2010/11 Premier League Season Review: Part 2

Here’s part two, a day or two late:

West Bromwich Albion
The club had a shaky first half of the season under Roberto Di Matteo, but despite this the Italian’s sacking was something of a surprise. The appointment of his replacement, Roy Hodgson, fresh from his torrid time at Anfield, was a masterstroke. Hodgson transformed the Baggies’ fortunes, and the team were unlucky not to finish in the top ten. With Hodgson in charge, West Brom should avoid relegation next year, and might even be able to shake off the tag of being a “yo-yo club”.

Newcastle United
The unfortunate Chris Hughton was sacked early on after making a decent enough start, which seemed to suggest that the traditional turmoil that surrounds Newcastle United was still lingering like the fog on the Tyne. Alan Pardew took over, and although he was not the most popular of appointments, he succeeded in steadying the ship and guided Newcastle to a respectable 12th-place finish. This is probably about the right position for the Toon in their current state; it’s difficult to see them pushing on much higher, yet they do not seem likely relegation candidates either. A special mention for their part in the match of the season: that thrilling 4-4 draw with Arsenal.

Stoke City
Tony Pulis has turned Stoke into a solid team that is difficult to beat, and they are beginning to look like a proper Premier League team after two relatively successful seasons. Pulis is often maligned for his direct style of play with a reliance on set pieces, but this is over-exaggerated in the mainstream press and is somewhat unfair. Stoke are direct, but this does not necessarily involve long balls over the top. The two wingers, Jermaine Pennant and Matthew Etherington, have been superb this year, and deserve all the plaudits. Losing in the FA Cup final to star-studded Manchester City is nothing to be ashamed of either, especially when the scoreline was just 1-0. Expect Stoke to stay up in reasonably comfortable fashion again next year, as long as their foray into Europe doesn’t take too much out of them.

Bolton Wanderers
Bolton had a very mixed season under Owen Coyle. The manager had them playing some lovely football before Christmas, and the loan signing of Daniel Sturridge in January was a great piece of business. Unfortunately, it coincided with a remarkable loss of form which saw Bolton fall from challenging for the European places to 14th place. It was a very disappointing end to a promising campaign, but Coyle should be able to fix the problems in the off-season and ensure that the team comes back stronger next term. If they can maintain their form for the whole year, they should easily finish in the top half.

Blackburn Rovers
The takeover of Blackburn by Indian chicken company Venky’s was one of the more bizarre stories in English football this year, and the company’s decision to sack Sam Allardyce and replace him with Steve Kean was equally puzzling. Allardyce had Blackburn nestled comfortably in mid-table when he was sacked, but under Kean the team slumped into the relegation places, only securing survival on the final day of the season. Kean has not impressed in his short stint so far, but Venky’s have said publicly that his job is safe. If Rovers lose Christopher Samba to Arsenal as is rumoured, replacing him will be an overwhelming priority. Kean will have to make a good start; if Rovers are in or around the bottom three come Christmas, expect him to lose his job.

Wigan Athletic
Frankly, I’m amazed that Wigan managed to stay up this season, and it’s a credit to Roberto Martinez that they have done so. Wigan have looked out of their depth for large parts of this season, playing some nice football but lacking any sort of killer instinct. Hugo Rodallega and Charles N’Zogbia continue to be the team’s most important players, and holding on to them both will be key to staving off relegation for another year. Even if they do stay, though, Wigan will once again be amongst the favourites for the drop.

Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolves played some great football at times this season, particularly impressing in a handful of wins over some of the so-called “big four” sides. The problem, though, came against other teams around them, where Wolves were simply not good enough. In the end, they managed to stay up on the final day despite losing 3-2 to Blackburn. Mick McCarthy will have a small budget with which to strengthen his squad over the summer, so expect them to be around the relegation places again next year.

Birmingham City
Birmingham won the Carling Cup this year, their first trophy for decades, but the season ended in disappointment and despair with an unexpected relegation. After finishing 8th last year, most pundits predicted a minimum of a mid-table finish. An incredible loss of form following the Carling Cup triumph is what ultimately took them down, and Alex McLeish must shoulder a large portion of the blame for his extremely negative tactics and unattractive football. The Premier League will be a better place without them, but they have a good chance of bouncing back next year.

