Arsenal
In this age of the managerial revolving door, I’m enormously proud that the Premier League champions (man, does that sound sweet!) stand as the antithesis to that. Admittedly, “trusting the process” aged a lot of us massively, but the agony of the past three campaigns evaporated with the final whistle at the Vitality. Sure, it would’ve been great to have enjoyed the sort of free-flowing football that the Cherries produced, but you won’t find a Gooner anywhere who gives a monkey’s how Mikel got us over the line. 19 great clean sheets. In the words of Fergie, attack wins games, but defence wins titles. Season rating: 10/10
Stars/flops Raya, Gabriel, Saliba and Rice were so consistent. But Martinelli managed only one league goal, Madueke lacked composure in front of goal and, while Eze’s one-man demolition of Spurs guarantees him cult status, he’s often struggled to influence proceedings.
What we need in the summer To shed some of the deadwood (Nørgaard, Vieira), and add dynamism to our attack (Barcola, Gibbs-White, Anderson, Tonali?)
Best/worst away fans Atlético Madrid’s staunch support in the face of defeat was impressive. Spurs fans are always worst.
Moment that made me smile The exposure of Hincapié’s backside against Burnley. But the biggest ear-to-ear grin came from the unbridled joy of Tuesday night’s celebrations in the streets around my Highbury home. And I’m hoping there’s more to come. My first question to the oncologist when I was diagnosed with cancer in 2013 was whether I’d live long enough to witness Arsenal winning the Champions League. Her response might have been: “Will any of us?” but having schlepped the length and breadth of Europe these past 30-odd years in search of that elusive trophy and, having felt like we were robbed by Barça in Paris in 2006, if we can triumph against PSG in Budapest then I’ll be able to shuffle off this mortal coil a contented man!
Aston Villa
Well, it’s not been plain sailing, but there have been so many brilliant highs this year culminating in a joyous party in Istanbul this week. “In Unai we trust” has been a crucial underpin to certain months in which we looked a moderate side, but Emery’s ability to get us to perform when it matters is becoming legendary. As has this team, this connection of seemingly really good blokes who love the club and have a great relationship with the fans. They have grown into senior pros together and, while fresh blood will be required, let’s focus on them: it’s been a great year and we really should smile and enjoy it. Villa fans, go and buy a shirt with your favourite’s name on, it’ll never go out of fashion. 9/10
Stars/flops McGinn is the sort of bloke you want to be your son’s best mate, your golfing partner and your club’s captain. His leadership and game management is genuinely remarkable and his finishing, ball control and general contribution have improved every year when the sports scientists would predict decline. What a player. The list of “big ups” is too long but Konsa has also become tattoo material for Villa fans.
What we need in the summer I don’t want to identify weaknesses in a team that have just given us everything, so I’ll just ask for a player in each zone, to match the obvious outgoings.
Best/worst away fans Liverpool and the absent Maccabi Tel Aviv fans matched each other for noise generated. Young Boys were wild, Sunderland good limbs.
Moment that made me smile They had the last laugh, but Buendía’s winner with the final kick against Arsenal and their subsequent pitch-pounding takes some beating.
Bournemouth
Astonishing. Magnificent. Historic. Like no other season ever. We will be playing in Europe for the first time next season: a massive, monumental achievement for our club. Undefeated now for 17 games, we’ve beaten Arsenal at the Emirates (again), dominated City to kill off their title hopes and gone out in every game to play a brand of football that is energetic, exciting and fearless. All this after our defence was picked apart last summer, and our best forward departed in January. Andoni Iraola is a much-loved genius who will be sorely missed – but what a legacy he leaves Marco Rose. And what foundations Bill Foley, the staff and the players have built. We’re so looking forward to the next chapter. Others may call us tinpot. But we are proud. We are the mighty Cherries and we’re in Europe! 10/10
Stars/flops Alex Scott has been superb, he can do it all. Junior Kroupi and Rayan have been spectacular. Truffert is an unbelievable upgrade at left-back. Senesi has been sensational. Tavernier, Adam Smith, Tyler Adams, Petrovic all excellent. My top choice, though, would be James Hill, a £1m signing from Fleetwood in 2022. He replaced Diakité in December and has proven himself the best English centre-half in the country.
