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22nd August–5th September 1992: • 1–1 vs Man Utd (A) • 2–2 vs Liverpool (H) • 1–1 vs Spurs (H) • 2–2 vs Middlesbrough (A) • 0–0 vs QPR (A)
Matches 3 to 7 in that opening PL season. Our record after eight games was 2–6–0 and after 22 (out of 42) it was 8–12–2. Over the final 20 games, it was 4–4–12...
What was the feeling like at the time when we were doing well as a newly promoted team and had lost so few games — was there much talk of potential European qualification*? And was there considerable disappointment about the second half of the season or was 16th still considered to be a respectable finish for us? Just wondering as I wasn't born then and it seems like it was quite a tight, competitive season as there were only 10 points between Liverpool in 6th and Palace in 20th (R). Oldham only stayed up on GD and we lost to them home and away. I always find it amusing that we did the double over Norwich in their best ever season.
* Only three teams ended up qualifying for Europe due to the low English coefficient as a result of the Heysel ban.
⋆⋆⋆ My Ipswich Town quizzes: https://www.jetpunk.com/series/1696326/hinckfords-ipswich-town-quizzes ⋆⋆⋆
Our form in the first half of that season kept us up in truth.
The Leeds home win was a highlight but we became quite pragmatic as the season went on, trying to be difficult to beat. It was around then, that our football started to become quite difficult to watch, just days after that win at Carrow Road, we went to Highbury and got a 0-0 draw, following which George Graham was very critical of our approach.
After beating Man Utd and Spurs in consecutive games, we then went 13 without a win, losing 9 of them. We plummeted down the table before beating Norwich in an evening match which curbed what, at the time, were quite serious relegation fears.
93-94 despite a 3 out of 3 winning start was dreadful to watch and we should've really gone down that season, if only to spare us from the farce of the next one.
The last time we drew 4+ consecutive games in the top division on 22:55 - Sep 30 by gainsboroughblue
Our form in the first half of that season kept us up in truth.
The Leeds home win was a highlight but we became quite pragmatic as the season went on, trying to be difficult to beat. It was around then, that our football started to become quite difficult to watch, just days after that win at Carrow Road, we went to Highbury and got a 0-0 draw, following which George Graham was very critical of our approach.
After beating Man Utd and Spurs in consecutive games, we then went 13 without a win, losing 9 of them. We plummeted down the table before beating Norwich in an evening match which curbed what, at the time, were quite serious relegation fears.
93-94 despite a 3 out of 3 winning start was dreadful to watch and we should've really gone down that season, if only to spare us from the farce of the next one.
The 4-2 over Leeds was a great day. Vintage Warky, and Jason and Kiwomya running them ragged. Think we were even on first on Match of the Day.
In the first half of the season there was genuine optimism, and around the turn of the year European qualification was absolutely on the cards - I think we were fourth at one point and there was even (brief) talk of us being dark horses for the title, as the race was pretty open then. There were some wonderful results that season - beating Manchester United and Leeds (then reigning champions) at home, the double over Norwich, beating Spurs away, Blackburn at home, and a whole load of creditable draws.
Unfortunately, as Gainsborough has outlined very well, it was a house built on fairly shaky foundations and in the second half of the season we collapsed and nearly went down. Finishing 16th in our first season back in the top flight was hardly a disaster (especially compared to what happened to Nottingham Forest, which was a disaster), but it was pretty disappointing and that carried over into the next season, which still makes me shudder to think about.
1993/94 was horrendous - Lyall had given up, Mick McGiven was effectively in charge (although nobody seemed very clear on this point), and most games consisted of us sticking ten behind the ball and hoping Ian Marshall could come up with something. It was horrible anti-football and we should have been relegated, but our very fortunate survival only delayed the inevitable.
[Post edited 30 Sep 2024 23:18]
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The last time we drew 4+ consecutive games in the top division on 08:13 - Oct 1 with 1624 views
The last time we drew 4+ consecutive games in the top division on 22:55 - Sep 30 by gainsboroughblue
Our form in the first half of that season kept us up in truth.
The Leeds home win was a highlight but we became quite pragmatic as the season went on, trying to be difficult to beat. It was around then, that our football started to become quite difficult to watch, just days after that win at Carrow Road, we went to Highbury and got a 0-0 draw, following which George Graham was very critical of our approach.
