AuthorBoth Outcasts That’s it; the 2016-2017 season is over. It was a great season, with a record number of wins (30) for Chelsea as they stormed to the title, Sunderland were finally relegated after flirting with it for so long and Leicester fell from grace after winning it last season. We had Harry Kane winning the golden boot for the second season in a row; he managed 29 goals this year and therefore improving from last season’s 26. We also saw West Ham move to a new home and they really didn’t like it much and we said goodbye to another old ground in White Hart Lane. Overall it was a big season and below is a rundown of how we think each team did. Please note that the player of season award goes to the player we thought was worthy and maybe not the official player of the year of that club. 1. Chelsea
A turnaround of supreme proportions, Chelsea went from 10th last season to deserved title winners this term. Antonio Conte deserves huge credit for improving the side with his tactical flexibility (changing in September to a 3-4-3 formation after a big loss to Arsenal) and trust in his squad to express themselves paying dividends. This season has heralded a return to form of Eden Hazard, David Luiz showing he is able to actually defend, Victor Moses being a fantastic wing back (who knew?!) and Diego Costa being at his brilliant bastard-like self. A record 30 wins from 38 games and the second highest points haul ever shows they were the outstanding team this year. The quiet shepherding of John Terry out of the club without disruption (apart from the bizarre 26th min guard of honour in their last game?!) has been one of Contes other great achievements, in that he has succeeded where others failed in taming the clubs “Mr Chelsea”. Chelsea likely profited from not being in the Champions League this season while all their direct rivals were, but that shouldn’t detract from a great domestic season. They could do the double this week if they win the FA Cup and then the challenge will be for them to defend their title next year with the continental commitments, something they failed to achieve last time they were champions. With the new season they are expecting changes - keeping Hazard will be difficult with Real Madrid’s interest and Costa may be off to China, but topping this seasons overall performance will be tough act and a fascinating watch. Player of the Year: Eden Hazard 2. Tottenham Hotspur A fantastic season this year and a successful season all round, given they scored the most goals in the league and had the golden boot winner again in Harry Kane. Overall the entire team has been fantastic and the team appears to have completely bought into Mauricio Pochettino approach, showing a definite improvement over last year’s campaign. They have had such a good season that in 10 of the 24 EPL seasons that have passed they would have won the league with their points haul. It just shows how good Chelsea has been. They will want to improve their form in the champion’s league though as so far they have yet to really leave their mark on the tournament. Their past form at Wembley might be a cause for concern given are moving there for next season while White Hart Lane is upgraded – will they be able to replicate this years performances at the national stadium next season, especially given they were unbeaten at the Lane this season? The other major cause for concern is whether this team might be picked apart by the bigger sides, as they have arguably the best full backs in the league, the best young player in the league and the best striker in the league. Can Pochettino keep them together and then add to it to go one better? We really hope so because they have been a fantastic team to watch this season. Compared to the current “big boys” of Man U, Man City, Liverpool etc I am not sure any of their squad would see direct title rivals as an enticing prospect for a move, so hopefully we will see Spurs mount a very real title challenge next term. Player of the Year: Tough call as it could have been Delli Ali or Son but we went for Harry Kane 3. Manchester City There was so much hype at the beginning of the season with Manchester City and Pep Guardiola favourites for the title. With hindsight the amount of hype and expectation was unrealistic in reality and the season ended with a 3rd position finish and no trophy. That’s the first time that Pep has finished a season without a trophy in his managerial career so far, but it would be wrong to class the season as a complete failure. At times this season they very much looked like title contenders and with players that have been brought in like Leroy Sane, Gabriel Jesus and Kevin De Bruyne they have some of the best attacking talent in the league. Sergio Aguero has scored his most goals in a season too with 33 goals in all competitions; however, it’s in defence that they have really struggled. The decision for Hart to be removed now looks incredibly poor having seen the performances of Claudio Bravo, who apparently is a goal keeper! They also have ageing full backs that need replacing and John Stones needs some defensive work to fulfil the potential he clearly