What we need in the summer Squad strengthening and better contracts for the stars: critical so we can keep hold of them for as long as possible. We must also replace Senesi, no easy task.
Best/worst away fans Best fans, probably, Leeds. They never shut up. Worst fan Noel Gallagher. Leaving 10 minutes before the end. With the title on the line. Embarrassing, some might say.
Moment that made me smile The final whistle against Man City. Tears of joy. We’re all going on a European tour!
Brentford
What a season. When Thomas Frank left and rookie Keith Andrews stepped up, plenty of people wrote Brentford off. I felt positive about the change but still only tipped us for 14th. So to be in the mix for Europe now is a huge achievement. There were a few disappointments along the way: the League Cup defeat to City, and losing to West Ham after that awful Panenka penalty was painful. But overall, 8.5/10.
Stars/flops Igor Thiago starred, scoring 22 league goals in his first full campaign, with the fans belting out “Thiago” to the tune of Spandau Ballet’s “Gold” – an instant cult hero. I’m off to the USA for the World Cup with England this summer and after his call-up to the Brazil team I fully intend to wear my newly designed Beesotted Thiago Brentford T-shirt while mixing with my Brazilian mates. Michael Kayode was also superb: there’s way more to him than long throws. If there’s one player who has frustrated at times, it’s Kevin Schade. The raw attributes are all there – blistering pace, power and the ability to completely change a game – but his form has been inconsistent.
What we need in the summer If we want to compete for Europe again – or, if results go our way, avoid being derailed by the demands of European football – the squad needs more finished-product players. Depth is vital. And so is replacing Wissa. We didn’t have time to do it this season because of how he and Newcastle engineered his move; if we had, we could have been pushing for the Champions League.
Best/worst away fans Wolves fans were remarkably up for it on a cold Tuesday night in west London. Honourable mention to the 30 PSG fans over from Paris who didn’t stop singing for the whole 90 minutes in a recent B-Team friendly. Worst – I always say Fulham but this time I’ll give it to Spurs. We barely heard a peep from them all game in a pretty dreadful 0-0 draw.
Moment that made me smile Seeing Igor Thiago’s family react to his first Brazil call-up. As soon as his name was announced, the whole room just erupted. A brilliant reminder of just how much football still means to people.
Brighton
Forget the strange case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde. This was the strange season of Brighton & Hove Albion. Fifth at the end of November. One win in 13 matches over December, January and February with football so atrocious 80% of fans voted Fabian Hürzeler out in an online poll. And yet Brighton go into the final day on the verge of qualifying for Europe. That was the club’s publicly stated aim at the start. Hürzeler is therefore close to delivering on expectations. He has just taken a roundabout route to get there. As for a rating? 5/10 for the start. 1/10 for the winter. 9/10 for the finish. 8/10 overall.
Stars/flops Ferdi Kadioglu has been a revelation. Not as flamboyant as Marc Cucurella or Pervis Estupiñán and therefore goes under the radar – but he is every bit as good as his left-back predecessors. Carlos Baleba has been a disappointment. So much talent. So good last season. He just hasn’t looked the same player since interest from Manchester United.
What we need in the summer For all the praise the Albion get for recruitment, Hürzeler has been working with a seriously unbalanced squad. Four quality centre-backs and an abundance of midfielders, but no real full-back cover. A lack of natural width beyond Kaoru Mitoma and Yankuba Minteh. And Danny Welbeck as the only No 9 option who isn’t a Greek teenager. Any signings must better suit Hürzeler’s 4-2-3-1.
