Alright then......

[lake district canary 4,836]

....what about next season?  Are the fans generally, going to be tense and timid like they were to start with last time we went up to the PL as in  - "Ooh! its the premier league, we can''t possibly be good enough" - or are we going to embrace it  as in  - "We have a great squad and a great manager and should look forward to this positively"?   

Last time, I went to most of the first few matches in that season and was very conscious of a prevailing attitude of "the players can''t be good enough", Barnett, Whitbread, Holt, Wes, Morrison,  etc etc. The fact was we were very competitive and deservedly stayed up.  This time it feels different. The club has grown, the squad has developed, the level of confidence has to be higher going back this time. So do we feel positive about next season?  AN is very positive......but we had a positive manager last time too, but that didn''t stop an awful lot of doomcasting.....

So are you hopeful or or scared about next season?  Do you believe the squad with a couple of additions will be strong enough? Or do you think most of them aren''t up to it and unless we replace them we''re doomed?   

[Bury Yellow 2]

That''s interesting ldc my feelings were one of great excitement and optimism. I cannot recall anything like you describe but then I''m getting old, my eyes are bent my knees they cannot see.

If you were to ask my feelings on Hughton staying for that second season then I could concur

[Highland Canary 78]

New starters at RB, RCB and centre forward and we''ll finish above Watford, Bournemouth and Sunderland. Good enough for 17th then.

[Herman 11,136]

Much more optimistic and the main reason is Alex Neil. The team needs tinkering, with a few additions,obviously but with him in charge we can do rather well.

[mrs miggins 0]

With this team I''d expect us to finish 16th. With a few extra quality signings I think we could finish as high as 9th. I''ll wait to the end of the transfer window though to make a proper judgement.

[93vintage 16]

I think we''ll be good enough to stay up, but am expecting quite a few games to be a battle.Currently I don''t think we''re good enough with our passing to finish above say 11th. We need longer for it to become ingrained and it remains to be seen how we''ll play next season and who we''ll sign.I expect us to be quite direct against some of the trickier teams, but pass it more against some of the lesser ones.

[Fuzzar 1,861]

I''m optimistic, but would take 17th now if offered it.

I hope we''ll play without fear and I believe we will as AN seems to take everything in his stride and won''t be fazed by the quality of some of the opposition.

I think he, and we, will rise to the challenge and take a few scalps along the way. I definitely don''t think we''ll die wondering.

[Surfer 1,547]

Our first season back in the PL, we''d experienced two successive promotions, so it was reasonable to wonder if we had enough quality in the squad - but that said, we settled fairly quickly and retained momentum. Arguably that was gone by the end of February, and of course Lambert left that summer.

This time around, I think it''s pretty obvious we are weak at the back, both to pacy wingers and also to the long ball down the middle. So, my confidence will be higher if we act to address that, else I fear it will be a long season ahead despite the team ethic.

[Lessingham Canary 108]

Im confident of staying up, but under no illusion that a massive learning curve lies ahead for Alex and his management team, Play like we did at Wembley in that 1st 45 minutes and we will be mid table. Looking forward to every minute of the season ahead.

[lappinitup 629]

Wass up wi you lot?  [^o)]Top half finish no less, maybe even top six. [<:o)]

[Katie Borkins 1]

"....what about next season? Are the fans generally, going to be tense and timid like they were to start with last time we went up to the PL "

LDC in "whining about other supporters" shock.

I don''t think we were "tense and timid" at all under Lambert, thanks. Much more so under your boy Houghton.

If you saw more matches in the flesh, your opinions would carry more credibility on a count of them being less made up to suit your point.

[Daz Sparks 1,558]

What we need is a person who will incessantly post advising us against cap doffing and forelock tugging (whatever the feck that is?)

Hmmm, do we have such a person on this forum?

[Herman 11,136]

There''s nobody that resembles that character on this forum Daz, especially not on the ''Expand the Stadium'' thread.

[Indy 3,477]

To be honest I was bored out my head watching Hughton trying to park the bus, only to get outclassed every week.

The same players showed what they were capable of given a the right coaching and style the previous two seasons.

The last Premiership season wasn''t a nervous one by the fans more a frustrating time under a failing manager and failing system.....Neil will take is style and I''m sure do well, if we go down lets go down playing football! We know we can bounce back, so I''m planning to enjoy every minute like our first season back under Lambert.

[nutty nigel 7,902]

Expectations are fine in their own place. But our support shouldn''t be qualified by our expectations. Unqualified fanatical support come what may. That''s not foreluck tugging just realism of what we can achieve as supporters. Did the sometimes poisonous atmosphere in the stadium make any difference in our relegation season?

 

 

[lake district canary 4,836]

[quote user="Bor Bor Bor"]"....what about next season? Are the fans generally, going to be tense and timid like they were to start with last time we went up to the PL "

LDC in "whining about other supporters" shock.

I don''t think we were "tense and timid" at all under Lambert, thanks. Much more so under your boy Houghton.

If you saw more matches in the flesh, your opinions would carry more credibility on a count of them being less made up to suit your point.[/quote]

Well if you had your eyes and ears open you would have heard/seen/felt the general tension in those first few weeks, which is the time I am talking about next season - and which you will note, I said I was at under Lambert in that first season.   So instead of doing what you and one or two others do whenever I start a thread and try and ridicule it, this time by trying the "whining" or "going to matches" card - why not just answer it without trying to be clever.

