SedRA Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 Often when teams come up a division and do well a proportion of the success is normally attributed to the 'surprise element' of being an unknown quantity. Last season we seemed to get quite a lot of admiration and respect from various pundits and managers, and already this season there seems to be a number of people putting down as 'ones to watch'. So what do you guys think about our 'surprise element'? Do you think the massive success of last season will mean that we're too much on everyone's radars already to pull many shocks or do you think we still could be underestimated? Disclaimer: I know we can't have any real answers to this but hey, it's something to talk about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickolas Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 Cant we just talk about all of our new signings? Oh wait........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handsofclay Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 If our previous two first seasons back at second tier level are anything to go by then I'd rather not guess. On one occasion, Season B, we finished 4th having led the division just a few weeks earlier and were one win away from promotion. The other occasion, Season A, we finished bottom. Yet, in Season A we secured a bigger win than we did in Season B, had more prolific scorers and our worst defeat of the season 1-6 was better than Season B's worst defeat 0-6. We also accrued far more in transfer fees after that unsuccessful side was dismantled than we ever received from the players in the successful team. This is the crazy world of the Championship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SedRA Posted July 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 Cant we just talk about all of our new signings? Oh wait........ Yeah, that's all getting a little tedious now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GodEmperor Palpatine Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 If our previous two first seasons back at second tier level are anything to go by then I'd rather not guess. On one occasion, Season B, we finished 4th having led the division just a few weeks earlier and were one win away from promotion. The other occasion, Season A, we finished bottom. Yet, in Season A we secured a bigger win than we did in Season B, had more prolific scorers and our worst defeat of the season 1-6 was better than Season B's worst defeat 0-6. We also accrued far more in transfer fees after that unsuccessful side was dismantled than we ever received from the players in the successful team. This is the crazy world of the Championship. Too much upheaval in Season A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reddogkev Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 This might well see us collect a couple of wins early on in the season. Wouldn't be too surprised to see us start quickly and be top two after first month. Question would then be, could we keep our momentum going, or would drop off the pace? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbored Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 It's not so much the "surprise element" as to why newly promoted teams often do well in their first season but the fact that the squad has both momentum and a winning mentality after promotion. They often struggle the following season when they've been worked out by opposition teams. That's what happened to City under Johnson. I remember Reading finishing well up in the PL in their first season but were relegated just one or two seasons later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sargent Pepper Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 Sorry. I misread the title Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reigate Red Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 Is it Sodium? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ciderbeans Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 The surprise element right now would be if we make any signings. Without them, not even we can guess how we will do. I think our style of play will surprise many and will go along way towards survival. Proof will be in whether we can keep up the success with our current style of play against better opposition Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin1988 Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 It's not so much the "surprise element" as to why newly promoted teams often do well in their first season but the fact that the squad has both momentum and a winning mentality after promotion. They often struggle the following season when they've been worked out by opposition teams. That's what happened to City under Johnson. I remember Reading finishing well up in the PL in their first season but were relegated just one or two seasons later. Agreed, the dreaded second season syndrome. Although Reading hadn't been in the relegation all season until that final day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dastardly and Muttley Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 Is it Sodium? Na.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downendcity Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 Na.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinmans Love Child Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 Too much upheaval in Season A If I remember rightly we didn't replace our best and most influential defender Shaun Taylor who retired I think, and as good as Akinbiyi was, she shipped a load of goals, so far we have kept all of the players bar JET, so I'm optimistic we won't completely flounder so far, I'm sure the new signings will be on there way soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handsofclay Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 If I remember rightly we didn't replace our best and most influential defender Shaun Taylor who retired I think, and as good as Akinbiyi was, she shipped a load of goals, so far we have kept all of the players bar JET, so I'm optimistic we won't completely flounder so far, I'm sure the new signings will be on there way soon Yes, if I recall correctly, Taylor missed most of the season through