And so it ended.
Another term has concluded in the Barclay’s Premier League. Depending on what side of the isle you live on, it either went out with a bang or a decided thud.
As only the F.A. Cup and lower league playoffs are left to dissect, let us hop into the way-back machine and see how everyone played compared to my (presumably awful) predictions.
1) Chelsea
Preseason Prediction: 1st
Run-In Prediction: 1st
I had originally stated elsewhere that Chelsea seemed the most stable of the “Big Four” sides heading into this term and called for that stability to take them top early and ride it into the sunset. There were certainly moments of horror (the DW Stadium, anyone?) and moments of brilliance (excuse me while we scrap off the remains of aforementioned owners of the DW Stadium from the Bridge’s ad boards) in a season that saw them miss the big goal but still claim some valuable hardware. By the way, THAT’S how you sign off on a title winning season. The F.A. Cup awaits for them to take, unless Pompey lay down the biggest sucker punch of all time at Wembley.
Who to Thank/Blame: Inter Milan. Knocked out of the Champions League, the Blues got pissed off and ran roughshod over many of their last opponents. While they still wait for that elusive Champions League title, they will be content with taking the crown of England off the head of SAF and Co. and putting back on the Pensioner’s noggin’.
2) Manchester United
Preseason Prediction: 3rd
Run-In Prediction: 2nd
Initially I believed that the loss of CR9 (If you don’t know who that is, go back to hiding under your rock and sleep peacefully) would be a serious hindrance to United’s title challenge. With the aid of OG, though, they were able to get back into the business of just flat out beating people into submission and then breaking them late in contests. However, dropping both Chelsea encounters was a damming, but not condemning, point of contention this season. The killer blow?
Who to Thank/Blame: The Miracle at Turf Moor.
That 1-0 loss is the most damning loss on United’s resume this term (though there might be an argument about that little deal with Leeds) and if United had simply killed the little kids there and then, the title would be sitting in the middle of SAF’s living room while he would be busy burning Merseyside papers one after another.
3) Arsenal
Preseason Prediction: 6th
Run-In Prediction: 3rd
I’ll admit: I thought losing Adebayor would be a big enough of a miss in the goal department that the Gunners would draw more. That was quickly misguided once Everton were blown away at 6-1. At Goodison Park, no less. The title charge that was expected, however, managed to fall apart due to injuries, which at least partially justified my early fears of this team not holding up as well if RvP or Fabregas went down for any significant amount of time.
Who to Thank/Blame: Italy. RvP was crocked for almost the entire second half of the season due to a hefty challenge (and subsequent horse placenta horror stories) from the Italian defense. The loss put the Gunners in continual spots of needing goals and not finding them in the giant clashes. The run-in also was abysmal, as the London outfit took 8 points from 7 contests, a run that nearly cost them third if Fulham had decided to play them in the season finale.
4) Tottenham
Preseason Prediction: 7th
Run-In Prediction: 6th
The lasagna may now rest in peace. Spurs looked like a European player this term, though it was the Europa kind that looked much more likely at the beginning of the term. However, a solid 12 point start raised expectations. When little Luka Modric broke his leg, however, suddenly the team regressed and with other injuries piling on, Spurs began to do what all good teams do: raid Portsmouth. A second loss to Wolves seemed to put them on the rocks, but in response, Spurs won 9 of their last 12 to break the glass ceiling and get into the top four.
Who to Thank/Blame: Themselves. In the aforementioned final stretch, they knocked off Everton, City, Arsenal and Chelsea in order to claim a spot that had been three years removed from their grasp. Special mention to Pompey for Kaboul and Kranjcar also will do.
5) Manchester City
Preseason Prediction: 5th
Run-In Prediction: 4th
Talent was there in abundance. Continuity? Not a prayer. That’s why I had them on the outside looking in, even if I did fudge slightly and put them into the Champions League late. After the Hughes draw fest saw Mancini take over, it seemed like nothing was going to stop City from grabbing fourth. However, their last five, coming after they had taken over fourth place, netted 5 total points. This late season slide allowed Spurs to leap over them and nail down fourth with the 0-1 win at Eastlands.