After beating Man Utd and Spurs in consecutive games, we then went 13 without a win, losing 9 of them. We plummeted down the table before beating Norwich in an evening match which curbed what, at the time, were quite serious relegation fears.
93-94 despite a 3 out of 3 winning start was dreadful to watch and we should've really gone down that season, if only to spare us from the farce of the next one.
Yes, we had a bit of momentum early that season and were quite competitive with a side that had largely come up together from Division 2. We only signed Geraint WIlliams of note that Summer and Bontcho and Vlado Bozinoski in December.
It was a very different world in terms of the stratification of the division and the expectation, despite Sky's early efforts to ramp up the hyperbole (Monday night games, Sumo wrestlers, cheerleaders, live music at half time - Undercover doing 'Baker St' at QPR FFS) so being fourth at the end of January after beating Man Utd wasn't preposterous, Norwich had a shout for the title that year despite a negative goal difference!
We definitely fell away after that, a lack of quality in the squad and teams had already seen us play in an era where pre-match preparation was a lot simpler. It needed the win over Norwich in April to give us some breathing room at the bottom.
Agree with you, and Pique, on 93-94 what a miserable season that was, a total lack of ambition under McGiven after Lyall had effectively retired, it made Mick McCarthy at his worst look progressive. The calendar year of 1994 was truly miserable with only five league wins (and one great cup one over Spurs), just that two of them were against Leeds and Manchester United. It was like a two year relegation season.
The start had us believing we would survive, rather than thinking of qualifying for Europe - well that's what I thought.
What did keep coming into my head was Sir Alex comments after the ManU game. He was complementary but also made the point that playing against promoted teams is always hard at the start of the season because the players run nonstop for the entire game. But, the key is can they continue that for the season, they often run out of steam about half way through the season.
Which in some ways that did happen, our start was all about energy.
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The last time we drew 4+ consecutive games in the top division on 12:05 - Oct 1 with 1403 views
The last time we drew 4+ consecutive games in the top division on 23:13 - Sep 30 by Illinoisblue
The 4-2 over Leeds was a great day. Vintage Warky, and Jason and Kiwomya running them ragged. Think we were even on first on Match of the Day.
I have a feeling that Norwich's trip to Blackburn may have been on second....
The Shearer chip is the goal that stands out but the whole thing is glorious, especially the first goal where Mike Newell (?) falls over and still has a tap in as the defenders are somewhere near Accrington.
The last time we drew 4+ consecutive games in the top division on 08:13 - Oct 1 by Steve_M
Yes, we had a bit of momentum early that season and were quite competitive with a side that had largely come up together from Division 2. We only signed Geraint WIlliams of note that Summer and Bontcho and Vlado Bozinoski in December.
It was a very different world in terms of the stratification of the division and the expectation, despite Sky's early efforts to ramp up the hyperbole (Monday night games, Sumo wrestlers, cheerleaders, live music at half time - Undercover doing 'Baker St' at QPR FFS) so being fourth at the end of January after beating Man Utd wasn't preposterous, Norwich had a shout for the title that year despite a negative goal difference!
We definitely fell away after that, a lack of quality in the squad and teams had already seen us play in an era where pre-match preparation was a lot simpler. It needed the win over Norwich in April to give us some breathing room at the bottom.
Agree with you, and Pique, on 93-94 what a miserable season that was, a total lack of ambition under McGiven after Lyall had effectively retired, it made Mick McCarthy at his worst look progressive. The calendar year of 1994 was truly miserable with only five league wins (and one great cup one over Spurs), just that two of them were against Leeds and Manchester United. It was like a two year relegation season.
It certainly wasn't vintage Premier League. English football was still in quite a precarious state following Heysel and Hillsborough. Most of the best world talents were plying their trades in Spain and Italy as our coefficients were knackered due to only being back in European competition for about a year. The Sky TV/Premier League gimmick was just that for at least three or four seasons until the likes of Bergkamp started to filter through.
Attendances were still pretty poor outside of Man Utd, Liverpool etc. Lots of grounds having stands closed off due to all-seater regulations coming in. 92-93 was the season of the North Bank mural at Highbury. Stamford Bridge was also undergoing a massive overhaul.
