Must say I'm getting a little concerned about some peoples lavish expectations for next season. I for one think it will be far from a cake-walk that some think it will be. I think we still have some serious issues to address and I think NP thinks the same as he has already said there is a lot of hard work to be done this Summer. That hard work is in only a small part recruitment. We have got results this season far in advance of our performances. If we want to be anywhere near promotiion next season we need to start performing like we believe in ourselves week-in-week-out. In addition we must not only be as good as the TOP 6 have been this season, we must be even better. The three relegated sides will, unlike this season, have big budgets to use. Also Brighton and Southampton are genuine Championship sides (like Milwall, L**ds and Norwich) so we can expect them to be competitive. I expect us to be competitive next season because out streetwise management team know what to expect. But some are building next season into some kind of heroic charge back into the Premiership. It just won't be like that. Keep expectations reasonable and we might get a result. Put pressure on ourselves with lavish expectations and the result will be disappointment.
I think the play-offs are a reasonable expectation for us next season, although i don't doubt we fill face tough competition. Nigel Pearson is more than capable of addressing the issues that need seeing to, and i trust him to do so. We've come so far since the beginning of the season that i think we can't help but let our expectations become high. If we look at what we've acheived under Pearson, albeit not playing the nicest football, then i can't see why we won't continue to grow and develop as a team.
We'll be up there next season, but it will be far from a strole in the park, that would be an insult to the division and how competative we all know it is. With a few fresh additions to the squad we'll definetly have the squad to be challenging, but i think it's more sensible to wait and see how the division shapes up team wise and how our rivals spend their money till we can say if we are genuine title/promotion contenders.
Without strikers who can perform at this level we will struggle next season. I am sure Nigel has got targets and will watch the close season signings with great interest.
Being a lazy sod and not sure were to look does anyone know how long it took dqpr and norwich to get back to the big boys leauge.And what about some of the other teams that have dropped out the prem and are still waiting to get back how many of there fans all said this time next season we will be back.
Found the first Premier League teams they were Arsenal, Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea, Coventry City, Crystal Palace, Everton, Ipswich Town, Leeds United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Norwich City, Nottingham Forest, Oldham Athletic, Queens Park Rangers, Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, and Wimbledon.
15 years for QPR, 6 years for Norwich - think both dropped to League 1 beforehand though. Maybe that's the secret?
Norwich won the league ahead of West Brom in 2003/2004. They were relegated on the final day of the next season after their heaviest defeat of the season, a 6-0 thumping at Fulham, having entered the game with all 3 relegation places up for grabs. True capitulation. Palace drew with Charlton and Southampton lost to Man United, meaning they also lost their Premier League status whilst West Brom stayed up by beating Pompey. Off the top of my head that as well. <sad****sobsintobeer>
