Barclays Premier League season review

Another season of Premier League football is in the books, with Chelsea winning their first league title since 2006. Carlo Ancelotti emulated the feat of Jose Mourinho, and won the championship for the Blues at his first attempt. Liverpool’s dismal year which began with genuine hope of success let the door open for Tottenham to break into the top four, and at the bottom, Portsmouth, Hull and Burnley were relegated after being cannon fodder for most of the campaign. Here is my review of another pulsating year, starting with a few brief words for each side:

Chelsea (Grade: A+): Title-winning debut season for Ancelotti. A record goals tally of 103, finishing with an 8-0 rout of Wigan, together with another miserly defence was the key. A much improved record against the Big Four was also vital; the wins at Old Trafford and Anfield were the clinchers. Star Man: Didier Drogba

Manchester United (A-): Alex Ferguson once again produced a solid side capable of challenging at the very highest level without it being a great side like previous years Wayne Rooney had probably the best season of his career, They struggled with the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez and their goals and Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen struggled for form and fitness respectively, and they would come up short at home and in Europe. Star Man: Wayne Rooney

Arsenal: (B): Once again looked unstoppable at times, yet once again looked very fragile at times. They produced a great late run to get back into title contention, only to come unstuck with a series of poor away performances away from home. Undoubtedly suffered with long term injuries, most notably to Robin van Persie, but yet again, it’s ‘maybe next year’. Star Man: Cesc Fabregas

Tottenham (A): Terrific achievement to break into the top four, helped along the way with recent victories over Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City. Harry Redknapp built a squad to rival the best in the league, and they all stepped up a gear to reach the holy grail of the Champions League. Star Man: Jermain Defoe

Manchester City (B): The multi-millions spent failed to produce the Champions League place the owners wanted and possibly expected. Mark Hughes was controversially sacked before Roberto Mancini came in. Carlos Tevez showed United what they could have had, and Adam Johnson was one of their best – and cheapest – signings. They will need to do better next year if there are not to be consequences for the boss. Star Man: Carlos Tevez.

Aston Villa (B): Pushed the top four for most of the way before once again falling short and settling for a Europa League place. Despite a win at Old Trafford earlier in the year, their undoing was their form against the title contenders, notably conceding seven at Chelsea. Star Man: James Milner

Liverpool (D): Shocking season for Rafael Benitez and his team, finishing seven points behind Tottenham and 23 behind champions Chelsea. Aside from Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, who himself missed a chunk of the campaign with injury, they didn't deliver and their lack of strength in depth was there for all to see and it could be a long way back for them. Star Man: Steven Gerrard.

Everton (C): David Moyes and his team enjoyed a fantastic second half of the season, but will lament their injury crisis which was the reason behind their poor first half of the season that would ultimately cost them their European place. Star Man: Tim Cahill

Birmingham (B+): Alex McLeish was the mastermind behind a fantastic year for Brum, who never looked anywhere near the relegation candidates they were expected to be. A solid defence was the key, helped by a great season from on-loan Joe Hart. Star Man: Joe Hart

Blackburn (C): Sam Allardyce’s team got the top ten finish they would have been expecting, helped by great home form. The Ewood Park crowd only saw three home defeats, yet once again, disappointing away form will be a concern. Star Man: David Dunn

Stoke (B): Great effort from Stoke to maintain their top flight status so convincingly amid the fear of second season syndrome. Their away form was much improved, and like last season, their Britannia bombardment was too much for many visitors to withstand. Star Man: Matt Etherington

Fulham (C): Roy Hodgson once again showed his credentials with another good season, particularly at Craven Cottage. Their magnificent run in Europe meant the league often came second, hence a lower finish than last year. Their away form was another stumbling block. Star Man: Bobby Zamora

Sunderland (C): Decent first year in charge for Steve Bruce, helped with another solid season in front of their home fans. But for a poor winless run of games at the turn of the year, they could have finished higher. Darren Bent’s goals have put him on the periphery of the England squad. Star Man: Darren Bent

Bolton (C-): Ended up comfortably safe after Owen Coyle arrived at the club. Looked like relegation candidates for a long time before a late run of results saw them steer clear of danger. They will be disappointed to only have reached 39 points however. Star Man: Kevin Davies