Best/worst away fans Sunderland came down in their numbers five days before Christmas. Chelsea were the worst. They all abandoned ship long before the final whistle. Although it must be tough watching your team lose 3-0 to their superior parent club.
Moment that made me smile David Raya landing on his right shoulder when Arsenal won at the Amex before writhing around and receiving five minutes treatment on his left shoulder. Superb. Don’t give up the day job in pursuit of a role on EastEnders anytime soon, David.
Burnley
I was pretty convinced and bullish before the season began; seeing us win so few points and get relegated isn’t what I expected. We’ve only been really poor in probably a handful of games but those have been the games we should have been getting something from. Scott Parker was allowed to carry on for too long and should have been potted back in November. 3/10
Stars/flops It’s difficult to pick any standouts but I’d probably say Zian Flemming. He’s somehow managed to score 10 Premier League goals despite missing a few games and feeding on scraps. In terms of flops, take your pick but probably Kyle Walker from an “expected more” POV. He started well enough but has been so poor at times.
What we need in the summer A new manager for a start, someone who can bring an identity. And then probably an overhaul of the recruitment department. Our business has been all over the place and it’s clearly not working.
Best/worst away fans There’s been a few contenders for best away fans – Sunderland and Villa were decent and the West Ham fans were loud with their anti-board songs. Worst, probably Leeds United. A lot is made about how much noise they make at Elland Road but they were pretty quiet at the Turf.
Moment that made me smile Sean Dyche’s sudden love of social media is probably up there. Going from a man who didn’t want his players on Instagram to doing naff videos on the same platform is an about-turn no one expected. But I guess he’s got to fund those gig tickets somehow!
Chelsea
What an end to the season. It’s been disastrous, shambolic, embarrassingly weak, losing two managers, with fans demonstrating against the owners and a run of form that would have put us in relegation trouble had the season gone on longer. The only upside is that either Spurs or West Ham will be relegated. The Cup final was a bonus, at least, and we were unlucky to lose against City, even though no one was surprised we did. Alonso has a tough job picking this team up. 4/10
Stars/flops João Pedro was the most consistent player, growing into his role and rightly getting the fans’ player of the season award. Enzo and Reece James also had very good seasons. Our defence has collectively flopped with so many poor decisions, mistakes and weak goals conceded. Delap has never got going, and neither did Gittens before his injury ended his season.
What we need in the summer Once again we are in the same position as the last four or five seasons: struggling in key areas. We desperately need an experienced quality centre-back, a top goalkeeper and another top striker. We’re crying out for some experience and leadership.
Best/worst away fans Port Vale fans were the best – always good to see a full away allocation in the FA Cup. And Arsenal were by far the worst: smug, arrogant scarf-twirlers among a sea of YouTubers.
Moment that made me smile The look on Cole Palmer’s face as he put his arm round referee Paul Tierney during the infamous huddle. One of the most bizarre moments of the season.
Crystal Palace
10/10 if we win the Conference League. 7/10 if not. It’s been a rollercoaster, from the heights of the top five at the beginning of December and in the League Cup quarters to the despair of crashing out as FA Cup holders at Macclesfield, a manager having a public meltdown over his squad and his future, and iconic players Eze and Guéhi departing. And now we’re 90 minutes away from our first European trophy. What a ride!
Stars/flops It is impossible to look past Ismaïla Sarr as player of the season, 21 goals and counting. Adam Wharton continues to show why he should be a starter for England – scandalous that he was left out – and Tyrick Mitchell’s consistency week in, week out merited a place in that squad, too. Maxence Lacroix’s France squad inclusion is well deserved. Jaydee Canvot at just 19 has grown immeasurably since Marc Guéhi’s departure. On the flip side, Brennan Johnson has struggled for confidence and Yeremy Pino has yet to really reflect his European performances in the league.
What we need in the summer A full campaign in Europe made it clear that it is incredibly difficult to be competitive in the league with lack of squad depth. If we make it to the Europa League then major investment will be needed, led by whoever the new manager is going to be. An additional central defender, central midfielder, and striker if Mateta leaves will be the bare minimum.