The general pant wetting during the first few weeks built up to a crescendo with the game against Blackburn where the crowd was so tense it was ridiculous - and it affected the players.  I am assumimg that next season will see a bit more optimistic approach from our fans - at matches and away from matches.  I do hope so, anyway.

[morty 0]

The "whining" and "going to matches" are both extremely relevant points, in the context of the thread.

[Daz Sparks 1,558]

[quote user="nutty nigel"]

Expectations are fine in their own place. But our support shouldn''t be qualified by our expectations. Unqualified fanatical support come what may. That''s not foreluck tugging just realism of what we can achieve as supporters. Did the sometimes poisonous atmosphere in the stadium make any difference in our relegation season?

 

 

[/quote]

Wasn''t there some "scientific" research done on support influencing the outcome of sporting events in recent history, or have I imagined that on a day when I missed my meds?

[Move Klose 303]

LDC was Hughtons biggest fan.

[Katie Borkins 1]

I''m not trying to be clever, LDC, and when disagreeing with your poorly targeted posts I barely need to bother being clever.

I don''t believe your central premise, i.e. the fans were timid and quiet, is accurate.

[king canary 8,763]

Eh? The only time I remember any fans being like how you described was under Hughton when people like yourself constantly told us that the reason we were playing such god dam awful football was because this was the Premier League where you have to scrap for every point and you can''t go about doing things like ''attacking'' or ''trying to score goals'' as that would end in horrendous losses.

[lake district canary 4,836]

[quote user="CJRV 2014"]LDC was Hughtons biggest fan.[/quote]The first season we were promoted was under Lambert, the next season will be under Neil.  Hughton doesn''t come into it. 

The question is a fair one, imo. The Lambert first season was frought with doubts, players not up to the job, fans mithering about the Blackburn match being a relegation decider in October!  I don''ty think this coming season will be the same as that.  I''m hoping that some will agree that things will be a lot more positive going up this time.

[Indy 3,477]

Yep the teams relegated were by far the worst attacking teams in that league, palace, Swansea & Liecester all showed that if you give it a real go you can pick up results!

Fans and clubs have a need to be in it together and even during our worst time under Hughton I can''t say the atmosphere at the start of any game at CR was bad.....it went sour once we saw the shite being dished up by Hughton.

[king canary 8,763]

I''m going to do my best to not be rude here LDC but...what are you on about? All I remember is fans (not unreasonably) wondering if players who only 2 seasons before were playing in League 1 cutting it in the Premier League and expecting to be in relegation fight. This wasn''t negative just realism. In my experience it was the most positive season I could remember since the Huckerby led promotion charge as every goal, every performance and every win felt absolutely massive.

And the only reason I mentioned Hughton was because THAT was when the situation you described n your OP actually happened.

[lake district canary 4,836]

[quote user="king canary"]I''m going to do my best to not be rude here LDC but...what are you on about? All I remember is fans (not unreasonably) wondering if players who only 2 seasons before were playing in League 1 cutting it in the Premier League and expecting to be in relegation fight. This wasn''t negative just realism. In my experience it was the most positive season I could remember since the Huckerby led promotion charge as every goal, every performance and every win felt absolutely massive.

And the only reason I mentioned Hughton was because THAT was when the situation you described n your OP actually happened.[/quote]

Not so. That first season started off with a lack of belief off the field, only partially turned round after the Liverpool 1-1.  So many people were determined to talk us down, it was ridiculous.  Fortunately the team, particularly Holt -  and the manager - had other ideas.

[king canary 8,763]

Thats not how I remember it at all but there you go.

[morty 0]

[quote user="king canary"]Thats not how I remember it at all but there you go.[/quote]Just take a telling, he''s never wrong[;)]If he''s saying it sounded negative on dodgy streams, then thats exactly how it happened.

[king canary 8,763]

I mean, I remember people being (not unreasonably) a bit concerned that we conceded a penalty in our first five games. But fans just seemed genuinely excited about the season without too much in the way of expectation.

Again I find this point really weird from someone who loved Hughton so much- there was a manager who gave teams too much respect and seemed overawed by the whole ''Premier League'' thing.

[Barclay seats 4849 the 3rd 0]

As I recall ,,, at the start of our premier league season Ldc was a b*ellend ,,,,, at least he is consistent

[lake district canary 4,836]

[quote user="morty"][quote user="king canary"]Thats not how I remember it at all but there you go.[/quote]Just take a telling, he''s never wrong[;)]If he''s saying it sounded negative on dodgy streams, then thats exactly how it happened.[/quote]Poor Morty, cant resist sticking his nose in. I''ve been at many games over the years where the crowd has been tense, nervous and quiet - the one that stands out in my mind was the Norwich v Birmingham match in 2004 where we managed to win 1-0 to keep our premiership hopes alive.  Crowd tension DOES make a difference to the players and at the start of the 2011 season - there was plenty of that around. Understandable - up to a point - but that is why I ask the question - will we as fans be more optimistic next season than we were in that first season in the prem under Lambert?