Who to Thank/Blame: Manchester United. The late loss at Eastlands was the beginning of a late season slide. Not only did they lose in controversial fashion late at Old Trafford but they were also denied silverware due to their hated next-door neighbors. Of course, some credit has to be given to new ownership: the fact that they are even competing at this high a level is a disturbing trend to the Premier League heavyweights, not to mention perennial contenders whose spots have been engulfed by the big Blue giant.
6) Aston Villa
Preseason Prediction: 8th
Run-In Prediction: 8th
Another of the perennial door-knockers, Villa seem to have all the pieces in place to make it to the big dance yet don’t have the depth to hang there. As high as third place midseason, losses to Arsenal and Chelsea and the end of 2009 would be the last losses until the end of March. Had they won more than three of those ten contests, they would be fourth or better. While the defense was solid, holding down 15 clean sheets, the offense scored more than one goal only 14 times throughout the term. This lack of adventure is an issue that must be resolved if they want to do better than the Europa League spots.
Who to Thank/Blame: The Draw. Hinted at above, the stretch of ten unbeaten to start the year included seven of them. What’s worse is that five of them came at Villa Park. That inability to take games by the scruff of the neck will hound the Villains and their attempts to finally navigate the Champions League territory.
7) Liverpool
Preseason Prediction: 2nd
Run-In Prediction: 4th
Cannot say that I saw a collapse that bad coming. I figured that Aquilani would need some time once healthy to be a contributor, but what happened here was bizarre beyond belief. Consistency was gone after their four game win streak early in the season. Players half-heartedly played out much of the end of the season. Others put in the effort but were not up to snuff. Others…well, we just shouldn’t say.
Who to Thank/Blame: Everyone from Rafa Benitez up. Outside of the Pompey circus and the Green and Gold rebellion at Old Trafford, this was the comedy hour of choice. In house bickering, speculation and simply poor business have put the Reds in a major hole. Anyone who says dealings in the front office don’t effect the players is playing themselves the fool. Maybe they can get it together come next term, but don’t expect miracles to be afoot in the offseason.
8) Everton
Preseason Prediction: 4th
Run-In Prediction: 7th
I thought this was the time for the Toffees to take the Champions League by storm. David Moyes is constantly one of the top five managers in England and shows why time after time. There was one qualifier, though: they had to be healthy to pull it off.
Yeah…about that….
It was a nightmare start for Everton. Getting sandblasted by Arsenal to start the term, they only won five contests during the 2009 half of the schedule. Things picked up in the second half immensely.
Who to Thank/Blame: Landon Donovan. Hanging on by a thread by the time the new year began, the American arrived and quickly added an attacking dimension that Everton did not have. Suddenly that 22 point team began to rocket back up the charts. During Donovan’s time, Everton went 6-1-2. Even after his departure, bodies began to return to the squad and enabled them to go 11 unbeaten to close the term nipping at the heels of the Europa League squads.
9) Birmingham City
Preseason Prediction: 16th
Run-In Prediction: 9th
Birmingham City had been a yo-yo team the past few terms and it was not hard to see this team continuing the trend. However, several signings by a certain Alex McLeish made this side a terror to take on. It was an anemic start for Midland club, but starting with Sunderland on October 24th, Brum would not taste defeat again until January 27th at Stamford Bridge. In that span, the Blues would go from 7 points to 33 points and put a strong foothold on the midtable. They may have won only one of their last ten, but by January they were already safe sand secure.
Who to Thank/Blame: Alex McLeish, David Sullivan and Carson Yeung. The gaffer and both the old and new owners worked hand in hand to construct a Premier-League ready outfit. It took some time to fit right, but McLeish made a unit that was hard to breakdown and presented threats on the counter attack. Additions like Barry Ferguson, Joe Hart, Scott Dann, Roger Johnson and Lee Bowyer made this squad a stonewall that was well mended by the time the season came to a close.
10) Blackburn Rovers
Preseason Prediction: 12th
Run-In Prediction: 13th
Big Sam’s side was all over the place early in the term. For example, here’s the movement in places from week three to week twelve:
D (17), W (13), L (18), W (15), L (16), W (12), L (15), L (17), W (13), W (11)
Rovers would hang around that part of the standings for the remainder of the term, only losing three times in the last eleven contests (Spurs, ‘Pool, Everton) and breaking Arsenal and Villa in the final two contests. Not a bad term’s work for Allardyce’s “long ball” outfit.
