Was this a one season chance?

I'm usually quite critical of the Cardiff City TV commentators but just got round to watching the extended highlights of the Reading game and one of our commentators, John Donavon said:



"Don't undersell this achievement, this was a one season hit to get promoted I felt and I don't think anyone was talking about that openly.

We needed a bounce back, we needed to do it at the first attempt. But that's easier said than done. It takes character, it takes skill and it takes leadership.

Credit to the leadership that's come in and galvanised this club."


Personally I think he's spot on.

I believe it was critical we went straight back up , teams of a similar size and bigger have dropped into league 1 and found themselves stuck here a while

I believe that would of been us as we would have lost a big chunk of our better players had we failed this season

Speaking to a few people who know some of our young players personally they have said none of them will be going anywhere they love the club love the manager and are fully invested in taking us to the next level

Im sure this wouldn't have been the case if we had failed to get promoted but I am very excited about next season's prospects and will be lumping my hard earned on a top 8 finish next season

When we got relegated last season, a guy I know from my local gym ( a big Sheffield United fan ), said to me league one is a tough division to get out of, and it had taken Sheffield United 6 seasons to achieve it. Very well done BBM and the team for achieving it at the first attempt with games to spare. Let's hope all fans turn up on Saturday to give them the recognition they deserve.

I believe it was critical we went straight back up , teams of a similar size and bigger have dropped into league 1 and found themselves stuck here a while

I believe that would of been us as we would have lost a big chunk of our better players had we failed this season

Speaking to a few people who know some of our young players personally they have said none of them will be going anywhere they love the club love the manager and are fully invested in taking us to the next level

Im sure this wouldn't have been the case if we had failed to get promoted but I am very excited about next season's prospects and will be lumping my hard earned on a top 8 finish next season

Hope you're right about the young players staying mate.

Keep them and add some elite Premier League young loans then top eight could be achievable, which would be the play-offs next season.

I believe it was critical we went straight back up , teams of a similar size and bigger have dropped into league 1 and found themselves stuck here a while

I believe that would of been us as we would have lost a big chunk of our better players had we failed this season

Speaking to a few people who know some of our young players personally they have said none of them will be going anywhere they love the club love the manager and are fully invested in taking us to the next level

Im sure this wouldn't have been the case if we had failed to get promoted but I am very excited about next season's prospects and will be lumping my hard earned on a top 8 finish next season

Hope you're right about the young players staying mate.

Keep them and add some elite Premier League young loans then top eight could be achievable, which would be the play-offs next season.

Ned, I agree with your OP and most of the comments above. This has been a hugely successful ‘job done!’ season and no mean achievement!

I see no reason the young players wouldn’t want to stay and be a part of something potentially special; and I hope that Nathan Trott will be part of it, too!

I believe so, failure to get promoted wouldve seen a mass exit in my opinion. Bagan, NG and Wintle on frees and the likes of Lawlor, Kpakio, Robertson, Salech sold with a very minimal amount put back into the squad. I dont believe BBM would have stuck around because I dont believe he was backed in January the way he should have been. Relying on free transfers and loans again would have seen our squad weaker going into next season.

All ifs and buts now, brilliant job done by BBM, the coaching staff and the players.

With a bit of luck, Tan sells in the summer to someone who wants to push this club forward.

Getting stuck in league one with the danger of dropping to league two was a concern.
Therefore straight back up is fantastic, played some decent stuff in alot of games,easy on the eye, so different compared to last season.
Tottenham away or Bromley away is a no brainer
BLOOOBIRDSBLOOOBIRDS.

I agree we needed to come back at the first attempt

When you look at clubs like Reading it shows how easily you can get stuck there if you don't bounce back straight away

There's nothing about Reading that makes you aware they were championship just a few seasons ago

That could have been us

I think so yes. With major odds against us also. Rookie manager, relatively rookie team with significant turnaround in starting 11, etc.

Someone on here wrote that it could have gone either way nonsense, we've strolled automatic promotion in the end when 'promotion by any means' was the goal.

Horrible division with really poor referees. We don't belong in L1.

A great season! Very un-like us to do it with games to spare, also.