has. Put simply we wouldn’t be surprised to see a new defence next season and a whole new back five isn’t beyond the realms of possibility. Overall a decent season but plenty of improvement needed and expected from grand master Pep and the Manchester City owners. Player of the Year: Sergio Aguero 4. Liverpool For the first half of the season Liverpool looked to be in the title race and up till Christmas they very much looked the part. Unfortunately, then the African Cup of Nations came along and their best player up until that point, Sadio Mane, left to participate in that. Him leaving, along with a raft of injuries to what is a relatively small squad (quality wise when compared to the other traditional big sides) resulted in a dip in form and them eventually falling away from league title contention. Considering all that, Klopps first full season in charge must be considered a success. The high energy, pressing style has its flaws and limitations, but they will be back in the Champions League next season and that was the aim this year. Its not just the top four finish however, as the fans (and media alike) can all see genuine progress under Klopp, which is just as important to the Anfield faithful as a rise up the league or contention for trophies. For next season they desperately need a proper left back and another centre back to sit alongside an excellent Joel Matip. Dejan Lovren has improved tremendously under Klopp, but is still prone to lapses in concentration during games. A new, experience, reliable keeper is also desirable, as well as a real tried and test “goal machine” up front – although Liverpools attacking options are plentiful compared to other clubs, most of these players are not traditional strikers, so a fox in the box/poacher type would be welcomed. Danny Ings return next year will be interesting as he really wasn’t given a chance under the last management regime prior to his injury. They also need to sort out their set pieces as they are just awful at them, with WBA proving this and targeting this tactic during their last meet this season. One thing they haven’t been bad at however is taking points from the other big clubs around them - a total of 19 points from a possible 30 has been amassed. It’s the slip ups against the lesser sides that’s the problem, so if Klopp sorts that out Liverpool will be challenging for the title next season. Player of the Year: Adam Lallana 5. Arsenal The measurement of success as indicated by Wenger himself was reaching the Champions League for the past 19 seasons without fail, and by not achieving that this year means that by the managers very own admission this was a failure of a season. Wenger has also admitted that his ongoing contractual negotiations have resulted in squad uncertainty which has affected his players; resulting in the up and down season they have had this year. Why was this allowed by the board? Winning the FA Cup next weekend will bring some feeling that this season wasn’t a total bust, but it’s the same issues that have dogged Arsenal under Wenger for years - they look like world beaters on occasions and then wilt under pressure the second that said pressure is applied. The destruction of the team again by Munich in the UCL shows the gulf in class between the elite and Arsenal at the moment and fans have a right to question whether they can reach that next level. It seems highly likely that Wenger will stay on for another season but we can foresee another season like this and wouldn’t be surprised that their prized assets are taken from them in the close season. Bellerin, Sanchez and Ozil will all be questioning whether a move to Champions League club would be better for them than staying in North London. A simple statistic is that Arsenal scored more goals and won more points than last season, but ended up 5th rather than 2nd. That shows that four other clubs have improved beyond them and left them behind, that is why we see Wenger Out signs everywhere. #WEXIT Player of the Year: Alexi Sanchez 6. Manchester United They were 2nd favourites for the title at the beginning of the season and Jose Mourinho deserves credit for being able to lower expectations to that which a League Cup victory is enough and something to be proud of for a club of their might and size! To be fair to Jose, he did bring Zlatan to the EPL who has proved doubters wrong and Eric Bailly has been a fine acquisition. Despite the ludicrous fee Paul Pogba he has not been as bad as people say, although the flip side to that is that its fair to say that he has hardly lit the Premier League on fire either. Pobga has played over 4500 minutes this season, coupled with his France duties last summer, so it may be that the boy needs a rest. This week they also won their first ever Europa League to complete a full set of trophies for United. That’s feat only a few other clubs have achieved. Two trophies in a season is certainly a good season for most sides. However, you feel that this isn’t the case with Manchester United, as they have been poor in long stretches this season and the 15 draws this term have been mind numbing for spectators. This is also a side