Best/worst away fans Leeds were loud, and Shakhtar were great under the lights. Burnley less so for a midweek match, but they had the last laugh, scoring three in eight minutes to win …
Moment that made me smile Palace Women bounced back to the WSL at the first time of asking with a 6-1 thrashing of Portsmouth on the last day to pip Charlton Women to promotion. The under-18s hugely impressed, reaching the FA Youth Cup semi-finals for the first time in 30 years and winning the Premier League Cup. But the biggest smile of all has been the European adventure – friends and memories made for life!
Everton
The overwhelming emotion is frustration and almost groundhog day. I’ve been a huge admirer of David Moyes and how he’s stabilised us, but he’s not delivered when the opportunity for Europe presented itself. Much of our football has been slow and passive. We look less fit than most teams. There’s a feeling we’re no longer competitive in many aspects of the modern game, from coaching and recruitment to sports science, tactics and mentality. Modern football has changed, we haven’t. 5/10
Stars/flops Ndiaye, even though form dropped in the final weeks, stood out: only one of three players to score two goals with both left and right feet. Some incredible goals, too. Dewsbury-Hall provided intelligence and was a class above most. Pickford retains his England No 1 position and James Garner should have beem on the plane. As for flops: Dibling (though he hasn’t been given a fair chance) and McNeil: infuriating in the latter half of the season.
What we need in the summer Two full-backs and, as Branthwaite is still injury-prone, another central defender. More quality up front too. Beto, bless him, tries his heart out but we need more quality. The bigger question is whether we can find a more progressive manager than Moyes, who, despite the stability he provides, seems increasingly left behind in the modern game.
Best/worst away fans? Sunderland were best: there’s a great affinity between both clubs. The worst? Our neighbours, unsavoury scenes, totally unnecessary.
Moment that made me smile November’s Gueye/Keane slap at Old Trafford was the undisputedly most surreal and bizarre moment of Everton’s season. Other entertaining moments: our first victory at Old Trafford in 12 years, the 3-0 home victory versus Chelsea proving we could take the Goodison atmosphere to Hill Dickinson, and special mention for the Everton away support. We sell out every single game (and see the best of our performances).
Fulham
Well below par. “We can still make the playoff” used to be the perennial cry, whatever our league position. At least that’s been superseded by “We can still make Europe”. But that one’s been put to bed for another year. Let’s be clear: Marco Silva has raised the bar at Fulham. Last season’ exploits brought a record top-flight points haul, despite the habitual tail-off. We belonged, and deservedly pushed for the upper echelons. Based on that, and the less-than-stellar state of this season’s Premier League, we’ve dipped this time around. We’ve been consistently inconsistent, wildly so, even during the same game. 6.5/10
Stars/flops No one really got into their stride as enforced team changes (due to injuries, suspensions and Afcon etc) made for a disjointed campaign. Wilson enjoyed many magic moments, of course, and Sessegnon continued to blossom. Bassey gave his all, as usual, while his central defensive partner Andersen blew hot and cold. Robinson and Muniz failed to shine post-injury.
What we need in the summer Loads. But so much depends on who’ll be holding the reins. Silva’s contract situation must surely have affected matters. How else do you explain the indifferent showings of late (bar the Villa game)? Us diehard supporters can only guess at what’s happening behind the scenes, although we scrutinise matches with a passion: is Silva looking for pastures new or is he holding out for reassurances from the owners? Certainly, his disgruntlement with the club’s unorthodox recruitment policies mirrors those of preceding team bosses.
Best/worst away fans Sunderland, Wolves, Palace and Newcastle were loud and proud. Brentford were surprisingly quiet, as were Southampton in the Cup (presumably playing I-Spy?).