Blackpool
What more is there to say about Blackpool? They were relegated in the end, but they certainly didn’t go down without a fight. Their approach to games, although reckless, was wonderful to watch, almost the polar opposite of Birmingham. They were good value and will be missed, as will Ian Holloway’s humorous post-match interviews. Ultimately, though, their tactics were rather naive, and Charlie Adam will surely now be sold to a bigger club. I can’t see them bouncing back any time soon, but hopefully they will stay competitive in the Championship next season and push for a play-off spot.

West Ham United
An incredibly disappointing season for the Hammers, and you have to say that Avram Grant deserves almost all of the blame. How Grant found another job in the Premier League after his poor spells in charge of Chelsea and Portsmouth is beyond me. He is an extremely poor manager in tactical terms, and his motivational skills also appear to be lacking. Club captain Scott Parker will now surely move back up to the Premier League which will be a big loss. The club are apparently also in a precarious financial position, with co-owners Gold and Sullivan needing to find a large cash injection to keep the club competitive. However, with upcoming move to the Olympic Stadium, West Ham will have the capacity to generate large income and should be back in the top flight before too long.

2010/11 Premier League Season Review: Part 1

Here’s a brief team-by-team rundown of the 2010/11 season – how they fared this year, and how they might do next season:

Manchester United
Against the predictions of many respected pundits, Sir Alex Ferguson performed wonders with what was perceived to be a limited team. Rooney recovered from his early-season dip in form to play a vital role in the closing stages of the campaign, and Javier Hernandez was probably the signing of the season. A loss to Barcelona in the Champions League final is nothing to be ashamed of, and whilst it’s easy to suggest that United only won the league thanks to the weakness of their rivals, it’s probably a tad unfair to do so. Next year, Ferguson will need to find suitable replacements for the retiring Edwin van der Sar and Paul Scholes, as well as Dimitar Berbatov if the Bulgarian is sold. If he can do so, expect United to be right at the top again next season.

Chelsea
A disappointing season, with their mid-season loss of form costing them the title. Carlo Ancelotti failed to win any trophies, losing out to United in the Champions League quarter-finals, and it cost him his job. Chelsea’s squad is ageing, although it is still a formidable one. The signing of Fernando Torres for £50 million seemed dodgy to say the least, but with a good rest and a full pre-season he might be able to return to something approaching his best next year. The new manager will be the key; if it is Guus Hiddink as rumoured, expect Chelsea to be very hard to beat.

Manchester City
A wonderful season for City, securing automatic qualification for the Champions League group stages and winning the FA Cup. This was probably the minimum expected of Roberto Mancini, though, and he will have to improve upon it next year in order to keep his job. A strong tilt at the title, as well as a good cup run (preferably in Europe), will be needed. City should add one or two players in key positions over the summer, but in truth, their squad is already good enough. Holding onto Carlos Tevez could be key.

Arsenal
What more can be said about Arsenal? There has to reach a point, sooner or later, where failure becomes endemic and systemic. Arsene Wenger’s team may be about to reach that point, if they haven’t already. There are signs of disillusionment in the stands, as well as from some of the players, and the squad just seems to be lacking enough quality in every area. Wenger needs a new goalkeeper as a matter of urgency, as well as a top-class striker to support Van Persie. Perhaps it is time to sell Fabregas, taking the money and reinvesting it in the squad. Money raised from the sale of Arshavin, who has regressed beyond belief this year, could also be used wisely. It will be interesting to see whether Wenger can overcome his stubbornness to do so.

Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs really needed to secure Champions League qualification for another year if they wanted to keep pushing on. Their failure to do so could potentially cost them the services of some of their key players, most notably Luka Modric and Gareth Bale. Spurs, like many teams this year, lost form at a crucial point in the season, and it has cost them. A new striker or two would appear to be a priority, with goals deserting the trio of Crouch, Defoe and Pavlyuchenko. Keeping hold of Modric and Bale is just as important, and will be a sign of whether Spurs really are the big club they are trying to be.

Liverpool
Roy Hodgson’s reign as manager was a disaster from start to finish; for whatever reason, he seemed destined to fail. Kenny Dalglish rode to the rescue, and in fairness, he has rejuvenated the team. He has had no small help, of course, from the new owners, Fenway Sports Group, who didn’t hesitate in splashing the cash on Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll. Hodgson could only dream of such support. Dalglish has the team playing effective football again, even with Steven Gerrard and Carroll absent through injury. Expect Liverpool to be back in the top four next season; if they strengthen over the summer, as it is expected they will, then I find it hard to see why they shouldn’t challenge for the title. Their form since Dalglish took over has been title-winning form, so why not carry it over into next season?

