Just 12 months after they had been relegated, Norwich City secured their place back in the Premier League via the Championship playoffs at Wembley.
Much of the credit for their return to the top flight has fallen at the feet of manager Alex Neil, who took over at Carrow Road in January when it appeared that Norwich would end the campaign as also-rans.
The big question now is can the Scot mastermind a survival campaign during 2015-16? Here, Sports Mole assesses the job ahead of Neil and his charges.
In
Graham Dorrans (West Bromwich Albion), Youssouf Mulumbu (West Bromwich Albion), Robbie Brady (Hull City), Andre Wisdom (Liverpool, season-long loan)
Out
Cameron McGeehan (Luton Town), Mark Bunn (Aston Villa)
Last season - Promoted via playoffs
Manager - Alex Neil
© Getty Images
Even the most ardent of Norwich supporters will probably confess to having been underwhelmed by Neil's appointment. A number of big names had been linked with the post, but it was the 34-year-old from Hamilton Academical that was entrusted with the position. But, having won 17 of his 25 matches in charge, losing just three times, Neil has unsurprisingly become a firm favourite among the Norfolk side's faithful.
Albeit in Scotland, Neil also has previous experience of having guided a side from the second tier to the top flight. He did just that with Hamilton, who held their own in the Scottish Premiership under his stewardship. The standout result before his departure to England was a first victory for the Accies over Celtic in 76 years. Keeping Norwich afloat will be a much tougher ask of course, but with Neil's methodical approach, there is a feeling at the club that they could not be in better hands.
Key Player - John Ruddy
Despite links with the likes of Chelsea, goalkeeper Ruddy stayed loyal to Norwich following their relegation. He went on to show good form in the Championship last term, conceding 48 goals, which was the third-best record in the division behind Middlesbrough and champions Bournemouth.
Looking ahead to this campaign, having been openly critical of Roy Hodgson's decision not to take him to the World Cup in Brazil, the 28-year-old will no doubt be determined to earn himself a recall back into the England squad. With fellow keepers Ben Foster and Fraser Forster both currently sidelined with injuries, good form early in the season would do his chances no harm. In terms of Norwich, he is bound to be busy in many games, so any clean sheets that he is able to keep could prove to be vital.
© Getty Images
Possible starting lineup
Ruddy; Martin, Turner, Bassong, Olsson; Brady, Dorrans, Mulumbu, Johnson, Redmond; Jerome
First game: Crystal Palace (H), Full fixture list
Sports Mole says
Soon after promotion had been sealed at the expense of Middlesbrough, Neil vowed that he would stick with the majority of the squad that had secured that achievement. While showing such loyalty can at times be rewarding, it's worth remembering that much of the current group at Norwich were at the club when they were relegated from the Premier League in 2014.
With that in mind, it seems that much is going to hinge on who Neil can attract to Carrow Road before the transfer window closes at the end of the month. The signings so far, with the greatest of respect, are steady lower-end Premier League players, but they have bolstered the numbers at least. Goals were a problem in 2013-14 - Norwich scored a division-low 28 in 38 outings. Right now there doesn't appear to be a striker in the squad that will make a significant improvement on that tally, so unless one arrives, an immediate return to the Championship seems likely.
Prediction - 20th
Liam Apicella