So it was a good opportunity for clubs like us and Norwich to make hay in the inaugral stages and yep, the quality wasn't great. Players like David Bardsley, Tony Dorigo and Robbie Mustoe were commanding spots in the PL team of the year and despite getting beatings of 1-7, 1-5 etc, Nodge were able to claim 3rd place having conceded more than they scored.
It was a fantastic first half of the season, perhaps the 4-2 win over Leeds being the highlight. I don't think we ever felt that we were in relegation trouble, but the second half of the season was a big disappointment compared to the run up to Christmas.
The high point of the second half of the season was the 3-1 win against the Budgies, those three points all but secured our safety and it seems crazy to say it ruined their slight title ambitions.
Unfortunately the second half of the season form continued into the following season and we were incredibly lucky to stay up that year. The writing was on the wall for relegation from that point.
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The last time we drew 4+ consecutive games in the top division on 17:24 - Oct 1 with 1145 views
The last time we drew 4+ consecutive games in the top division on 13:30 - Oct 1 by gainsboroughblue
It certainly wasn't vintage Premier League. English football was still in quite a precarious state following Heysel and Hillsborough. Most of the best world talents were plying their trades in Spain and Italy as our coefficients were knackered due to only being back in European competition for about a year. The Sky TV/Premier League gimmick was just that for at least three or four seasons until the likes of Bergkamp started to filter through.
Attendances were still pretty poor outside of Man Utd, Liverpool etc. Lots of grounds having stands closed off due to all-seater regulations coming in. 92-93 was the season of the North Bank mural at Highbury. Stamford Bridge was also undergoing a massive overhaul.
So it was a good opportunity for clubs like us and Norwich to make hay in the inaugral stages and yep, the quality wasn't great. Players like David Bardsley, Tony Dorigo and Robbie Mustoe were commanding spots in the PL team of the year and despite getting beatings of 1-7, 1-5 etc, Nodge were able to claim 3rd place having conceded more than they scored.
I've been thinking when did that hype bubble really start to inflate, probably over the course of the first few seasons, things like:
- Sutton's value going up by £1m per newspaper report and Blackburn being willing to overpay that still - Keegan and Newcastle helped, especially the consecutive 4-3 defeat at Anfield, the latter was when Sky really went for blubbing fans as a leitmotif of the game - Klinsmann joining Spurs and their ridiculous front five at the start of 94-95, he was probably the first genuine world star to come to England after the PL began even if he was declining* - And then Bergkamp at Arsenal, it was such an oddity of a league in 1996 that Bruce Rioch was still Arsenal manager at the time
Thinking about it the grounds being rebuilt just added to the sense of it being a new era, only one club was all-seater for the first match of 92-93 too, albeit a second played at home a few days later. 32 years ago though, as far distant from now as 1960 was at the time.
The last time we drew 4+ consecutive games in the top division on 17:24 - Oct 1 by Steve_M
I've been thinking when did that hype bubble really start to inflate, probably over the course of the first few seasons, things like:
- Sutton's value going up by £1m per newspaper report and Blackburn being willing to overpay that still - Keegan and Newcastle helped, especially the consecutive 4-3 defeat at Anfield, the latter was when Sky really went for blubbing fans as a leitmotif of the game - Klinsmann joining Spurs and their ridiculous front five at the start of 94-95, he was probably the first genuine world star to come to England after the PL began even if he was declining* - And then Bergkamp at Arsenal, it was such an oddity of a league in 1996 that Bruce Rioch was still Arsenal manager at the time
Thinking about it the grounds being rebuilt just added to the sense of it being a new era, only one club was all-seater for the first match of 92-93 too, albeit a second played at home a few days later. 32 years ago though, as far distant from now as 1960 was at the time.
*It could have been Batistuta too....
I'd add to that list Ruud Gullit joining Chelsea. Although he was even further over the hill than Klinsmann at that stage, he was a genuine global superstar and it was a real 'wow' moment when he decided to play in England.
Would also add the Middlesbrough splurge which saw Brazilian and Italian stars playing alongside Phil Stamp and Jamie Pollock as quite a pivotal moment.
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