How will Norwich, Swansea and QPR fare and in year two? Posted on Thursday, 26th July 2012 by Andrew Masters Norwich, Swansea and Q.P.R. Few people would have felt comfortable betting on the survival of any one of the newly-promoted clubs at the start of last yearâs campaign, let alone all three. Yet, for only the second time in the history of the Premier League all three former Championship teams managed to avoid the drop. Now, the question becomes will the survivors follow the lead set by the other set of three to accomplish the feat back in 2001-02 (Fulham, Blackburn, Bolton) and enjoy an extended stay in the top flight? Or will year 2 mean a dose of reality for the upstarts and a trip back through the trapdoor to the Championship? Q.P.R. seems to be in the best position for prolonged success despite barely escaping the bottom three last season, thanks to the deep pockets of its new Malysian majority owner. On the field, a promising side is bolstered by the additions of Park Ji-Sung and Ryan Nelsen while full seasons from Bobby Zamora, Shaun Wright Phillips and Djibril Cisse should see Rangers improve on their dismal goal difference (worst among all the clubs who stayed up). But most importantly for long-term survival is whatâs happening off the field. Q.P.R. has money to spend. I donât think Park will be the last signing of the off-season for Rangers and with a board thatâs sights are set on Champions League football I expect London will have to get used to another top-flight regular. Swansea makes for a tougher call. The Swans have done well to deal with the loss of bright young gaffer Brendan Rodgers to Anfield by snapping up the well-respected Michael Laudrup, and as a result may hold on to some of their better players. Even if some of their players do exit prior to the season Swansea should look to Stoke, another recently promoted success story, for a survival outline. Stick to what you do best. Rodgers had the Welsh side playing some of the prettiest football around last year utilizing âthe English Xaviâ Leon Britton to perfection in the center whilst getting the most of players with something to prove like Danny Graham and Joe Allen. Swansea proved it is the system as much as the players that drives positive results and they would do well to remember that again this season despite the change in the backroom. I donât think Swansea will reach the heights of last seasonâs campaign but a top-10 finish is definitely not out of the question. Norwich City may have the toughest task ahead in 2012-13. Paul Lambert was obviously a talented manager to squeeze a 47 point season out of a squad whoâs biggest name player was plying his trade for Shrewsbury Town as recently as 2009. For Chris Hughton matching or surpassing this number will be a big ask. John Ruddy, Grant Holt, and Anthony Pilkington led the way to a surprising 12th place finish but many of the Canaries wins were due to their opponent underestimating them. Clubs donât get this same luxury of surprise in year two. Teams will be ready for Norwichâs direct style of play and Hughton may not be able to get off to a hot start like last season while he works out the tactical kinks. If Norwich City is to sustain itself in the vicious Premier League it needs to invest this summer or risk another decade back in lower league football. Read more at http://thisisfutbol.com/2012/07/blo...-and-qpr-fare-in-year-two#PabzkFM9EgZoExg7.99
For me us and Norwich will be ok. With Swansea losing Rodgers i fell they will loose a few of their stars in this transfer window and the next. They over achieved last year and watching both our games against them last season they are one of the weaker teams this term for me.
I feel we will be ok but I expect Norwich and Swansea to be fighting relegation They both started to struggle towards the end of last season and I would expect that to continue QPR to be joint top of the league after 2 games
It'll be down to squad strength and management nouse as to who survives. If this is the case, we should be okay but for Norwich and Swans, jury'll probably be out for sometime imo. Whilst Hughton's walked the path before, it was with a pretty good squad and Laudrup's an unknown quantity at this level. We'll see but I'd like to see both clubs pull it off.
I think Swansea will be ok. They'll be tough to beat at home and still have some decent players. Norwich will struggle, they overachieved big time last season. Can't do it again with a **** squad.
Think all 3 teams will be fine to be fair....Swansea and Narwich did well last season, we will be fine with our new strength and manager......Reading, West Spam and Fulham to go down for me.
We have the best striker, best midfield but the worst defence. We will see Sent from my HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio Z715e using Tapatalk 2
I think all three of us will be safe this year as I see Reading, Saints and Wigan/WBA going this year Sent from my New iPhone 5 proto with my Grado GS1000i + Sugden HA-4 Heads with my fat fingers
I too think all three will be fine For me, Reading to go downas they will be too weak, West Brom too as can't see the new manager getting out of their squad what Hodgson did, and the wildcard choice for going down, Aston Villa. They were pants last season, and really can only see them being the same or worse despite talented new manager Good odds for that too I'd reckon
Was trying to stay off this thread, but this post has got to be joke surely? Norwich don't have a player who gets in our team
here are so clearly more than three teams this season with squads worse than us, and with first teams worse than us. Reading, Southampton, WBA, Wigan, Villa, West Ham, Norwich, Swansea, and I'd even pull the likes of Fulham into the mix as well, especially if Dempsey leaves. ------------------- Sent from the loft in the back yard by Gladys the homing pigeon, who flapped her little wings all the way to Not606 HQ and pecked an admin on the nose until they agreed to type my post...
I take it everything after the word "we" was completed by the predictive text. I am surprised you're not still using yoghurt pots on string like the rest of Norfolk though.
In the next two transfer windows all the decent Norwich players will go to Villa and the decent Swansea players will go to Liverpool. They're doomed. Shame. Sent from my carrier pigeon
