I remember those two seasons well.
During his time Tony Saunders was a fabulous manager for us. But also when you become champions the way we did - and I remember those seasons clearly - you can hang on to squad members for too long.
If you look at Alex Ferguson, he lets players go such as Jaap Stamm, Paul Ince, David Beckham etc. when we think they have still got plenty to give. But it is not just about that, it is also about the hunger for success that some players have yet to achieve - so you sign them if they are good enough to build on what you had and what you have released. Tony Saunders kept the nucleas of the squad which had also been denied relegation two years on the trot also, soul destroying and I remember how much it hurt the club as well as it's loyal fans.
The squad I remember at it's peak originally, I recall other defences being pulled apart by our wing/forward play and being at sixes and sevens with one another, and JR being able to head goals from anywhere within and just outside the 18 yard box. The ball seemed to take all the time on the world better the keeper could never judge it properly. I remember Barry Howards wing wizadry, Stan Allen's agression and also John Davidsons lethel left foot. I can still here Kingy shouting Hey C'Mon from his captains position and the numbe of players who backed down when he went into confrontation with them. And I remember the menace of Jeff Johnson and his single mindedness.
Sometimes though, you have to make changes to keep the team hungry rather than deflated - htough I did think it was a bad loss when Kingy got his knee injury during the Cup final of 82. After tasting so much success over the last two years that was the cruellest moment for me, and I was so delfated coming home.
There have been good and bad memories for me like all of us, but there was nothing like that site of the 78-82 team in full flow - awesome!!
There I go, off an a tangent agaon - SORRY