Moment that made me smile Watching Special agent Rosenior at work was a hoot! But top of the pile for belly laughs was the Jean Tigana reunion evening with Chris Coleman, Sean Davis, Barry Hayles and co regaling us (and Jean) with the joys of the French revolution taking the Championship by storm 25 years ago.
Leeds
Nearer Europe than the bottom three, an FA Cup semi-final, a first league win at Old Trafford since 1981 – most fans expected to stay up, but by scraping, not swaggering. Taking out the nine (!) bloody Arsenal scored past us, our top‑four no-gaffes defending made Leeds very hard to beat. We took points off everyone outside the top two, a classic Super Leeds first season up. 8/10
Stars/flops Dominic Calvert-Lewin showed the fun players can have at Elland Road. Gabriel Gudmundsson’s a big fave at left-back, James Justin’s a reliable guy, Anton Stach scores great goals. Ethan Ampadu became dominant in midfield, Karl Darlow is having a late career renaissance, and if I keep going I’ll have to talk about Lucas Perri so I won’t. Although his hair transplant was a roaring success.
What we need in the summer Manager and boardroom need “alignment”, to use Daniel Farke’s phrase. After speculation about his job last summer, the boss went early, letting the suits know he’s ambitious for next season. In other words, he wants 49ers Enterprises to pay for better players, even while the project to rebuild the John Charles Stand as a lucrative corporate-filled behemoth is just getting started.
Best/worst away fans All the same, aren’t they? Can’t say I’m enjoying the trend of competitive mugging for cameras and engineering virality in real time. Unless someone really hones their routine and starts sawing their glamorous assistant in half or something. I would take that over watching Arsenal again.
Moment that made me smile My view of our second goal at Old Trafford. In the background: Noah Okafor scoring. In the foreground: Bruno Fernandes lying on the ground, faking an injury. Perfect.
Liverpool
It wasn’t the best season, and different from the last one for sure. We started as expected with five wins out of five – not at our best, but all the talk was “wait until we start playing”. That never came and we’ve struggled for much of it. Lots of mitigating circumstances for loss of form, but we never found consistency and looked lost and bereft of ideas in too many games. We’ve long been associated with last-minute goals but this time they were mostly for the other side. But we go again. Win the last game and we’re back in the Champions League. 6/10
Stars/flops It’s been ace seeing Rio Ngumoha get game time, and Dominik Szoboszlai gave us some wow moments. It’s been a frustrating season, but we’re there to support our players and there’s little point in slagging off individuals who’ve not played their best. The biggest stars were the supporters, particularly in recent weeks when we came together to let the club know we were not going to stay quiet about their policy of three seasons of price rises. Led by Spirit of Shankly and the Spion Kop 1906 fan group we made our voices heard. Thankfully the club saw sense.
What we need in the summer We have to reset, find consistency and play as a team again. We’ve got big players moving on, and we have to re-establish a defence and midfield. The new signings haven’t gelled and we will need to sign players in these key positions.
Best/worst away fans Crystal Palace, as ever, came and concentrated on supporting their team rather than pathetic poverty chants others find amusing. And in solidarity, they joined in with the yellow-card protest, with many of their supporters holding up cards along with our fans. See above.
Moment that made me smile The Marseille tifo of the Beatles in the Champions League game was brilliant and, returning to last-minute goals, the winner away at Hill Dickinson gave us all a smile, even if it was short-lived.
Manchester City
Given how things spiralled at various points, emerging with two domestic trophies and taking the title race to the final week is some feat. In the end, we’ve had a great season. Pep leaving is obviously at the forefront of emotions right now. But it’s important as City fans that we recognise just how fortunate we’ve been to have him as our manager – for 10 years! – and to celebrate him. 8.5/10.
Stars/flops O’Reilly, Doku and Nunes have been our most consistently reliable performers. Cherki has had an excellent first season, Khusanov’s continued to make rapid progress, and Semenyo/Guéhi have had a huge impact since January. It’s testament to Haaland’s absurd standards that he isn’t even in the conversation, after notching 52 goal contributions (!) across all comps. Flops? Reijnders has been really disappointing (and I think lacks the intensity/physicality to play in this division) and Savinho has regressed further. I’d move both on.