that scored fewer goals than both Everton and Bournemouth, which is shameful for the most expensively assembled side in history. Expect more major signings in the summer too. Louis Van Gaal was sacked after a similar display in the League and winning the FA Cup, so a poor run next season and the Portuguese may find himself under huge pressure, especially if any new signings don’t perform or take time to settle. Again though they have finished the season with two trophies and that has to be classed as a success, even if those trophies are in the less reputable cups. However, there is just that underlying feeling that they should be playing better than this, next season in the Champions League will certainly be the test. Oh they also won the Community Shield if that counts? Player of the Year: Ander Herrera 7. Everton The best of the rest really, Ronald Koeman has done an excellent job at Everton this season and some of the acquisitions made like Idrissa Gueye, Ashley Williams and Morgan Schneiderlin were inspired. The unearthing of Ademola Lookman was a lovely story for the season as well. There is a sense that if Koeman stays and is backed then there is a potential to upset the apple cart of the current top 6 next time out. However, two players that he may have to attempt to do that with are Romelu Lukaka and Ross Barkley. The latter you feel Everton would be happy to take the money for and the former you need to pry from their cold dead hands such is Lukakus importance! It was a shame this season the Bolasie was injured so early; we think it would have been great to see him combine more with the big Belgian up top. Overall, a good season for Everton and one they are going to find hard to improve upon next year. Out of the top 6 sides this year, its Arsenal that should probably worry about Everton progressing next year. Player of the Year: Romelu Lukaku 8. Southampton Many people have questioned whether it was a good season for Southampton. We would say that although results have been mixed this season reaching 8th and getting to a cup final (that they should have won given the way they performed) means it was a good season for the Saints. There are still question marks over Claude Puel and we think the main one is why they didn’t sign another striker at the beginning of the season after Pelle was sold. How things may have been different if Manolo Gabbiadini had been signed at the start of the season rather than the middle? The likes of Nathen Redmond and Oriol Romeu have impressed but Southampton have flown under the radar a bit this season and I would say this is the first season in three that they may not be totally raided by other sides. That should greatly help in the preparation for next season. Player of the Year: Oriol Romeu 9. AFC Bournemouth Officially the best British manager in the EPL now with Bournemouth reaching 9th, its a wonderful achievement for Eddie Howe, the players, club and fans that they have maintained their status as a Premier League club. Howe and the Cherries have quietly gone about their business this season and while there were concerns over the managers tactics, the clubs financial ability to compete and even the recruiting pre-season, they have proven that those concerns were unfounded. In Josh King they have a striker that lead the line brilliantly in the final half of the season. The Norwegian was being played on the wings, but a shift inside to the middle yielded 16 goals this season, a fabulous return, and an inspired decision by the manager. Overall it seems like the Cherries overachieved this season and it will be difficult for them to replicate 9th but they have certainly looked at home in the EPL in only their second season in the top flight. Player of the Year: Josh King 10. West Bromwich Albion Overall it’s been a good season for Tony Pulis and West Brom, but next season more options are needed to assist the more than capable Rondon and a replacement for the fantastic, but ageing Gareth McCauley must be sought, but overall this is a team that did well this season. However, it seems the moment they hit 40 points they are “on the beach”, as safety was assured and another season secured so the players and manager seem to relax and pretty much give up! It is a shame because up until that point West Brom were really threatening the teams above them and could realistically aim for 7th and a European adventure. In the end the seven loses out of the final ten games meant the best they could hope for was a top half finish. It appears to have been a season of two steps forward and one back for them and with strong teams coming up from the championship next season they will have to be careful not to let complacency set in. Player of the Year: Gareth McCauley 11. West Ham United The best way to describe West Hams season is probably chaotic. The move to the Olympic stadium was not smooth both on and off the pitch and that threatened to overshadow their season straight from the off. Losing their best player half way through the season hardly helped matters either, with Dimitri Payet refusing to play and then forcing a move infuriated fans and in the end it was a