With the Premier League season now done and dusted, there is no better time to look at the winners and losers of one of the most open and un-predicable seasons in history.
Arsenal
Despite another trophy-less season there has been a considerable improvement with the Gunners, showing more fight and determination despite playing a majority of the season without any central strikers. However there are clear areas where key additions must be made, case 1: a goalkeeper, case 2: two central defenders, a central midfielder and a striker, which is more than likely to be Chamakh from Bordeaux.
Grade: B
Teacher’s Pet: Thomas Veremalen – without question the best buy of the season, at 8.5m from Ajax, has been solid in defence and knows where the back of the net is too.
Detention: Lucas Fabianski – in Arsene Wenger’s words, despite having talent lacks concentration. Still will be there next season so Arsenal fans best get used to him.
Aston Villa
Without question one of the most improved teams in the Premier League yet another encouraging season after two Wembley visits and a solid 6th place finish. Have a strong nucleus of English players highlighted by the number of their internationals. Squad is still relatively small and could be bolstered by more firepower and extra protection in midfield. They are very susceptible to the counter-attack because of the lack of protection given to Petrov due to their heavily attacking midfield of Downing, Milner and Young.
Grade: B
Teacher’s Pet: James Milner – fully deserved his Young Player of the Year award and is a definite for Fabio Capello’s squad if not starting 11.
Detention: Emile Heskey – Hasn’t started enough games or scored goals for Villa this season. In the World Cup squad largely due to his successful partnership with Wayne Rooney.
Birmingham City
Credit where credit is due, having been tipped to be one of the three teams to be relegated. But with an unbeaten 15-game run and one of the most well organised defences in the country (with Scott Dann and Richard Johnson) The Blues more than deserve there highest finish in the Premier League. Cemented by picking up vital points at home against the original ‘big four’ of Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal.
Grade: A-
Teacher’s Pet: Joe Hart – fully deserves his call up to the England squad and if he had more full senior experience would be picked as the No. 1 keeper for the World Cup.
Detention: Christian Benitez – despite real effort and endeavour hasn’t set the Premier League alight and subsequently The Blues have decided not to purchase him.
Blackburn Rovers
Job done for Big Sam’s team, at the start of the season survival was very much the key for Blackburn. They had a clear problem scoring goals but in the last few months of the season showed key wins against Arsenal and Aston Villa and draws against Man. United and Chelsea providing evidence that they have improved greatly. Shopping List during the summer must be for a goal scoring striker.
Grade: C
Teacher’s pet: David Dunn – when he is fully fit, he is by far a class apart from any other at the club. Special mention to Paul Robinson, who has proved his critics wrong with excellent performances this season. Should have been in the mix for a World Cup call-up.
Detention: The Blackburn Strike-force of Roberts, McCarthy (now at West Ham) and Di Santo has scored only 10 goals between them all season.
Bolton
I was one of the football public who originally questioned Owen Coyle’s decision to move from Burnley to Bolton. But it has clearly been the right decision finishing 14th in the Premier League and never looking in any real relegation threat. Have tightened up defensively and next season expect Bolton to target a mid table place.
Grade: D
Teacher’s Pet: Gary Cahill, a huge cog in the defensive wheel who earned an England Call-up before getting injured.
Detention: Johan Elmander – no longer in the pecking order for playing up front alongside Davies, that honour goes to Ivan Klasnic.
Burnley
After a fantastic start to the season signs were starting to show that away form could be a problem if Burnley were to survive. Losing Owen Coyle was undoubtedly a massive loss, but it’s defensively where Burnley has really struggled. 82 goals have been conceded by the Clarets and Blues this season, the most in the Premier League and the fewest away wins is a recipe that shows the trap door in any level of professional football.
Grade: F
Teacher’s Pet: Good individual season for Graham Alexander, who has been offered another one year contract extension at the age of 38.
Detention: Collectively the defence for conceding 82 goals.
Chelsea
Another season and more silverware in the cabinet! An historic double which wasn’t looking so likely after the defeat to Inter Milan in the Champions League: where Chelsea were out-thought and out-schooled. From that point forward Chelsea were simply magnificent, scoring goals for fun, 7 past Stoke, 8 past Wigan, an easy victory against Liverpool at Anfield but the biggest result may have been the victory at Old Trafford. Still concerns over the ‘age’ of the squad and whether they truly have the ability to be the best in the Champions League.
Grade: A+
Teacher’s Pet: Frank Lampard, 22 league goals from midfield is a fantastic achievement: if he has a good World Cup, England will have chance to cause a few upsets. Other Chelsea personnel who have had excellent seasons include Didier Drogba (another 30+ goal season) and Florent Malouda who has provided Chelsea with more width and another attacking goal threat, 12 goals for him this season in the Premier League.