Who to Thank/Blame: Physicality. Much like Birmingham, an afternoon at Ewood Park is akin to a rugby match. No quarter asked for (except from Diouf) and certainly no quarter given. It’s something that gives Big Sam and Co. a mental edge over the mentally questionable.
11) Stoke City
Preseason Prediction: 15th
Run-In Prediction: 10th
The Potters avoided what may be dubbed the “sophomore slump” this term by adapting to Premier League life better than most do. Another side who play a gritty, defensive style, the added benefit of Rainbows in the Penalty Box (might be a stretch if anyone gets the reference) from Mr. Delap gave Stoke an advantage that few sides could cope with for 90 minutes. Combined with better attacking play this term, Stoke became a solid addition to the midtable.
Who to Thank/Blame: Tuncay and Fuller. Everyone already knew what they were getting from the back nine, but the up-front play of Tuncay Sanli and Ricardo Fuller gave the Potters a pesky and persistent punch in the opposing third. Often going without service for much of many contests, the ability to constantly pressure opposing defenses often lead to many of the non-set play goals that Stoke plundered this term.
12) Fulham
Preseason Prediction: 9th
Run-In Prediction: 11th
For most teams, dropping from 7th to 12th would be a massive regression in terms of team play. That will be forgiven by many Cottagers everywhere because of the fact they are playing in the Europa League final today. The attention required for such a deep run has taken much of the attention away from the league and is understandable: it’s not hard to want to prep for Wolfsburg rather than Wolves.
Who to Thank/Blame: The Europa League. See above. No one will care if they win the title against Atletico Madrid about the season. They are safe. They can focus on it next year if they don’t win. But they do add in a chance for more hardware to be added to the London warchest this term if they do win.
13) Sunderland
Preseason Prediction: 14th
Run-In Prediction: 12th
This side would have won the “most maddening form” award if someone further down the list wasn’t a tad worse. A team that could knock off Liverpool (and the #1 moment of the year), Tottenham and Arsenal at home only won twice on the road (Bolton, Hull City) and only strung together multiple victories once, a two match winning streak over Burnley and Hull. Not exactly a recipe for success for Steve Bruce.
Who to Thank/Blame: Harry Redknapp’s missus. The famous comment directed at Darren Bent would end up seeing the Spurs man join many other former Spurs at the Stadium of Light. 24 goals later, he seems to have taken the lessons from lady of the Redknapp home to heart.
14) Bolton
Preseason Prediction: 13th
Run-In Prediction: 15th
Being mired in the bottom of the league table is quick way to get axed, as Gary Megson will surely tell you. 19th for four separate weeks midseason, the axe fell and new management soon came in. The point haul didn’t necessarily change but with the bottom three being so poor, not hitting 40 points mattered little.
Who to Thank/Blame: Whoever signed Owen Coyle as a player. Maybe the results didn’t really change. But there is certainly an optimism at the Reebok that has been missing since Big Sam left. The style is different, but Coyle should be able to make things work at his new digs.
15) Wolverhampton Wanderers
Preseason Prediction: 20th
Run-In Prediction: 14th
Alright, I’ll admit: This side had the look of a one and done at the bottom of the barrel side. However, the iron will of Mick McCarthy and some astute signings and loans (Kevin Doyle, Marcus Hahnemann, Adlene Guedioura) made Wolves a menace throughout the term. 14 points in the last ten matches didn’t hurt, either.
Who to Thank/Blame: Tottenham. Bagging two 1-0 wins over the fourth place outfit made it easy to stay up in the end. Probably a lot of snickering from Mick McCarthy after those two crunches, too. Maybe he mixed up Robbie and Roy Keane?
16) Wigan Athletic
Preseason Prediction: 10th
Run-In Prediction: 17th
Bit of a reach for tenth, eh? Schizoid Athletic does win the award for the “most maddening form” this term. The Latics could go out and whip Chelsea, pull off shock comebacks and yet could also look like a side that would get dropped from League 2. A conundrum indeed.
