fulham.
The Cottagers recently secured their promotion back to the top flight – their third promotion to the Premier League in three years.
They were relegated straight back after their last two attempts.
With 41 Championship goals to his name, striker Aleksandar Mitrovic has broken the record for most goals in a season.
With 44 goals for the Serbian national team, Mitrovic is his nation’s top scorer, even though the evidence suggests that he is a Championship specialist.
He managed just three goals in the Premier League last season, but the season before that (which also saw Fulham promoted), he scored an impressive 26 goals.
Another team in a similar position is Norwich City. The Canaries are bottom of the Premier League, and it will take nothing short of a miracle for them to stay up this season.
Former manager Daniel Farke, who was sacked earlier this season, boasts the rare distinction of having won the Championship twice in three seasons.
It will not be surprising if Fulham are again relegated from the Premier League next season, or if Norwich are promoted again.
The fact that there are clear Championship specialists emerging can have long-term negative impacts on English football, and proves that a hierarchy is developing.
This proves that teams from lower divisions are struggling to compete, so much so that teams that regularly get parachute payments can be promoted by winning the Championship and then struggle to be competitive in the Premier League.
The reason clubs like Fulham and Norwich are where they are is because of the parachute payments the Premier League gives to clubs that are relegated.
While these are designed to provide financial stability to clubs that drop down a league, they have created an unhealthy cycle of having so-called “yo-yo clubs”.
As part of the initiative, relegated clubs first receive 55% of their previous earnings in their first year of playing a tier down and 45% in the second, before it drops to 20% in the third.
Clubs like Norwich and Fulham have become essentially too good for the Championship, but too weak for the top flight.
While one can say that
Fulham and Norwich are benefiting, they have also been victims of the flawed system.
Their fans are essentially regularly in limbo, not knowing if their club is good or bad.
Some fans would actually prefer their beloved teams become permanent second-tier clubs so they can see them winning regularly.
A few years ago, the English second-tier used to be exciting to watch, because it was unpredictable and winning depended more on a team’s tactics rather than on their wealth.
If the parachute-payment issue isn’t resolved, an unofficial “super league” will be created, with the same teams essentially moving between the two divisions.