Last season, Brentford enjoyed a memorable debut campaign in the Premier League. The Bees were making a return to the top flight after 74 years, but sprung a few surprises to finish 13th. There have been many such high flyers who have outperformed themselves on promotion, but have succumbed to the infamous “second season syndrome”.
What is the second season syndrome?
Every now and then, a team gains promotion, performs well above their standards, but the following season it all comes crashing down. There is no logical explanation to why it happens, but it happens often enough to not go unnoticed. This, in a nutshell, is the second season syndrome. So how many teams have been victims to it? Here’s a summary of teams that finished high in the first season, but the following season it was curtains (or at least very close to it).
Ipswich Town
First season: 2000/01 (finished 5th)
Second season: 2001/02 (finished 18th)
It was a case of fifth-time-lucky for George Burley, having reached the play-offs for four seasons in a row. Having finally made it to the Premier League, the Tractor Boys surprised everyone with an unthinkable fifth-placed finish. They were actually third with three games to go, looking good for a Champions League spot! But nonetheless, a fifth-placed finish is still unbelievable and remains the highest a promoted team has finished since 1994.
The next season though, things started to fall apart pretty soon. A big factor in that was the congested fixture list European football brings. They didn’t make much inroads continentally and waved goodbye to the Premier League as well.
Wigan Athletic
First season: 2005/06 (finished 10th)
Second season: 2006/07 (finished 17th)
No one would have expected Wigan Athletic, who had just been promoted, to be the closest team to run-away leaders Chelsea after 11 matches. And while they didn’t remain there for long, they had enough to amass 51 points and record a respectable 10th placed finish.
The following season, the least that was expected was to avoid relegation, and they barely managed that. Wigan were actually in the relegation zone going into the final day. A dramatic 2-1 win at Bramall lane in a ‘shoot-out’ match against Sheffield United saw the two teams swap places, with Wigan surviving on goal difference.
Reading
First season: 2006/07 (finished 8th)
Second season: 2007/08 (finished 18th)
Reading enjoyed a record-breaking promotion campaign in 2005/06, their 106 points a Championship record. Despite the step-up in quality the following season, Reading continued to dazzle and reached a high point when they thrashed West Ham 6-0. A memorable season ended with them finishing 8th.
However, they failed to replicate that form in 2007/08. In September 2007, Reading were beaten 7-4 by Portsmouth, the highest scoring match in the Premier League till date. On the last day, despite a 4-0 win at Derby County, Reading were relegated on goal difference.
Birmingham City
First season: 2009/10 (finished 9th)
Second season: 2010/11 (finished 18th)
Birmingham’s promotion in 2009 was their third in eight seasons as they looked to establish themselves in the Premier League. In the first season, it looked like they are on the right track, producing a 12-match unbeaten run by the end of which they were in European contention.
They ended the season with just one win in 10 games, and that set the tone for the following season. Though they were relegated in 2011, they did create some history by winning the League Cup against all odds. That made Birmingham the only team to win a major trophy and get relegated in the same season.
Sheffield United
First season: 2019/20 (finished 9th)
Second season: 2020/21 (finished 20th)
Chris Wilder’s tactics of centre-backs joining the attack from a back three took the Premier League by storm. In March, they were in European conversation ahead of the likes of Spurs and Arsenal. But like a few teams, the covid-enforced interval derailed their charge. Still, a top half finish was recorded.
In their second season, only one win was recorded in their first 19 games. And despite a famous win at Old Trafford, at no stage did they ever look like beating the drop. The Blades finished the campaign with 29 losses, just 20 goals scored and an underwhelming 23 points.
Leeds United
First season: 2020/21 (finished 9th)
Second season: 2021/22 (finished 17th)
There was so much uplift in general when Leeds returned to the Premier League after 16 long years. Under Marcelo Bielsa, the Whites played a high octane brand of football which matched against the best and delivered goals. They ended the campaign just missing out on an unlikely European place.
They were fancied by many to build from that and challenge for Europe the next season. That didn’t quite materialize, Leeds only surviving thanks to a winner in the final minute of the campaign. Injuries in key areas derailed their season which saw Bielsa depart midway.