Who to Thank/Blame: London. Outscored 26-4 in their four visits to the Capital city. Not exactly a recipe for success. They should be thankful that the bottom three were so bad, because in a lot of other terms, this team would be on the down and out.
17) West Ham
Preseason Prediction: 11th
Run-In Prediction: 16th
Bit of a reach for eleventh, eh? It was an awful season for an outfit with the quality to match an eleventh place prediction. It is little wonder that Gianfranco Zola has already been axed. Once again, boardroom issues have plagued a side, but unlike several others, this one was ever present from day two (they beat Wolves to start) until the end.
Who to Thank/Blame: The Bottom Three. Ineptitude kept the Hammers from taking a deserved fall into the Championship. That may not be a good thing either, unless the Sullivan/Gold team can mop up the mess made at the club. Expect a serious shake-up in the offseason. There is too much talent for a team like that to be that bad.
18) Burnley
Preseason Prediction: 17th
Run-In Prediction: 19th
Burnley almost played out like I though they would: do well early than pull a Hull and hang on for dear life. Well, that was before the midseason management move was pulled off. At that moment, everything went bogey-up. Three wins and two draws in the second half of the season impaled the Turf Moor faithful. This was not how they envisioned the year ending and the final clash with a Spurs side that clearly lost interest in the second half was a maddening reminder of what could have been.
Who to Thank/Blame: Whoever the hell hired Brian Law. That man ought to be strung up by something extremely painful. Trying to play him off as a good Championship manager is fine, except when you remember he was axed by Sheffield Wednesday for leading them…nowhere. He’s the only man to bring two teams down a division that I can remember and that’s not exactly something that you want hanging on the ol’ CV.
19) Hull City
Preseason Prediction: 18th
Run-In Prediction: 18th
The way that Hull collapsed at the end of last term, staving off the wolves only by their tiniest of hairs on their chins didn’t leave a lot to be desired for this term. That said, as late as February 6, Hull were 14th and on track to at least survive one more season in the top flight. Then they began to lose. Soon, Phil Brown became “expendable” in favor of Iain Dowie. Only problem was the fact that Dowie only nabbed six points total points by the end of his tenure. That wasn’t enough to do, well, anything.
Who to Thank/Blame: Whoever made up Phil Brown’s contract. Some sarcasm is needed here, but, at the same time, Phil may well still coach this club come next term and get rid of Dowie. While an overall good guy, he is pretty much is to clubs what the videotape in the move The Ring was to those who watched it.
20) Portsmouth
Preseason Prediction: 19th
Run-In Prediction: 20th
I had thought that the revoling door of players would condemn Pompey to the Championship even before they were condemned to the Championship. It’s amazing what Avram Grant did with that side when direction was needed most. Even without the points deduction they would be down but with some serious determination (and squad rotation) they will play for the F.A. Cup again against Chelsea.
Who to Thank/Blame: …We don’t have enough space here to list everyone.
Now, of course, we do know two of the squads that will replace the dearly departed in the form of Newcastle (champions of the Championship) and West Bromwich Albion (perennial yo-yoers). The fates, however, seem to have a cruel sense of humor about the third entrant.
While the rest of the League was waiving goodbyes to Fulham, Nottingham Forest’s impressive campaign was dashed at the hands of potential South coast replacements Blackpool, who have a budget so small that the initial television money will practically make them believe they have won the lottery. What’s even more cruel is that the team that may have lead to the Pompey downfall might shoot up to take their spot.
Cardiff City nipped Leicester City on penalties to match skills with Blackpool in the Championship final on a day where no one will pay attention to them (same day as the Champions League final, May 22). Cardiff lost the F.A. Cup final in 2008 against the Southsiders and would see this as a fitting last laugh from the event.
What is more peculiar is the fact that Cardiff could become the first Welsh outfit to play in the Premier League. The big issue at the time was whether or not the Bluebirds could, if they won the F.A. Cup, actually represent an English League. Fortunately, no answer was ever needed. Now, they may get the last laugh against those that probably wish they were never there in the first place.
