Second-season syndrome: can Leeds avoid the fate of Huddersfield, Ipswich and Reading before them?
Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United impressed everyone on their return to the Premier League but the EFL is littered with teams who followed up one good season with one really bad one.
With even neutrals won over by Leeds' gung-ho style, the task now for Marcelo Bielsa is to deliver on the promising sophomore season.
Ipswich Town
George Burley's men were favourites for relegation ahead of their return to the top flight but were soon upsetting the odds, rising as high as third before eventually finishing in a hugely respectable fifth place.
Reading
The tables quickly turned in their second season, however, and Reading's form after Christmas sealed their fate. A run of eight straight defeats, starting with a crazy 6-4 loss at the hands of Tottenham, saw them plummet down the table.
Birmingham City
Birmingham City became the first team to win a major trophy and be relegated from the Premier League in the same season, in what was a bitter-sweet campaign for Alex McLeish's side.
They did have the League Cup in their trophy cabinet on their return to the Championship, however, with Obafemi Martins the Wembley hero against Arsenal.
Huddersfield Town
This continued in their maiden Premier League season too, with draws against big-spenders Chelsea and Manchester City helping them to a 16th-placed finish.
Sheffield United
Tipped for relegation in their first season back in the top flight since 2006/07, the Blades defied expectation to finish with 65 points. Becoming the second promoted team in as many seasons to finish with at least 50 points (after Wolves the previous year), they did not lose an away game until December against Manchester City.
After flirting with European qualification for the bulk of the season, Chris Wilder's men eventually finished tenth, winning 14 league matches and reaching the quarter-finals of the FA Cup before losing to Arsenal.
A shock win away to Manchester United was arguably the highlight of their season, but it wasn't enough to save Wilder's job - he left his role in March, with relegation looming.
Caretaker-boss Paul Heckingbottom duly completed the job, overseeing United's relegation with just 23 points.
Leeds, you have been warned.