What we need in the summer Replacing Pep is the impossible job. But I think we’re much better placed to deal with the big man’s departure than United were post-Fergie. Hugo Viana has largely done an excellent job refreshing the squad in the last 18 months. Our priority signings are two new CMs (hopefully Elliot Anderson is one of them), a new wide forward and another right-back to compete with Nunes. The rest will depend on departures. And Maresca!
Best/worst away fans Sunderland were loud. The worst? I feel bad, but Wolves.
Moment that made me smile Is still to come … Guardiola’s send-off at the Etihad will be emotional. It’s been an absolute privilege to live through his era. His impact on English football is indelible; he is the GOAT. And we are all unbelievably grateful.
Manchester United
A season of two halves. The owners stuck with Amorim after we finished 15th and lost a Euro final to a very poor Spurs team and the season trudged on with his lack of flexibility and woeful game management. But Carrick rose to the challenge, taking us back to the Champions League with games to spare. There were moments where it looked like we might finally be building towards something as we beat Arsenal, City and Liverpool; moments where Old Trafford actually felt alive again. Adding Cunha, Big Bryan and Sesko has made us a real threat going forward. 7/10
Stars/flops Mainoo’s revival under Carrick has also been a massive positive, he looks composed beyond his years. Lammens has been immense for us as well. Sesko looks the real deal, if he could add a bit more aggression, and Cunha looks like he was born to play for United. But several senior players looked short on confidence; Mount disappeared with injuries when the pressure was on.
What we need in the summer More athleticism in midfield. Elliot Anderson would make us title contenders. I would also put in for Gibbs‑White: it could be the equivalent of the Robson + Moses double transfer, to lead us from the wilderness. We need another striker but I can’t see them blowing the budget on a forward, so expect some ageing star to come in. There also need to be ruthless decisions on players who’ve had a couple of seasons without delivering, such as Mount and Zirkzee.
Best/worst away fans Wolves were already doomed but sang their hearts out. Liverpool were very subdued bar a 15-minute spell in the second half. The reality clearly hitting them that they have quickly become a mid‑table team.
Moment that made me smile The breaking news that Amorim had gone – and with him tactics such freezing Mainoo out, playing five at the back when Everton went down to 10 men at our place, and substituting our two senior defenders with five minutes to play against Newcastle when we were clinging on to the lead.
Newcastle
We’ve gone from intensity to inconsistency to incoherence. It’s been a tough watch, with a staggering 27 points dropped from winning positions, and we’ve been tortured time and again by injury-time goals. We’ve often looked a shadow of the side that brought home silverware in March last year. That said, it was an impressive Champions League campaign, and we seem to have a real taste for the Carabao Cup, at least. 6/10
Stars/flops Will Osula ignited, Lewis Hall cemented his place as one of England’s finest left-backs and Malick Thiaw has been the pick of last summer’s signings. Ever-present at the heart of our defence, the German earned his serenade – to the tune of Bella Ciao – with some imperious displays. Sadly, the flops have outnumbered the stars. The fact that Yoanne Wissa and Anthony Elanga have only six goals between them – despite costing more than £100m combined – is enough to make you weep.
What we need in the summer A major rebuild, if we’re going to challenge for Europe again. A world-class keeper is essential and we need to reshape our forward line, especially with Anthony Gordon in the departure lounge. But changes are required throughout the squad. Guile, creativity and steel were often lacking this season. We can’t afford another disastrous summer.
Best/worst away fans The best were Bradford City, who backed their team to the hilt. The worst? Manchester United, who seemed stunned by our comeback.
Moment that made us smile Arne Slot saying that Isak was struggling because Liverpool didn’t have a player like Jacob Murphy on the books. Maybe they should have thought about that before splurging £125m (and ruining our summer!).
