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.

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