Wolves (B): Great effort from Mick McCarthy’s team to stay up. Their total of four away wins was four more than their first Premier League season and ultimately those were enough to keep them safe with 38 points. Star Man: Kevin Doyle

Wigan (D): Wigan would have expected to stay up more comfortably than they did, and they were not helped by a very poor defensive record. They conceded 55 away goals, most notably 9 at Tottenham and 8 at Chelsea on the final day. Their unpredictability was illustrated with wins against Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool at the DW Stadium. Star Man: Hugo Rodallega

West Ham (D-): Gianfranco Zola just about kept the Hammers in the league, but the season will no doubt be considered an immense disappointment following a decent showing last year. Off-the-pitch problems cast a shadow and there could be a big summer ahead at Upton Park. Star Man: Scott Parker

Burnley (E): Cannot fault their effort but they just weren’t good enough for this level. Owen Coyle’s untimely departure didn’t help, but Brian Laws’ appointment looked like one for next season in the Championship rather than a survival bid this season. Four points away from home was the same as the hapless Derby achieved in 2008. Star Man: Steven Fletcher

Hull (E): Very poor season from a side who haven’t looked good enough for the Premier League since December 2008 in truth. The stats do not lie; no away wins all season and just 34 goals scored. Iain Dowie always had a tough job and honestly, was never going to succeed. Star Man: Stephen Hunt

Portsmouth (F): In a season which can only be described as a disaster, Portsmouth looked doomed long before their nine-point penalty for going into administration. They have defied the odds by reaching the FA Cup final, and Avram Grant has done a decent job to steady the ship on the pitch amid huge problems upstairs. There is going to be a big, big summer on the south coast. Star Man: Jamie O’Hara

As for my end of season awards, they are as follows:

Player of the Year: Wayne Rooney. 26 goals in the league, plus a work rate second to none.

Manager of the Year: If I include European form I will say Roy Hodgson, but purely from a Premier League point of view I will say Carlo Ancelotti

Goal of the Season: Maynor Figueroa’s wonder strike for Wigan v Stoke from inside his own half, with Danny Rose’s volley against Arsenal a close second.

Signing of the Season: Carlos Tevez, Manchester City. 23 league goals for a new club is rarely seen at this level, and how Manchester United could have done with keeping him. I’ll also pay tribute here to my runner-up Thomas Vermaelen of Arsenal who settled into English football incredibly easily.

Worst signing of the Season: Alberto Aquilani, Liverpool. No explanation necessary.

See you next season!

Down to the wire...

The Barclays Premier League title race has gone, as I expected, to the wire, with Chelsea and Manchester United both hoping the other slips up on the final day. As it stands, the Blues lead by one point, so a win against Wigan will be enough to earn Carlo Ancelotti's men their first title in four years. Any slip-up will surely let in United, who face Stoke at Old Trafford.
Although Stoke will of course be aiming for a top-half finish, which would be a fantastic achievement and easy to overlook given other teams' accomplishments this year, I can't see them challenging on Sunday. They were beaten 7-0 at Chelsea two weeks ago, and their away-day frailties still remain.
Sadly for Sir Alex Ferguson, three points will not be enough, as I cannot see anything but a Chelsea victory, possibly even as emphatic as the aforementioned Stoke win. Although Wigan beat them 3-1 at the DW Stadium earlier in the season, Wigan's away days have been a very different story; who will forget their 9-1 thumping at Tottenham in November?

It's a shame that the relegation scrap has already been decided; as a neutral I probably prefer these on the last day to the title deciders. It would have been very interesting to see, but in all honesty, the three on their way down - Hull, Burnley and Portsmouth - have looked doomed from the start - I for one tipped those three before a ball had even been kicked. What concerns me though is that there are still seven teams on less than 40 points. As exciting as the league is, there are too many teams just happy to survive rather than risk spending some money to progress, and that is something which needs to be looked at, but that's for another post.

I'll be back on Sunday with a review of the season, so let me know what you think of the title race in the meantime via Facebook, Twitter, or this blog.

My Grand National thoughts and tips

This weekend sees Merseyside play host to a sporting event which, for just a few short minutes, has the world interested. But enough about Liverpool v Fulham, I'm here to talk about the John Smith's Grand National at Aintree.

