With the pre-season almost upon us, and a day bereft of World Cup action, our two ex-League 1 supporters took some time to reflect on the previous campaign.Stanley: On a personal note, the season started sluggishly, but ended in celebration, victory in the play-off final providing a just reward for a hard-working and ruthless Millwall team. But what of the other 23 clubs? Despite opening with a catastrophe, Norwich City finished the season as deserved Champions, while Leeds United finally made the upward move they have craved since taking up residence in the third tier. Others who left their imprint…
All posts tagged Season Review
24: Season Review, Part Six: SHE to WES
Decidedly mixed fortunes for this final foursome. West Brom sprang back into the Premier League with ease but will the string once again be elasticated? Swansea were tidy but punchless in a failed play-off bid, Watford relied on the loan system to just about keep themselves afloat and Sheffield Wednesday will still be pinching themselves at how horribly wrong it went.Sheffield WednesdayWell that was avoidable. A determined performance in a 1-0 defeat at St. James’ Park in August and a Luke Varney inspired coast to victory at Home Park soon after and the Yorkshire Owls were looking a fair bet…
24: Season Review, Part Five: QUE to SHE
Three expected challengers who never came close and one mooted set of whipping boys who did Lincolnshire proud. Topsier-turvier times would be hard to conceive for the hoops of Reading and QPR as Kevin Blackwell meddled with his line-up like a demented pharmacist and the amiable Nigel Adkins proved he was more than just a mate of the BBC’s Mark Clemmit.Queen’s Park RangersQPR were scintillating in the Fall, a televised comeback at Derby evoking memories of Seventies legends. This came on the heels of batterings of Barnsley and Reading at the Bush and a syrupy forward line looked way too…
24: Season Review, Part Four: NOT to PRE
Wound licking aplenty with two relegated clubs, a mid table mediocrity and a last ditch non-promotee under scrutiny. For Plymouth and Peterborough, 09-10 was galling, the latter in particular seeing ascent through the divisions crumble into dust within a few short months. Forest will be smarting still, but their narrow failure might prove to be a necessary check to a process of encouraging evolution.Nottingham ForestJust two seasons at this level and Nottingham Forest are now re-established as Championship royalty. DJ Campbell may have made soup of their promotion ambitions, but a squad that was 90% good enough now have the…
24: Season Review, Part Three: IPS to NEW
Four clubs whose fans will regard any spell in the second echelon as purgatory are the next on our assessment sheet. All, remember, have competed in European competition within recent memory and will feel they don’t belong here. Genuine national personalities have peppered the wage bill at this quartet this season, an underlining of the Football League’s central place in British sport.Ipswich TownMuch more was expected of Ipswich Town in 2009-10 and only a post-Christmas process of resurrection saved the season from being labelled a complete disaster. Early on, it was a case of too many draws and too many…
Rob: This is not going to go down well at all here but I feel I have to res...
Stanley: A fine critique of The Economist piece, Ben, and a fine piece of your ...
Neil - Row Z: Interesting article, particularly re: the link between clubs and commu...
Kyle: Excellent article Ben - couldn't agree more with your criticism of the...
Steve: An excellent read and full of wisdom that would benefit many a footbal...
