The very late season predictions review

Who will win the league?

Man City won the league after an extremely close title run, with the top four all having a chance well into March. Arsenal and Chelsea did die away and it was left to the final week where it was down to Liverpool and Man City. In the end the pressure got to Liverpool with defeat to Chelsea in a tactically naive performance and then a shocking draw at Crystal Palace after being three goals up. Man City were left just needing to beat West Ham at home on the final day.

John: Man Utd 
Stephen: Man City
Ian: Manchester United
Sam: Chelsea

Champions league positions?

What happened: The top four having all performed well this season were never really in danger from the outside. Everton did cause a slight shock when they beat Arsenal but with some hard fixtures left to play I don’t Arsenal ever felt in danger of losing out on Champions league. Top four Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal.

John: Man Utd, Chelsea, Man City, and……… Tottenham.
Stephen: Man City, Man Utd, Chelsea and Spurs
Ian: Man United, Chelsea, Man City, Spurs
Sam: Chelsea, Man City, Man Utd, Tottenham

Relegations teams?

Sunderland looked doomed all season but with the end of season heroics managed to escape relegation to be only the second team during the premier league era to be bottom at Christmas and escape relegation. Mid-season madness from Cardiff and Fulham didn’t help their pursuit of survival and Norwich not getting the best of their new recruits. Relegated teams Norwich, Fulham, Cardiff.  

John: Crystal Palace, Hull, Newcastle
Stephen: Palace, Stoke, Cardiff
Ian: Hull, Crystal Palace and Stoke.
Sam: Stoke, Hull City, Crystal Palace

Overachievers of the season?

What happened: Well there is an extremely good argument for two candidates:

Crystal Palace: Tony Pulis took over in November and worked wanders with a team that looked destined to be relegated. They ended up being within four points of a top ten finish, with wins over Chelsea and a 3-3 with Liverpool are just some of the crazy results.

Liverpool: Not many people had Liverpool down as champions league contenders never mind title contenders. They came within two points of the title and at one point in the season it was hard to see anything other than Liverpool’s first premier league title. 

John: Southampton will have a good season, which will send Ricky Lambert to Brazil. Special Mention to Aston Villa who I think will have a very good season.
Stephen: Southampton... again.
Ian: Aston Villa
Sam: West Ham

Under performers of the season?

You could argue that Newcastle would have been relegated in rock bottom if the season started in January. You could also look at Norwich and say they had bought some good players and failed to get the best out of them, which cost them their premier league status. You could also say Tottenham had a poor season after spending £100 million. However the only team I think you can look at who underachieved the most were Manchester United. After winning the league last season at a canter, they dropped to seventh in the table and finished a staggering 22 points off top and 15 points off the top four. I don’t think anyone expected Manchester United to challenge for the title during this transitional period for the club, but no one expected them to do this badly. A combination of things led to this mess; Moyes being over awed by the job, the clubs transfer policy not acting quick enough to sign the right players and the current playing staff did not play anywhere near the standard we have come to expect. David Moyes disastrous tenure at Manchester United has been well documented, but I don’t think the fans realise the huge task that Van Gaal has in trying to lift a team who have taken such a fall.

John: Newcastle
Stephen: Newcastle
Ian: West Brom
Sam: Man Utd (Well Done Sam)

Signing of the season?

I don’t think any particular signing really stood out as signing of the season, but there has been some very good buys; Wilfred Bony, Loic Remy, Dejan Lovren, pretty much all of Everton’s signings (Barry, Mccarthy, Lukaku, Deulofeu).

John: Nathan Redmond
Stephen: Soldado
Ian: Ricky van Wolfswinkel Or Simon Mignolet
Sam: Caulker 

Worst signing of the season?

Quite easy this one Eric Lemala cost Tottenham £30 million and he ended his season with 327 minutes of league football to his name. He didn’t get dropped through injury, just poor form led to the exile of the once promising Argentinian. I hope this isn’t the end of his career because he looked excellent at Roma, but he needs to start re-building his career or face being remembered as a just another young player who had one good season. Other notable mentions Pablo Osvaldo, Iago Aspas and Ricky van Wolfswinkel. Andy Carroll is probably a worthy mention as well, but not a lot of people have talked about him as a terrible signing. He has had some solid performances but £15 million, 12 starts 2 goals and an injury hit season is hardly value for money.

John: Osvaldo and Willian
Stephen: There isn’t really any standout buys that look or seem that dreadful.
Ian: Aspas for Liverpool, looks a bit like Borini Mk II
Sam: I can't really see Osvaldo setting the world alight and £12 million is a lot of money.

First Manager to go?

Paolo Di Canio was the first to bite the dust after just a point in their opening five matches. The management issue this season was mental ten out of the twenty clubs sacked there manager. Fulham sacked their manager twice and went silly appointing Rene Meulensteen, Alan Curbishly and Ray Wilkins to all manage Fulham at the same time. 

John: Alan Pardew
Stephen: Ian Holloway
Ian: Alan Pardew
Sam: Ian Holloway 

Top Goal Scorer?

Suarez was top goal scorer with 31 goals and he was probably the best player as well.   

John: Robin Van Persie, Daniel Sturridge will run him close.
Stephen: Robin Van Persie
Ian: Robin van Persie.
Sam: Van Persie

Championship Promoted teams?

In the end Leicester dominated and walked to promotion being by far the best team. Burnley finished second comfortbably relying on a good team spirit and arguably the best management performance of the season under Sean Dyce. QPR went through the playoffs but it was by the skin of their teeth. It also has to be mentioned that QPR spent more than most Premier League clubs.

John: QPR, Nottingham Forrest, Watford
Stephen: Nottingham Forrest, Watford, QPR
Ian: QPR (unfortunately), Watford, Wigan
Sam: Blackpool, QPR, Leicester

Championship Relegated Teams?

Yeovil, Barnsley, Doncaster

John: Yeovil, Barnsley, Millwall
Stephen: Barnsley, Yeovil, Millwall
Ian: Blackburn (they'll lose Rhodes to Newcastle), Yeovil, Barnsley
Sam: Yeovil, Barnsley, Doncaster

Champions League Winners?

Real Madrid

The other finalist was Athletico Madrid who until the 93rd minute led and it was just a case that they had ran out of steam towards the end.

John: Real Madrid
Stephen: KLOPP (Dortmund)
Ian: Real Madrid
Sam: Barcalona

FA cup winners?

Arsenal (finally a trophy for them)

John: Chelsea
Stephen: Liverpool
Ian: Tottenham
Sam: Chelsea

League Cup Winners?

Manchester City


Finalists Sunderland and it wasn't a walk over.  Sunderland were in fact dreadfully unlucky and lead for some of the game.

John: Aston Villa
Stephen: Arsenal
Ian: Nottingham Forest
Sam: Man City