Nottingham Forest
A disastrous appointment as global head of football, £150m spent, four managers, three of whom sabotaged the season through player selection and lack of tactical acumen, and still no signs of stadium redevelopments = 2/10. On the other hand: a European semi-final (thanks to Crystal Palace’s unchecked inbox), and safety secured with two games to go brings us to 6/10 overall.
Stars/flops There cannot be a football fan who does not admire Elliot Anderson – a great player and apparently a fine young man. His best mate, Neco Williams, has also been 8/10 in every game he played (and neither miss many). And Morgan Gibbs-White must be one of the best English No 10s right now. As usual, though, some underwhelming signings: Dan Ndoye, like Remo Freuler before him, is a Swiss international who could not adapt to the pace and physicality of the Prem. Still, at least their flag is a big plus. A word for Vítor Pereira: the Reds need a manager who connects with our club and our culture. Who knows what will happen next, but Vítor delivered alchemy for the last quarter of an arduous campaign.
What we need in the summer Anderson is likely to leave, reluctantly, with both Manc moneybags clubs eyeing him up and squad cost ratio calculations looming. We hope that a trip to the World Cup can persuade MGW that he can realise his ambitions at the City Ground; however, as Murillo has missed out, he may want to move on (hopefully not in the PL). Some fringe players have shown promise under Vítor Pereira, but the squad as a whole needs shoring up.
Best/worst away fans Fenerbahce win both prizes: great co-ordinated noise and movements, but threw flares and literally ripped up our away end.
Moment that made me smile Poor Omari Hutchinson: he will learn never to mention his face cream in interviews ever again.
Sunderland
It’s an 8.5/10. After promotion, survival was the aim, but the season became so much more than that. Most of us just hoped we could compete; not many expected us to look so at home so fast. Sunderland have turned up at established Premier League grounds, sold out away ends up and down the country, and we’ve proved we are not here just to make up the numbers.
Stars/flops Granit Xhaka has been the standout. There was huge noise around that signing, but he has brought control, leadership and a bit of arrogance in the best possible way. Chris Rigg has been another symbol of the season, playing top-flight football with no fear. In terms of disappointments, it’s less about outright flops and more about players struggling for rhythm. Eliezer Mayenda has shown flashes without cementing himself as much as many hoped, while Habib Diarra, through injury and other factors, has not really had the chance to hit the ground running
What we need this summer To add quality without losing what has made this work. A goalscorer, more width and another experienced defender would make sense, but the model is working. Add to it, do not rip it up.
Best/worst away fans Spurs were loud despite being in a relegation battle, and Everton brought brilliant numbers on a Monday night. Brentford felt relatively weak for a team doing so well.
Moment that made me smile Beating the Mags away. Those stairs in the away end normally feel endless, but that day we were down them in a flash. Outside, it was chaos in the best possible way. People we would never have known were it not for football were suddenly in our arms, everyone singing Stop Crying Your Heart Out, everyone laughing, everyone knowing exactly what it meant without having to say it. Sunderland were in the Premier League, winning away at Newcastle, and parading through their city once more. It was magic. Mind, watching their star striker head the ball into his own net ran it pretty close.
Tottenham
I started the season whimsically wishing for Forest to be relegated after the Morgan Gibbs-White transfer debacle. Instead, the footballing gods decided to dish out some elite irony. So here we are: Tottenham can still go down on the final day. In reality it has nothing to do with gods and everything to do with the board’s mismanagement of the club over the past several seasons. There used to be a football club over there. It’s a mess curated by us. 0/10
Stars/flops Everything has flopped. I appreciate the club’s loss of identity has fatigued the players as well as the fans. We go from one manager/style to another with no real blueprint for progression. The lack of leadership on and off the pitch has fragmented us. The club’s directors and those responsible for transfers (Johan Lange), along with the calamity medical and injury issues have left us devastated.
