I know it is hard to compare any two seasons but

[Andy S]

Obviously there was no message board in those days but in the Tigana days who can remember if they thought that season was going to be a good one before the it started? I remember that I couldn't believe we would win our first 11 games.

[ffc73]

Not before the season started.  I mean Tigana and his fitness boys?  and that young French striker who had failed to make the grade at Newcastle?  John Collins?  Past it and only coming to top up his pension.

Walking away from the Cottage after the Crewe game.  First and only time I have been optimistic as a FFC fan.  Was absolutely convinced we were going up after watching 90-minutes....

[westcliff white]

The s cond game that season at to Birmingham convinced me we were going to have a very decent season

[Supermitch]

The s cond game that season at to Birmingham convinced me we were going to have a very decent season

Spot on - when Louis Saha put us 1 up in the first minute or so and we went on to dominate it was evident we had the makings of a very good side.

[AnotherVicHalomLoveChild]

The real clue came when we heard Tigana spent every moment on attention to detail, in every respect
Even down to every player having their teeth checked, cleaned, repaired etc
Absolutely extraordinary with such meticulous attention to detail
The toothpick twisting & turning
& in the end culminating in the Marlet fiasco, utterly incomprehensible
So much great work & achievement clouded with such a bitter & sad ending
Ah well, that Kit should build & experience such a time
We will of course see soon enough I guess.......
COYW!   

[bog]

The Birmingham away game did it for me. After the 4-1 away win Trevor Francis said it was the best ever away display he had ever seen. On the morn of our 12th fixture we even got a mention on Classic FM!!

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[Holders]

Comparing the two seasons - well, although Tigana and his methods were largely an unknown Fayed had a record of success and we had confidence in him. The difference is that, although Khan says much the same things and I see no reason not to trust what he says, the record during his tenureship has not been one of success - the opposite in fact. FFP comes into play now as well, of course.

I'm always optimistic at the start of a season and I shall be very disappointed if we don't do enough to make top 6. Frankly, we should be aiming at top two.

[filham]

You know before that season started I didn't give Tigana a chance, how on earth could some Frenchman who had no experience of the English second division succeed. I gave him six months at the most.

I couldn't believe what was happening for the first two or three games , I then spent the rest of the season  eating large portions of humble pie.
The Tigana team was a revolution that took the 2nd division by storm, we will never see the likes of it again .

The only similarity between now and then is that we will have to wait for a few games to see how our new look team is going to perform but don't expect any thing resembling the Tigana team.

[MJG]

I remember my old man seeing us play Brentford (I think) pre season and he rang me afterwards to say he could not believe how we had tried to play. All that passing etc.

[BedsFFC]

Tigana didn't scream "OUT" every time a ball was played in our box.

He just chewed his cocktail stick, shrugged his shoulders and said "c'est la vie". He trusted Cookie Coleman as he had been coached by a defensive coach and was fully aware which way to head a ball that had come into the box.

Sorry. The Frankfurt game bugged me.

[nose]

The real clue came when we heard Tigana spent every moment on attention to detail, in every respect
Even down to every player having their teeth checked, cleaned, repaired etc
Absolutely extraordinary with such meticulous attention to detail
The toothpick twisting & turning
& in the end culminating in the Marlet fiasco, utterly incomprehensible
So much great work & achievement clouded with such a bitter & sad ending
Ah well, that Kit should build & experience such a time
We will of course see soon enough I guess.......
COYW!   

I agree with this 100% and before he kicked a ball i thought signing saha was inspired. I thought he was a great player needing the right opportunity to flourish and we gave him that... boa was the only one that worried me because I knew how eratic he was, but he came good too.

Tiganana seemed to have the right idea, spoke well (when quoted) and the attention to detail was everything.

Such a shame it ended in tears... i did feel sorry for him in the respect that he didn't really cope with prem referees and their clear bias towards certain teams and players.....  i remember some of his interviews after bizaree incidents trying to be calm and tell his playrsd to walk away when clearly something was mighty rotten to the core with the refereeing... and it clearly still is.  I don't mean to change the subject but we knoiw fifa was/is corrupt, and euefa not much better...... I suspect there is plenty wrong in the english game if the media would be good enough to check!

[Nick Bateman]

I don't mean to change the subject but we knoiw fifa was/is corrupt, and euefa not much better...... I suspect there is plenty wrong in the english game if the media would be good enough to check!

The media I contend, are part of the problem.

[Burt]

That promotion season was pretty special and you could tell pretty quickly that we were going to have a good one. I still really couldn't believe we would get in to the premier league though until Boxing Day when we gave Watford a 5-0 whopping and from that point on I thought it would never be in doubt.

[Lighthouse]

It was always going to be a good season. Then when Collins passed to Saha and he scored with pace and accuracy. Well it made the feeling a bit stronger. I don't think anybody, however optimistic they are, feels we are close to that. A season of building and consolidation is the most we can hope for.

But as football supporters we live in hope.

[Andy S]

There was clearly something Magic about that team Sean Davies who had played for us in every league reached his peak, Boa who was only on loan at the time excelled as did Cookie John Collins was a great captain who made sure Jean Tigana's plan was carried out to the letter. Louis Saha up front was probably one of our best strikers ever. I agree with Burt After the Watford game it was a formality.