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.

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