For me, it is one of our country's greatest sporting events, and one that I always look forward to for the whole year. I am not a massive racing fan, although its a sport I like to think I know a bit about. This year will be slightly different for me, however. For the first time in living memory, I will not be watching the great race live due to my Nottingham Forest season ticket (rightly) taking priority. Lets hope Forest can last the course and distance in the next few weeks, but that's for another time.

My earliest memory of the race as a kid was probably watching Seagram power past Garrison Savannah to take the money in 1991, when I was just five. Since then, I have witnessed many ups and downs, backed two winners (1996, 2004) and many, many losers. But, no matter what horse you are on, where your money is won or lost, it is a Saturday like few others in the British sporting calendar for drama, anticipation and excitement.

As for this year's renewal, there are plenty of runners in with a chance. All of the first six home last year are back again, including Comply Or Die and Mon Mome, both of which have genuine hopes of becoming the first horse since 1974 (Red Rum, of course) to win it more than once.

I am going to back three of those first six from last year in My Will, State Of Play and Cerium, who only scraped into the race today (Friday) but has had a surge of interest since it was initially named a reserve.

My Will came close last year, and this time carries less weight (11-2) than last year. he should have another decent run following similar preparation. State Of Play has a great chance in my opinion despite a quiet season. He has won over the big fences in the past, and experience like that is invaluable. I thought it was tough not to select at 16/1. As for Cerium, he was 5th last year at incredibly long odds, and was not even fully fit. His long price of 66/1 suggests it will take another monumental effort, but you never know, it is Aintree after all.

Enjoy the race!

A crucial day for the title race - my thoughts

This Saturday is likely to be the biggest day of the season so far in the Barclays Premier League, as champions and leaders Manchester United host Chelsea, who sit just a point behind. The game is being billed as the title decider, which is fair enough - there are only five games left after this one - but I only think the championship can be lost this weekend, and even then I'm not too certian if that will be the case.

Chelsea, despite playing catch-up currently, know that six wins will win them their first league title since 2006. Their problem is that Manchester United are in exactly the same position. The game therefore has to be played like a cup-tie for my money. Had Arsenal not roared back into contention, Sir Alex Ferguson's side would have been very happy not to lose the game, whereas Chelsea need to win whatever the circumstances. The Gunners' surge of late, and their so-called easier run-in however, means that United need to go all out for a victory.

Arsene Wenger will be praying that it is a draw at Old Trafford, the game finishing just minutes before his side entertain Wolves at the Emirates Stadium. On paper, Wolves at home is one of the more winnable games in this league, but just how much will Wednesday's game against Barcelona have taken out of them? Of course, they are without Cesc Fabregas for the remainder of the campaign, the talisman behind their blistering form since their home defeat to Chelsea which appeared to knock them out of contention, but they should be good enough for three points.

That would leave them on 71 points, possibly just two behind United at close of play. They could however be five behind if United and Wolves record wins, and that would be too large a gap to close in my opinion.

These two games will go a long way to deciding just how many teams are still in the title race. Personally, I think we will still have as many questions as answers, and all three teams will fight it out a little while longer.

A turbulent week off the pitch...again

It has been a turbulent week in English football in more ways than one this week, one that has come as a reminder to us that players are human after all, and football clubs are not as invincible as we would like to think.

Of all the players to suffer a World Cup threatening injury in the past couple of weeks, it had to be Ashley Cole, the one player who would have prevented a potential flare up in the starting XI between former captain John Terry and Cole's understudy Wayne Bridge, whose ex Vanessa Perroncel is at the centre of the 'other' story.
Cole's injury left the door wide open for the Manchester City man, although he has, in my opinion sadly, let his heart rule over his head. In every walk of life, one has to work alongside colleagues they do not like or even respect, although it could be argued that professional football is not just another job. I would have fully understood his decision if it was to declare himself unavailable for England's friendly on Wednesday against Egypt - especially as Manchester City play Chelsea this weekend - but to do so indefinitely seems rash.

Speaking of Ashley Cole, we all hope he will be fit for South Africa, but it is of course his off-the-field form which has caught the eye. I don't have a great deal of sympathy for him, he has after all cheated more than once on one of the world's most desirable women, but plenty more people have thrown their two pennies in inside the front pages, so I'll stick to the football side here.


