Reading- The Latest Team to Experience SSS?
At the start of the 2006/07 season most assumed that Chelsea and Manchester United would compete for the title; they also assumed that the teams that had come up from the Championship would struggle. Of the three teams that came up, two did as expected.
Watford finished rock bottom of the table, six points below their closest rivals and generally failed to impress, while Sheffield United were relegated on the last day of the season after showing a little (yet not a lot) more bottle than the teams below them.
The surprise package of last season would undoubtedly have to be Reading, who at one stage was competing for the European qualifying places before eventually settling down in a comfortable eight place. Before the season started many tipped Reading to go straight back down, despite them dominating the Championship the previous season -finishing sixteen points clear of the next team. Reading had not splurged in the transfer market and thus was not expected to do well. The club only signed Korean winger Seol Ki-Hyeon for £1.5 million as their major signing, with Sam Sodje, Ulises de la Cruz also coming in.
Reading went on to surpass everyone’s expectations as they played a brand of attacking football rarely seen by newcomers to the Premiership, and certainly earned their position at the end of the season.
This season they have not started off as well, slumping to 15th in the table after picking up just seven points from their opening seven games. Why have they regressed so much from last season’s fiery start? The reason for that would have to be what is famously known as “Second Season Syndrome”. Second Season Syndrome is defined as a downturn in fortunes for a club two seasons after its promotion to the English Premier League.
Many teams in the past have been hit by Second Season Syndrome- most famously Ipswich Town in the 2001/02 season, when they went from fifth and European qualification a year earlier to being relegated. This case was an example of a shocking drop from the prior season; although Reading have not done as poorly they will have to make sure they do not become embroiled in a relegation battle so early in the year.
What exactly is are the symptoms of Second Season Syndrome? For starters, the players that surprised everyone a year ago may get found out as opponents set up special tactics for them. While the first season in the Premier League is a special one -especially if you put in some of the excellent displays that Reading did last year- teams can get weighed down by expectation. As with Ipswich Town in 2001/02, their fans expected the team to do just as well- and were not happy when the team failed to reach those heights again.
Reading this season have already picked up some serious thrashings- losing 3-0 away to Bolton as well as being beaten by the same score at the Madejski Stadium by West Ham. Although they also went down 2-1 to Sunderland a week ago, they will be hoping that their form has started to pick up after a late winner secured a 2-1 win over Wigan.
Reading are a side that are pleasing to watch when they’re on their game, and for the good of the Premiership one hopes they stay up.
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Once teams knew what football Reading was playing they can no longer surprise their opponenent and will slump from the year before. As long as the team and fans realize that last season’s 8th place was overshoot (which the transfer activity may suggest is the clubs own belief) then Reading will be happy to finish above relegation zone and rebuild next year.
Didn’t Bolton build up slowly when they were promoted back in the mid/late 90s and they are regular Euro contenders every year.
Overnight success does not stick around for long — as Chelsea will be the next example of this season and next (I smell Chelsea’s locker room boiling over)
I think its too early to say that they will be struggling all season. About 99% of the problem would be the absence of Steve Sidwell. A loan deal in January? - who knows.
While we’re on that topic I hope for Sidwell’s case that he doesn’t play another game this season. Absolute total sell-out. Either that or he’s the most delusional player in the premiership, thinking he is good enough to compete with Lampard, Ballack, Essien, Makelele and Mikel for just 2 spots in midfield.
I hate to sound pesemistic, but I had been worrying about it in summer. They never replaced Sidwell and haven’t shown the same enthusiasm as they did last season.
I’d hate to see them get relegated, but so would everyone else I know. A lot of us support them because of Doyle, Hunt, and especially in my town and nearby areas, Shane Long.
They hand out “song sheets” at the beginning of matches in order to encourage their fans to sing. And their attendances are rubbish. They do not have the fans or support base to deserve to be in the Prem.
I would be happy to see Wigan, Fulham and Reading go down as the teams with the most abject support in the Prem.
I think I may get my wish with Wigan but Fulham and Reading should stay up.
most recently Wigan suffered from SSS. Last season the y finished in tenth place i think, and last season in 17th…
i feel sympathetic towards them for no particular reason by i do hope they stay up (though if they will they will probably finish in 15th or below) and then come back for more next season. They seem to me like one of those teams that are pleasant to watch even though they are not really spectacular. I hope they stay up alongside Wigan.
[…] sides, and Real lead the roost with 13 points from 5 games; Getafe are second-bottom with 2 points (second-season syndrome anyone?). However, Real’s last two performances have been fairly abject, whilst Laudrup’s Getafe are […]
cmon guys, i cant bleive ur actually wanting reading to go down…personaly i think they deserve to stay in the prem. theyre an inspiration to othr teams. top 10 finish with a tight budget, homegrown and low cost players and an amazing spirit and playing style of attack football…how many top prem teams can boast of them.
i believe coppell made a big mistake of not adding any major firepower when all the othr clubs were goin on 20 million spending sprees. add to that the departures of sidwell nd seol nd u hv the reason of readings present form.
sidwell also made a BIGGGG mistake moving to chelsea. he was the “gerrard” of reading nd suddnly he decides to go fight for a bench place at chelsea. idiot.
ps. the teams gettin relegated r the ones that came in . its tht simple.