nice read from teamtalk, end section!!

[chazney]

The race to win automatic promotion to the Premier League this season is the most exciting and closest for many a year.

But pundits are already stumbling over each other to dismiss whoever reaches England's top tier from the Championship as next season's 'cannon fodder'.

Derby boss Paul Jewell claims the gap between England's top two divisions is 'wider than ever', with his rockbottom Rams having won one of their 30 Premier League games so far and amassed just 10 points.

But there is hope for those teams chasing a top-flight spot as the biggest hurdle they need to overcome if they reach the promised land is the 'fear factor'.

The Premier League is widely held up as the 'best league in the world'. This may be true in terms of entertainment - but not in terms of quality.

In fact outside of the top 10 teams, the league is decidedly average. On Sunday, Wigan took on Lancashire rivals Bolton on the 'cabbage patch' that is the JJB Stadium pitch. This Friday, Charlton will welcome West Brom - among the country's leading scorers this season - to The Valley...I know which game I'd rather watch.

Derby's miserable campaign has sparked a raft of claims that any promoted team will struggle to survive next season - but the Rams are where they are because they have scored just 14 goals, mainly due to their ultra-defensive mind-set and fear of throwing caution to the wind.

Wigan and Reading may be struggling this season - but in past campaigns they proved clubs can make the step up if they strike a balance between respecting their top-flight rivals and going for their throats.

Barnsley's victories over Liverpool and Chelsea in the FA Cup this season have been held up as 'freak' results - but although Lady Luck smiled on the Tykes during their Anfield win, they left respect behind in the Oakwell dressing room, decided to attack Avram Grant's multi-million pound Blues stars and deservedly knocked them out of the competition.

There is no doubt that Premier League teams are full of world-class players in every department, but a defensive mentality - employed by yo-yo clubs Watford, Sheffield United and West Brom in recent seasons - plays into their hands and will only end up with one outcome as Derby can vouch.

It's undeniable that any promoted team will have to spend a lot of money this summer - but wholesale changes will not be needed, more a matter of adding three or four Premier League-class additions to their squad.

If you look at the likes of Birmingham, Bolton, Middlesbrough, Reading and Fulham they have fairly average squads with three-four star players who are match-winners.

Messrs McFadden, Diouf, Downing, Doyle and Bullard are their team's prize assets - but none of them cost the mind-boggling transfer fees splashed out by the big four and would be well within a promoted team's transfer budget.

I'd suggest those pundits who view the Premier League through 'rose-tinted glasses' do not watch a lot of Championship football.

If they did, they'd realise the likes of Chris Brunt, Jonathan Walters, Peter Halmosi, Akos Buzsaky, Liam Lawrence, Ishmael Miller, Ryan Shawcross, Fraizer Campbell and Michael McIndoe could comfortably hold their own in the top flight.

Stoke are currently leading the way in the Championship and are often seen as a one-dimensional long-ball outfit - but anyone who witnessed their run of five consecutive wins in February which featured a whopping 20 goals (2-1, 4-2, 3-2, 3-2, 1-0) may beg to differ.

Their improvement since the turn of the year went hand in hand with a greater emphasis on attack by boss Tony Pulis, and if he continues this policy he could well be locking horns with Messrs Ferguson and Wenger next season.

If that is the case, he must ensure the smell of fear does not linger at the Britannia Stadium.

[10 Pint Potter]

good stuff, like it

and its TRUE and isnt premierleague biased which is how most journalists are writing these days

GOARRNNNNNNNNN STOKE!!!!!

[nicco]

I wouldnt mind those 5 consecutive wins again either!

[PotterLog]

I expect that's LiverpoolStokie's work...

[Dr Oetcake]

not sure you can "amass" 10 points! Perhaps "squirrel away" ten points, or "borrow when no-one is looking" 10 points.....

[Irish Stokie]

Ye a decent article, nice to see a well written piece on the Champ without the usual west brasil wankfest

[Ex-GeordieNeil]

Though I thought it had all been established that what was seen at Watford on Saturday DEFINITELY was the "smell of fear"...?

[Homzy]

I'm off this week actually and believe it or not that was written by our editor...our West fooking Brazil editor!!

It's taken me 39 games but he's finally spoken a bit of sense...I knew the constant abuse I've given to anyone who dared to criticise us would have an effect eventually!!

[mermaidsal]

But does the Brit honestly smell of fear that often, we fall over own feet at times but don't think we're easily frightened once we've got the measure of what we're doing.