End of Season Report

Posted by Rob Shepherd on Friday, May 26, 2017

Is it just me or does the end of the Premier League make you feel pretty flat? Sure, summer is fast approaching, the birds are singing but deep inside I know we are just 2 games away (FA Cup & Champions League) from a footballing abyss.

But, let’s not get too negative, we still have footy to look forward to and plenty to look back on. In this article, we look back at a selection of winners and losers from this seasons action.

The Biggest Winners

Chelsea

No big surprises here, Antonio Conte has done a fantastic job in winning the Premier League and perhaps the double in his first season in England. Early in the season after a few dodgy results, many bookmakers had Conte as favourite to lose his job. Conte however earnt his crust and switched to a back three and the results and performances improved. Winning a record 30 Premier League matches in the process.

Not having European football was certainly a bonus for Chelsea so maybe they should send Jose Mourinho a winner’s medal for his part in ensuring Chelsea didn’t have the distraction of playing games abroad.

Another cherry on the cake for Conte will be the amount of flak he received for his transfer dealings. There were quite a few sniggers when Conte bought Marcos Alonso (ex-Bolton & ex-Sunderland player) and David Luiz (Sideshow Bob ex-Simpsons and ex-jailbird) but these two along with the amazing N’Golo Kante have been instrumental in Chelsea’s triumph this year.

Tottenham

The BBC did a pre-season poll of experts (and Mark Lawrenson) to see who the guys in the know thought would finish where in the league. Tottenham defied the expectations of the group who felt Tottenham would finish fifth by ending the season as runners up. Spurs, if they had managed to score the same amount of points last season as they did this season, would have won the league by five points!

Maybe it is time to accept that Spurs are deserving of a seat at the top table rather than the puppy biting your ankles for table scraps?

Some of the football this year by Spurs has been phenomenal, I still can’t believe Harry Kane is only 23, he is a machine and the scary thought is that he’ll just get better. Harry’s absence through injury this year though has proved that Spurs have adequate cover in emergencies.

Son Heung-min (24) is an incredible talent, he and Dele Ali are a joy to watch and if Spurs can keep hold of their top stars, I expect them to challenge once again next year.

Manchester United

Fine margins sometimes define seasons, if United hadn’t beaten Ajax in the Europa League then their season would be classed as a disaster. Now however, United fans will look back on two major trophies and automatic qualification for the Champions League next season with a degree of satisfaction.

United’s league form will be a big concern to José Mourinho, only five losses in the league is the same as champions Chelsea but it was the 15 draws which severely dented their points total. With the promise of Champions League football next season, I fully expect José to spend big in the summer and wouldn’t be surprised to see the world transfer record broken once again.

Reflecting on the season, José said: “In a bad season, in a season where sometimes I felt that my team was the worst team in the world, where I felt that sometimes I was the worst manager in the world we managed to win three trophies and we go to the Champions League by winning a trophy, not by finishing second or third or fourth. We have the honour to go to the European Super Cup and play against the new Champions League winner, so I think the season was really good.”

The Biggest Losers

Arsenal

It’s been a turbulent few months for the Gunners. Behind the scenes, a power struggle for control of the club between majority shareholder Stan Kroenke and Alisher Usmanov is showing a lack of unity at the club. This is mirrored by the majority of fans wanting to see long term manager Arsène Wenger step down at the end of the season.

In the league, it has been a year to forget. For the first time in a generation, Arsenal have missed out on Champions League qualification and must make do with the Europa League next year. They do have the chance to win some silverware in the form of the FA Cup but they face Chelsea in Saturdays final so it won’t be easy.

Part of the problem with Arsenal this season must be contributed to underperforming new signings. Shkodran Mustafi had a good start to his Arsenal career but faded fast after Christmas. Granit Xhaka swings between brilliance and insanity and Lucas Perez rarely gets any game time. Arsenal fans will have expected better from a £91.5 million spending spree.

Rumours of a departure for top scorer Alexis Sánchez will fill Arsenal fans with dread. Sánchez has easily been Arsenal’s best player, scoring 23 goals and assisting 10. His work rate and goal-scoring ability would be sorely missed if he does leave the club.

West Ham United

Big things were expected from The Hammers this year but they have failed to deliver! In the first season in their new home, West Ham flirted dangerously with relegation. This year saw a remarkable 17 point drop in their points tally compared to last year. This was despite bringing in 12 new players since last summer.

Slaven Bilić is likely to have a nervous time on holiday with a dreaded call from owners David Sullivan and David Gold a distinct possibility.

One person who is definitely not a loser though is David Sullivan’s son. When he heard of a homeless man who rushed to help the victims of the despicable bomb attack in Manchester, he offered to pay the man’s rent for 6 months and also some cash to help him get back on his feet.