First published in The Pink on Saturday May 15, 2010

WE THOUGHT we’d hate it, but in actual fact it has probably been one of the best seasons in years to be a Saints fan.

We’ve won more games than we’ve done in recent memory, lashed home more goals and won more silverware than we have done for years.

Dropping into League One was something I most certainly thought was comparable to Chinese water torture about 12 months ago.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to stay in this division any longer than we have to, but the last nine months have been the most fun in my Saints supporting life.

It wasn’t all great, no. The slow start was painful and was ultimately what cost us in end when it came to making the play-offs.

But the manner in which we saw off some teams, coupled with a Wembley win and a team that certainly looks too good for this division makes for a job pretty well done by Pardew.

Markus Liebherr has rightly got to be thanked for rescuing the club and Alan Pardew’s job in reinvigorating the playing staff and instilling a winning belief has to be commended.

At the end of last season, I’m not sure many of our players could spell “winning” let alone how to do it in emphatic style.

So the question now has to be where do we go from here?

The summer will present a number of issues to overcome, such as signing players that are not only good enough to do well in League One but good enough to carry on through the Championship.

If we can do what Leicester have done and make it through to the top six in the second tier directly after winning this division, Pardew will have pulled off some feat.

That has to be the medium term goal, but in the immediate future it is a matter of securing the players we have already and making improvements where necessary.

It’s a fine line – we don’t want to have a bloated squad, but we want one that will compete for 50-60 games next year and not need much surgery to do it a level up.

But looking how Pardew has done this season, I don’t think it is unreasonable to set the bar that high.

Many fans said at the start of the season that they’d be happy to avoid relegation because of the points deduction.

Now, I’d say for most it is the title or bust.

Judging by the last nine months, I think we have the manager and a squad to do just that.

And if it is half as much fun as this campaign was, I can’t wait for it.