injury and Sean Dyche was rushed back too early to replace him from his own injury probs. When Taylor returned later in the season we had a mini revival but it was too late. Perhaps it bodes well that we are apparently seeking to strengthen an already strong defence this coming season. What I recall most about that season we finished bottom was the fine margin there was between success and failure. We played some good stuff under Benny. I recall absolutely murdering Ipswich at home 0-1, their keeper Wright pulled off a fantastic double save at one point that outdid Jim Montgomery 1973, then not long after they had a rare opportunity from a breakaway and clinically slotted it home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon uk Posted July 8, 2015 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 It's not so much the "surprise element" as to why newly promoted teams often do well in their first season but the fact that the squad has both momentum and a winning mentality after promotion. They often struggle the following season when they've been worked out by opposition teams. That's what happened to City under Johnson. I remember Reading finishing well up in the PL in their first season but were relegated just one or two seasons later. Agreed, the high of promotion usually carries over, but it's when the old players move on and the replacements come in and the spirit is lost is when the momentum is lost. When the likes of Orr, basso and mccombe moved on from gjs team, while they weren't the best players around they all had a spirit that made a real difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanatopia Posted July 8, 2015 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 Na.... The surprise element in this case would be the rabbit out of the hat that we bring off the bench that nobody at AG knows enough about to consider whether he will make the necessary step up in our play. So instead of Sodium I will go for Magnesium. One needs plenty of it before and after exercise anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SedRA Posted July 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 Yes, if I recall correctly, Taylor missed most of the season through injury and Sean Dyche was rushed back too early to replace him from his own injury probs. When Taylor returned later in the season we had a mini revival but it was too late. Perhaps it bodes well that we are apparently seeking to strengthen an already strong defence this coming season. What I recall most about that season we finished bottom was the fine margin there was between success and failure. We played some good stuff under Benny. I recall absolutely murdering Ipswich at home 0-1, their keeper Wright pulled off a fantastic double save at one point that outdid Jim Montgomery 1973, then not long after they had a rare opportunity from a breakaway and clinically slotted it home. Yes I remember that Ipswich game, they had a good team then as well. Wright, Kieron Dyer, Scowcroft, Mowbray, Bramble (?), Clapham. I also remember feeling we were unlucky tongi down that season, so many games we could have won or drawn that ended in draws or defeats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handsofclay Posted July 8, 2015 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 Yes I remember that Ipswich game, they had a good team then as well. Wright, Kieron Dyer, Scowcroft, Mowbray, Bramble (?), Clapham. I also remember feeling we were unlucky tongi down that season, so many games we could have won or drawn that ended in draws or defeats. Quite right. Apart from that awful period when Benny first took over I would say that the majority of games we didn't get what we deserved to obtain from each match. It seemed like the opposition always contained clinical strikers who put away any opportunity that came their way. Ironically, the only match that season where we actually got more than we deserved was away at Sunderland where our only shot on target from Soren Anderson 5 mins from time obtained a point after we had been pulverized and that normally prolific striker Kevin Phillips missed a pen and a hatfull of other chances! In the season we reached the play off final I actually thought that on the whole we obtained more from the majority of matches than we deserved and had the opposition been more clinical in front of goal we might well have been struggling to survive at the other end of the table! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Isewater Posted July 8, 2015 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 The surprise element in this case would be the rabbit out of the hat that we bring off the bench that nobody at AG knows enough about to consider whether he will make the necessary step up in our play. So instead of Sodium I will go for Magnesium. One needs plenty of it before and after exercise anyway. You are right H , everyone would be surprised if we sent on a rabbit as substitute . Least of all that we could find a kit that fitted him . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SedRA Posted July 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 Quite right. Apart from that awful period when Benny first took over I would say that the majority of games we didn't get what we deserved to obtain from each match. It seemed like the opposition always contained clinical strikers who put away any opportunity that came their way. Ironically, the only match that season where we actually got more than we deserved was away at Sunderland where our only shot on target from Soren Anderson 5 mins from time obtained a point after we had been pulverized and that normally prolific striker Kevin Phillips missed a pen and a hatfull of other chances! In the season we reached the play off final I actually thought that on the whole we obtained more from the majority of matches than we deserved and had the opposition been more clinical in front of goal we might well have been struggling to survive at the other end of the table! Ha, yeah we got away with it in that Sunderland game. I went ******* mental when that Anderson goal went it, it was on Sky if I remember correctly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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