Everton
David Moyes’ side did what they always do: start extremely slowly before recovering to finish in or around the top six. It is hard to escape the feeling, though, that Moyes has taken Everton as far as he can. With a paucity of funds he has worked wonders with the team, but there is unlikely to be any great influx of new signings over the summer, leading to him managing an almost identical team for the third or fourth year running. It might be best for both Moyes and Everton if they parted ways this summer. Having said that, it is hard to see Everton competing with the established top six without new owners – the money just isn’t there at the moment.

Fulham
After a shaky start under Mark Hughes which reached its nadir with a 3-1 home defeat to West Ham on Boxing Day, the Cottagers rallied to record their second-highest league position in history, even qualifying for the Europa League through the Fair Play League. The team seems settled in all areas of the pitch, particularly up front where Bobby Zamora and Clint Dempsey have played some fantastic football. The primary aim is always to avoid relegation, and they should do so again comfortably next year, barring any unforeseen injuries or player sales. The one cloud is the prospect of Hughes’ departure, rumoured to be Aston Villa’s primary target for their vacant managerial post. Another summer of managerial uncertainty could leave the club vulnerable to a slow start again, and could even scupper their Europa League run before they reach the group stages.

Aston Villa
Villa had a mixed season, but ultimately regressed under the management of Gerard Houllier. Houllier’s health problems mean that he has had to leave his post, which is probably a blessing in disguise for the club. Now Villa can look at appointing a new manager who can use chairman Randy Lerner’s funds to push back up into the European places. Mark Hughes is rumoured to be at the top of the shortlist; Martin Jol, Steve McLaren or even David Moyes could also be good for the club. A summer of transition is ahead, hopefully followed up by a recovery in form to the position the club was in before Martin O’Neill’s departure.

Sunderland
Sunderland suffered from a horrendous run of form after January which destroyed any hopes of qualifying for Europe. The departure of Darren Bent to Villa in the January transfer window may have had something to do with this. The high point was a wonderful 3-1 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge which demonstrated the team’s potential, but the Mackems could not capitalise and only just scraped into the top half. Steve Bruce doesn’t seem to be a great manager, and Sunderland will struggle to finish much higher than 10th as long as he is at the club. If the team starts badly next year, expect him to be an early managerial casualty.

A look at the bottom half of the table is coming up tomorrow.

Premier League Predictions Comparison

At the beginning of the 2010/11 Premier League season, I offered up my prediction for the final league table. It read thus:

1. Chelsea
2. Manchester City
3. Manchester United
4. Arsenal
5. Liverpool
6. Tottenham Hotspur
7. Everton
8. Aston Villa
9. Bolton Wanderers
10. Fulham
11. Birmingham City
12. West Ham United
13. Stoke City
14. Wolverhampton Wanderers
15. Newcastle United
16. Sunderland
17. Blackburn Rovers
18. Wigan Athletic
19. West Bromwich Albion
20. Blackpool

Here’s the actual table in comparison, with the places I predicted them to finish next to their name:

1. Manchester United (3rd)
2. Chelsea (1st)
3. Manchester City (2nd)
4. Arsenal (4th)
5. Tottenham Hotspur (6th)
6. Liverpool (5th)
7. Everton (7th)
8. Fulham (10th)
9. Aston Villa (8th)
10. Sunderland (16th)
11. West Bromwich Albion (19th)
12. Newcastle United (15th)
13. Stoke City (13th)
14. Bolton Wanderers (9th)
15. Blackburn Rovers (17th)
16. Wigan Athletic (18th)
17. Wolverhampton Wanderers (14th)
18. Birmingham City (11th)
19. Blackpool (20th)
20. West Ham United (12th)

So, as you can see, I didn’t do particularly well, although I was close for a lot of teams. I got Stoke, Arsenal, and Everton spot on, but I got the rest of the top 6 wrong in the wrong positions (predicting which teams would make up the top 6 doesn’t warrant a mention as it’ll be the same 6 teams next year, and probably the year after that too).

In terms of the relegation battle, I only got Blackpool right, and even they finished a place higher than I expected. I predicted that Birmingham and West Ham would get on far better than they did, with Birmingham’s terrible form since the Carling Cup victory costing them dearly in the end.

Other big mistakes include Bolton, who finished five places lower than I predicted, although if they had managed to maintain their early season form I might have been spot on. West Brom and Sunderland both finished far higher than I anticipated; West Brom thanks to the exploits of Roy Hodgson after looking dead and buried under Roberto Di Matteo, whilst Sunderland held on for a top ten finish despite their total collapse in form after January.