The financial crises in the leagues have reminded us that clubs cannot continue overspending beyond their means. Portsmouth's move into administration, and their soon to be confirmed nine-point penalty, certainly means the end of their immediate Premier League life, and probably any hope of returning there in the next two to three years. It is becoming a cliche to say look at Leeds United, Nottingham Forest, Norwich and the other clubs who have plummeted through the leagues, but Pompey, its administrator and fans, will hope that their name is not added to the list. On the other hand, maybe the club's very existence is the ultimate goal, no matter which division they end up in.

Notts County have avoided administration after a very difficult few weeks, but the job that new chairman Ray Trew and manager Steve Cotterill have to stablise the club looks a far bigger one than even they thought. Of course, the club has one prized asset above any others, that being goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, but even his likely sale in the summer will probably be at a huge loss compared to the money that Munto Finance was throwing around, or should I say promising to throw around, at the start of the season. The dreams of becoming the next big force in English football sadly look a long way off as far as the supporters are concerned, even promotion to League One this season looks increasingly unlikely, although in Cotterill the club has a manager more than capable at that level of being a success.

A new start

Hi guys

I am fully aware that I have neglected this Blog and its fans for too long, so I thought I would give it a bit of a makeover and a new title. Although 'Adam's Blog' was an understandable choice for a name origianlly, given it is a Blog written by Adam, it's not particularly imaginative. Hopefully the new name gets the page noticed more. That said, any new names you want to throw out there wil be considered.

Plenty of stuff to write about in the sporting world, so hopefully I'll be back soon with that and maybe an update or two from my world.

Adam

This week in football

A controversial night in Paris last Wednesday saw France reach the World Cup finals at the expense of the Republic of Ireland, but as we are all aware, that is not the half of it. Thierry Henry's handball allowed William Gallas to put the French 2-1 ahead on aggregate and condemn the Irish to a second successive failed World Cup qualifying campaign.

I don't think Henry would have set foot onto the pitch with the intention of cheating, but his helping hand in France's goal was just that. He certainly made sure that nobody would talk about Nicolas Anelka's dive in extra time, which the referee correctly waved away as no penalty.

If the French need such tactics to beat a dogged Irish performance, then I hope they are proud of themselves. I did think they could be one of the teams with a genuine chance of winning the World Cup. Although I am now not so sure about that, they still have a squad of real quality that can find a way to win, whether by fair means or foul.

That said, the Irish probably should have closed the game out in the 90 minutes in Paris, and Roy Keane, as harsh as his press conference sounded, was just about right in his criticism of his nation's performance over the 210 minutes of the tie.


Everything Tottenham touched on Sunday turned to gold as they humiliated Wigan 9-1 at White Hart Lane in the Barclays Premier League. What was even worse for the visitors was that it was only 1-0 to the home side at half time before Spurs, and in particular Jermain Defoe, ran riot. He proved his reputation as one of the game's greatest finishers and in my opinion, it would be a travesty if he is not in the England squad to fly to South Africa next summer.

And with Liverpool and Manchester City stuttering of late - they played a 2-2 draw this weekend, City's sixth draw in a row - Harry Redknapp must be starting to believe that he can take his team into the Champions League places.

As good as Tottenham were, and indeed are, Wigan should be ashamed of themselves for their capitulation. A Premier League outfit should not be losing games 9-1. It wasn't the number of goals in Chris Kirkland's net that was the worst thing, but more the manner of the goals conceded. It was as if they had given up the fight and Spurs basically walked the ball in towards the end.


My team. Nottingham Forest, increased their unbeaten run to nine Coca-Cola Championship games, and are still the only unbeaten away side in the entire English league. They deserved a point at a poor Middlesbrough side, and it was another point earned after going 1-0 behind away.

By my reckoning Forest have fallen behind in each of the last five away games and not lost any of them. Reds sides of recent years would probably have lost all five games by large margins, so there is excitement about the improvement on that front. One concern for me though, is that it is now four successive draws in the league. Although I am very happy that Billy Davies is turning Forest into one of the most difficult teams to beat, does that prevent the players from going up the extra gear and winning games, especially away from home?

There are two home games coming up against Doncaster and Leicester, and I think Forest need to win both of them to boost their faint play-off hopes.