Detention: Jon Obi Mikel – I can’t see what he brings to the Chelsea team, when Essein is fit, he the man who makes room.
Everton
A quality side hit by key injuries to key players in the early part of the season including Arteta, Yakubu and Jagielka to name a few. Since the return of the core squad Everton form had improved greatly. Just a little too much to do in order to secure a European spot. With a full squad next season they will be in the fight again for an Europa League place.
Grade: D
Teacher’s Pet: Tim Howard – Established goal-keeper, another solid season, and rightfully USA’s number 1 choice, likes saving penalties from England players (take note!).
Detention: Marouane Fellaini – has taken up a more defensive role this season, but a player who really lit the blue touch paper in 08/09, but this season has been an enigma.
Stay tuned as the likes of Fulham, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United are still to come.
How do you give Everton a D? They where in the hunt for Europe till the final weeks, and with Donovan looked like a top 4 club. Moyes worked this team like no other to get resultS. Given the injuries and how they preformed the least they should get is a C.
Right?
Concur. Everton as a D seems a bit harsh.
“Detention: Marouane Fellaini – has taken up a more defensive role this season, but a player who really lit the blue touch paper in 08/09, but this season has been an enigma.”
Curious how you gave a guy who missed the last 14.5 matches of the year this designation? You do realize he was injured, right?
Did you watch the 9 unbeaten matches before he went out? He was utterly dominant in midfield. Easily their best, if not most important, player in that run.
Have to give them at least a C+…and only that low because of their horrible start.
these grades are a joke. everton a D? loltastic. they should get a B-. had a horrible start and ended up pushing for europa league spots anyway. numerous injuries to key players (saha, arteta, fellaini). chelsea shouldn’t get an A+ either. if either of their real competitors hadn’t suffered massive injuries (rooney, RVP, cesc) they wouldn’t have won the league. and its amazing how quickly people forget things. after the loss to inter all the talk was of how this season was a failure and how CA should be fired. and finally bolton with a D? are you serious? they exceeded expectations without a doubt. you can’t just judge them the same as you would chelsea/utd.
if either of their real competitors hadn’t suffered massive injuries (rooney, RVP, cesc)
~wasn’t Boswinga/A.Cole injured…..keep in mind how important FB’s are important to “diamond-formation”?
~Essien who many can argue as Chelsea’s most important player was injured for the majority of the season
~Drogba/Mikel/Kalou…missing time due to African Cup of Nations
~age 31 Drogba playing with a hernia also missed games due to injury
~Malouda having a terrible 1/2 of the season
Chelsea fan here: So, the knock on Mikel is that he’s a backup player for one of the best defensive midfielders in the world? Of course we are a weaker side with Mikel in the back, not to mention that both Ballack and Lampard play better (albeit with different styles of) defensive football when asked.
I nominate Deco for “Detention”: When chosen, he played off the pace, and was responsible for only 2 goals and 2 assists all season.
Alternate Least Valuable Player: Kalou, for inconsistent finishing.
Jon Obi Mikel – I can’t see what he brings to the Chelsea team, when Essein is fit, he the man who makes room.
who ever can make such a statement does not know football.so what if he’s the back to one of the world’s best midfielders. you guys can list a player his age playing for a top club who can defend as good as Mikel
Plus Mikel is only 23…
Grade C for Blackburn? You cannot be serious.
For a team with such modest resources securing a solid mid-table finish is as good as it can ever get. What more do you expect from them?
I don’t know but all I ask is David Dunn stay healthy
Hello all,
thank you for all your comments, be it good or bad, nothing like a good debate – Re Everton, possibly harsh in some people’s eyes, but after last season’s achievements they were below par this year – and with valid reasons. To Gentleman Masher I like Fellani, he is a quality player and yes he has been injured for parts of the season but again he has the ability to offer so much in the final third then he has in 09/10.
Robert – good shout re Deco, and to mw828 if you score 100+ scores in EPL, win your first league and cup double, with the league’s stop scoring striker and midfielder you deserve an A+ full stop. That’s coming from an Arsenal fan.
Marshall
Arsenal showed great improvement ?!?! a grand 3 points improvement. If any thing Arsenal have dipped and now are more closer to Aston Villa and or Liverpool than they are to the supreme two.
oh man lampard did 22 leagues from midfield thats crazy.
I think you meant goals instead of league.
My historical interactive table page has now been updated to reflect the current season.
http://aharm.limewebs.com/football-tables.html