Second Season Syndrome

AP in the Chronicle todays discusses 'second season syndrome'. I'm sorry but i never thought this does or would apply to us. I maybe delusional (arnt we all?) but I just think we should be exempt as potential sufferers of SSS. Surely this just applies to untried premiership teams like Blackpool, Reading etc. We are in a second season yes, but it feels like the other way around for us. We dipped into the champ as a result of bad management. I think we are still an established premiership team and should not be tagged with this.

Above all else it seems like a cop out from AP ahead of next season. Lining up a ready made excuse in case of troubled waters. Which is disappointing.

 

I dunno, i think he has a point with it.

While the majority of our players are established prem (or prem class) players, there is no doubt that the core of the team, that were relegated, will have been trying extra hard to prove people saying we were destined for a relegation battle wrong.
I think we will not suffer from it, as i do think our players are better than that. But you can see where he is coming from.

Personally i think all the stuff in the Chronicle today (on the website at least) Pards sounds absolutely spot on.

 

Doesn't suprise me, some people are already hanging on his every word There's a reason why he got the job - and it wasn't because of his 'great' work a southampton. The summer is his 1st big test. We've got £35 million in the bank so SSS shouldn't be a problem!

 

It could be construed as an excuse for poor performances next season but the SSS hits teams that have had a decent first season in the top tier and through some form of complacency; struggle the next.

A lot of this SSS is down to not bolstering the squad with new enhancements to ensure that survival is secured the next season. Why pay out extra for players when the players you have did the job? Also, having your best players from that season move on to other clubs doesn't help.

Lets be honest. If our squad isn't improved next season then we will be in that same position.

It could be a 'warning' to the board that funds are required. We are after all without key players at the moment and you can see that in the results recently.

 

I don't think we will do as well as we have done this season next year, but there will be at least 4-5 teams weaker than us, so we should be safe (Blackpool will probably go down next year, although I don't want them to.)

 

One of his other quotes today "We have a low budget for a Premiership team (£35,000,000 in the bank, no debt and 50,0000 everyweek???)" ... Sounds all a bit negative to me.

 

To be fair, I think that it has been said that the £35 million will go into the running of the club, so it won't all be spent on players. Plus some of it may be set aside for future wages. What the Carroll sale means is that Ashley won't have to put his hand in his pocket this summer to buy players.
I expect 3/4 players to come in and only 1-2 to go, at a total cost of 18-20 million.

 

I don't think we can expect to match this season's performance. The target next year, as always, will be to improve on what we achieved this season. That's going to be difficult for us though, we've over achieved a bit so far this season, assuming we hang on to 10th I think it'll be asking too much to expect more than that next year, Pardew's right to lower expectations.

 

If you consider wages, then consider the money saved from potential sales. We can offset loads of wages from even the deadwood, selling Smith and Xisco saves around 5 million a year from wages alone, or 100,000 a week for wages. Plus you'd like to think we can get at least 3 mil from the two combined, and Routledge will be off for 1-2 million, saving 20-30k a week as well.

 

providing we improve the playing squad with at least 4 quality premiership standard (capable of developing and holding their own in europe)
then we can equal 10th, or push on even more.
at the end of the day their will still be the same amount of worse teams than us in the prem so their is no reason why we shouldnt equal this season or do better

 

This is something alot don't take into consideration. We also have 30k pw (ish) from getting shot or Carroll. I doubt any of the names we are looking to bring in, young European talent (we are reported to be looking at) would come over and command a 40k pw wage straight off the bat. Unless already considered a developed talent. You have to remember that even as a newly promoted side we pay very high wages. Only really beaten by the top set of teams (until recently).

 

you also must take into consideration just how good arfa may become given a full pre season under his belt.
put that along with the developing youngsters that are involved in the first team squad.
Add that with our best striker at the minute Best who continues to improve and develop.
Nile Rangers potential ect
its looking good if you ask me

 

I agree.

I hope that Pardew (Graham Carr) picks up 3-4 decent up and coming players in the summer. Add these to Gosling and Ben Arfa who have hardly played this year and we could have a promosing squad. Especially if the likes of Vuckic and Lualua can start challenging the starting line up.

I just hope that we manage to hold onto Barton and Enrique.

 

Our strikeforce is nowhere near good enough as it stands for a realistic European push next season.

Pick two from Gameiro/Gervinho/Van Wolfswinkel then we may stand a chance.

 

Dont think we should suffer from Second Season Syndrome, we have top quality players so shouldn't suffer the way Reading did.

He is probably just trying to lower expectations, but with £35m in the bank (wages should be sorted by the sale of Smith/Xisco, plus Carrolls £30,000 wages, thats probably about £120,000 for wages which will get us 4 players?) I will be disappointed if we dont finish top 12 next year, we need to be improving if we want to keep our best players (Barton, Ben Arfa, Jose). Should be aiming for top 10 and maybe change our expectations come Dec/Jan (like we did this year)

 

I would hope that it is a nailed on certainty that we will buy at least one striker in the summer.

 

Pardew was desperately trying to find us someone after Carroll went, so a striker is surely #1 priority. No excuses for not bringing at least one in during the summer.

 

I can see just the one being bought in all fairness.

However I would be MUCH happier if we got two and loaned ranger to someone like Nott'm forest.

 

I think it will apply, we've done well this season but I think next season will be very tough.

 

Im putting my faith in Pardew and Carr