What we need in the summer Roberto De Zerbi has given us hope. We have to let him have full control. The squad needs gutting. We have supposedly key players that can’t even unlock open doors. Tottenham NEED an identity, we need galvanising. This starts with a genuine philosophy in all areas of the football club. It’s seismic and nobody at the club on a board level seems capable of fixing us. Long term, Enic has to sell up.
Best/worst away fans Every set of away fans were equally the best (likely watching their team win) and also the worst (they basked in positive emotions while I did not). Our home record is “historically” abysmal.
Moment that made me smile I gasped at THFC not sacking Thomas Frank earlier, then appointing Igor Tudor. The club have forgotten the business of football. I guess it’s “funny” that removing Daniel Levy left a vacuum that may (possibly) send us down.
West Ham
After review, it’s been a stress-inducing nightmare. It was a terrible start under Potter, with endless goals conceded from corners. Nuno took a long time to get going but selling Paquetá made us play more as a team and, after January, the London Stadium crowd really got behind the side. Signing Disasi and Castellanos helped and form improved but we’ve imploded in the final few matches and, with one game left, are heading down unless we win and it goes all Spursy. Nuno must take some of the blame for his tinkering in the defeat at Newcastle but most of the problems stem from owner David Sullivan’s years of poor strategy, allowing Moyes to leave and some terrible signings. 3/10
Stars/flops Jarrod Bowen has given everything but can’t carry the team on his own. “Jimmy” Summerville had a great scoring run and is finally looking like the player we signed from Leeds. Fernandes has thrived without Paquetá but needs to score more goals, while the “Greek bloke” Dinos Mavropanos really improved after looking a liability. Tomas Soucek always gets dropped but fights his way back to do the ugly stuff. Flops include Max Kilman, who was never worth £40m, and Pablo who works hard but lacks basic control and has rarely looked like scoring.
What we need in the summer If relegated it will probably be a rebuild in the Championship and relying on the kids. Bowen may have to have a difficult conversation with his father-in-law, though we all hope he stays. Fernandes, Summerville, Soucek and Castellanos will also attract suitors. If we stay up we need to sign Disasi and a striker. We need co-owner Kretinsky to show some interest and ask why we have been overtaken by Brentford and Bournemouth.
Best/worst away fans Best were Wolves for turning up and showing some gallows humour. Worst were Chelsea for their chants of: “Three more years Graham Potter.”
Moment that made me smile Mikel Arteta wanting to protect goalkeepers was comedic genius. Also enjoyed David Squires’ Guardian cartoon showing mascots Gunnersaurus and Hammerhead wrestling in the box during that infamous VAR incident.
Wolves
It’s tempting to say the season couldn’t have gone worse, but there were times I thought we might struggle to surpass Derby’s 11-point benchmark of calamity, so there’s that, at least. A little run of home results against Arsenal, Villa and Liverpool provided unexpected respite, too. But while I thought we’d struggle this season, I didn’t think we’d totally collapse. 1.5/10
Stars/flops Everyone flopped, but I’ll give special mention to Jhon Arias and Fer López. These marquee summer signings, brought in to replace the attacking output of Matheus Cunha and Pablo Sarabia, made precisely zero impact in the Premier League and have already been sold and loaned out respectively. The emergence of Mateus Mané at least provides a beacon of hope for next season. Three superbly taken goals for the 18-year-old suggests he can become a destructive force in the Championship, should the club be able to fend off inevitable summer interest.
What we need in the summer A captain. There isn’t a single leader on the pitch. We should then heavily invest in wide attacking areas. Plenty of players will leave, but I think we can retain the nucleus of a good, young Championship team and just need to shape it with smart additions.
Best/worst away fans Bournemouth always take the smallest allocation and you barely register their presence (even though they’re invariably celebrating). I don’t know whether this makes them the best or the worst.
Moment that made me smile A smile? What is that?