good thing he was sold. Slaven Bilic tactics sometimes were also baffling but through all that they have climbed to 11th in the table, which, given everything that’s happened is probably a fair reflection of their level at the moment. Is that more an indication of their ability or the poor quality of teams in the lower half of the table though? Potentially a bit of both we think but they have also had some horrible luck with injuries this season. However, West Ham do have cause for optimism for next season, but maybe they should stop the chairmen talking of Champions League football and buying $30million strikers, only to end up with Simone Zaza (although hes done well at Valencia)! Their highlight of the season? Look up Andy Carrolls overhead kick goal, lovely. Player of the Year: Michael Antonio 12. Leicester City Reality came back to bite the Foxes this season. They were in trouble for a while and flirted with relegation until Ranieri was unceremoniously sacked and his deputy Shakespeare installed. The nature around that whole affair has been documented a lot but the decision to sack Claudio some nine months after winning the title now appears justified. The Foxes certainly improved substantially after the sacking and in the end easily secured their EPL status. The Champions League was also a brilliant distraction for them and something that the fans and club will never forget. It was going to be near impossible for them to reach the highs of last season but the run in the UCL and maintaining their EPL status can be considered a success. That being said we can see them being plundered in the close season, with Marhez being the most likely to leave and with several strong teams coming up they may be in for a fight next season. Overall summary? Regression to the mean. Player of the Year: Kasper Schmeichel 13. Stoke City What’s this, do our eyes deceive us? Stoke City not in 9th! In the end this is a squad that should be doing better and the question must be asked – Has Mark Hughes taken them as far as he can? The answer for us is yes and we wouldn’t be surprised to see a new man at the helm next season. He deserves credit for changing Stokes long ball tactic to a more fluid attacking approach but the squad has more in it than what we saw this season. What is there to say about their season? The signings of Bony and Berahino failed to meet expectations and loaning one of your top scorers out (Bojan) seemed daft. Shaqiri was injured a lot but when played showed glimpses of what he can do, unfortunately it appears he won’t meet the hype given to him. The signings of Joe Allen and Lee Grant were great though but it just seems that this is a squad that could do more that it has, a season of ups and downs in the end. Player of the Year: Joe Allen 14. Crystal Palace A tale of two managers in the end, with Pardew removed when things were looking awful and Big Sam the great escape artist brought in to prevent relegation. Palace retained their status in the league with a week to spare. This was a relegation dogfight won with plenty of money as Big Sam spent the most out of anyone in the January transfer window. However, that’s not to discredit the Gravy Lover as he did exactly what he was tasked to do and managed Palace up to 14th place. That can be seen as a success and Big Sam can at least say he got some of his reputation back after the England debacle. Biggest surprise of the season though, isn’t Big Sam keeping them up, but him then walking away from the club a week after the season ending. That’s blindsided everyone, but leaves the club in a good position to get a new manager in early who can then have all pre-season to mold the team and thoroughly prepare for the upcoming campaign. Player of the Year: Wilfried Zaha 15. Swansea City At the beginning of the year Paul Clement was the third manager in charge of Swansea this season. They were bottom of the table, two points from Hull and three points from Sunderland. Clement cleaned up the mess made by the previous managers (and club hierarchy); with 26 points from the last 19 games they went from bottom spot to 15th. A season that turned in to a nightmare turned very quickly once Clement came in and implemented new strategies. However, he was helped tremendously by two big fish in one little pond. Gylfi Sigurðsson and Fernando Llorente were the big stars of this season and it is going to be a very difficult job to keep either one of those at the club next season. The first part of the campaign can clearly be labelled as atrocious but the upshot in form after Christmas can be considered a success. As with other teams in the bottom half they will need to be careful of the strong teams coming up from the Championship. Player of the Year: For Gylfi Sigurðsson 16. Burnley A superb start to the season and great home form meant that Burnley managed to stay up and them staying up is a big achievement. Sam Vokes 12 goals in all competitions was a good return for the striker as well and it’s a shame Steven Defour was injured for fair amounts of the season as he looked a fine acquisition. However, their form after Christmas could have ended them up in a right