Promotion problems...

Every year there is a really crap team in the Premier League.

It is the nature of the gap between the Championship and the top division that it is difficult enough for the teams who win automatic promotion. If you come through the play offs it is especially difficult.

We all love the play offs and if you can stomach the hype that Sky put on it of it being "the most valuable game in world football, 30 million for the winners etc" it is usually a really entertaining game.

But the team that makes it up will rarely succeed. 9 of the last 15 Championship play off winners have gone straight back down, and Derby have now made it 10 out of 16.

Most of those 10 make a better fist of it than Derby have all the same. One win, 23 defeats and 16 goals scored. Roque Santa Cruz has scored 14 Premier League goals for Blackburn, Ronaldo has scored 9 more than the entire Derby team.

Paul Jewell, who it seems may have had other matters on his mind than football this season (Google him and "video" if you have not seen the tabloids) has not been able to turn the team around and has admitted he was building for next season from the time he took the job.

He took the job in November for God's sake. There are a bunch of teams now who visit the Premier League for a year, like Irish people going to Australia, and it is the summit of their ambitions.

And like Irish people they would like to stay longer but they can't do it in the end.

Looking at the top 6 in the Championship this year you would be worried about their ability to stay up in the Premier League. Bristol City, Stoke and Hull would be new names to the Premier League. All have good managers and deserve a shot but it is a million to one shot for them to stay up.

West Brom, Watford and Wolves are old hands at this promotion lark. Problem is they are dab hands at relegation too.

An 18 team Premier League would be best for all concerned, raising the standard and reducing the number of games.

However there is more chance of Hull winning the Premier League next year than chairmen voting for that.