mess and Sean Dyche will have to improve and improve the squad to repeat the trick next season. Overall though staying in the league is a big success for Burnley and it’s the first time they have managed it in several attempts. They may have a few suitors for Tom Heaton in the close season as well, Heaton has been in fine form over the season and was ranked as the second best shot stopper in the league (behind Lloris). Keeping him will be a major focus in the close season. Player of the Year: Tom Heaton 17. Watford Losing the last 6 games and sacking Walter Materazzi meant that it was a miserable end to the season for the Hornets. The limp and feeble loss on the final day of the season optimised Watford this season, sometimes they were confident and aggressive but far too often they disappeared in games. The players did not look like they played for the manager and the fans certainly never warmed to Materazzi. This was confirmed by Gomes admitting that they didn’t always give 100% in matches this season in a post-match interview on Sunday. That certainly wont sit well with fans. Another new coach for the clubs hierarchy to sort out but staying in the EPL is still a win for the club. They still have plenty of quality in the squad as well, with Troy Deeney, Etienne Capoue and Sebastian Prödl they have a good core spine, whoever comes in next will need to add quality to the squad rather than quantity like previous managers. Player of the Year: Sebastian Prödl 18. Hull City A valiant effort in the end to stay up but Hull couldn’t quite manage it. To be fair for Hull to push the relegation fight to the penultimate weekend did show a lot of fight and Marco Silva did provide the backbone for that. It is a shame that it has been confirmed that Silva will not be staying at the club next season (although taking he is taking the Porto job so we cant blame him). We give Hull more credit that most in this situation is because of how it all started. After their playoff victory last season then manager Steve Bruce quit due to issues with the board, player injuries and lack of signings meant that going into the season Hull had nine senior players registered, check out Curtis Davis team photo for proof. That’s criminal for an EPL team and they were written off before a ball was kicked (included by us). However, a win on the opening day against the champions Leicester showed that there was fight and there might be hope but the lack of signings, injuries and eventful failure of caretaker boss Mike Phelan meant a miracle was needed when Silva came in as his replacement. It nearly happened but in the end they are really only side going down that can at least have some pride. Player of the Year: Sam Clucas 19. Middlesbrough They just could not score! A damning statistic of Boros inability in front of goal is that they only scored 27 goals, Harry Kane scored 29. At least one of the goals they scored was the beauty by Gaston Ramirez. Unfortunately those sorts of joys were rare in an otherwise rotten season. Unfortunately the sacking of Aitor Karanka did not come soon enough and Boros fighting spirit were never on display. It was almost as if they were resigned to their relegation fate. Such a shame after the work put in during last year’s Championship season. It is likely that several of the players will look for pastures new, Ben Gibson being the most sought after we would say. Not much to say other than see you in the Championship next season. Player of the Year: George Friend 20. Sunderland The inevitable happened - after so long flirting with relegation Sunderland finally succumbed after 10 years and dropped out the top flight. The only ray of light in the season was Jordon Pickford’s form. The England Under 21 player has looked assured behind a leaky defence and earned a PFA Young Player of the Year nomination on the back of making the second highest number of saves (109) in the league. He has also saved 72% of shots he has faced which leaves him only behind Lloris and Heaton in the top goalie charts. However, it looks highly likely he will be sold this summer, with Everton sniffing around. Another player that will likely be leaving is Jermain Defoe. The strikers form earned him an England call up recently but we can’t see him sticking round in the Championship. David Moyes had a win percentage in the 20s, and given his demeanour this season, it comes as no surprise that he has walked away from the club this week. Removing the Scotsmans negativity from the club could prove to be a plus point to the relegation as this gives the club a cracking opportunity to attract a good manager keen for a challenge. Given the size of the club, its facilities and fan base, Sunderland poses an enticing project to a manager keen for a sizeable challenge. Player of the Year: Jordon Pickford That’s it, another season over. Don’t worry we have the Confederations Cup which will hopefully scratch our football itch while we wait for the new season (Ha, who we kidding!). We are looking forward to August 12th already. |
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June 2018
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