16) Tottenham still miss Redknapp
Although Mauricio Pochettino looked a great appointment from Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur still look to be lacking inspiration. A fifth place finish this season could go down as a small success, as could their run to the Capital One Cup final, but rarely have Spurs looked like moving in any decisive direction as they did in the Harry Redknapp era, when a new-found belief oozed from the players in the big games as they secured Champions League football. Pochettino will get the time he deserves, but the north Londoners again look to have done precisely nothing to move forward.
17) Allardyce unlucky at West Ham
Sacked on the final day of the season by West Ham United, there’s no doubt Sam Allardyce had it coming for a poor second half of the season. Still, it is worth noting that the former Bolton boss proved some critics wrong this year by getting his side to play some more attractive and attack-minded football, which he hasn’t really managed in the past. He has never really been popular with the Upton Park crowd, and that worked against him as his side fell apart somewhat.
18) Southampton best-run club
Surely one of the best-run clubs in Europe, Southampton have worked something of a miracle by finishing in 7th place this season. Having sold hugely important players like Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw and Dejan Lovren last summer, the club have spent wisely on some bargain buys and Ronald Koeman has continued to keep the team playing the stylish brand of football that was so successful under Pochettino. They also have the second best defence in the league after Chelsea, a remarkable achievement.
19) Jury still out on Everton’s Martinez
An 11th place finish for Everton casts some doubt over the credentials of manager Roberto Martinez. The Spaniard was rightly hailed for last season’s success, but there remain some issues that haunted him during his time at Wigan – are his sides strong enough defensively? Do they work hard enough to grind out results? Is there too much emphasis on stylish football? Players like Romelu Lukaku and Ross Barkley have gone backwards and will surely improve, but Martinez needs to do better next season.
20) Benteke is the real deal
After so long out injured, many were right to feel Christian Benteke’s fine form at Aston Villa may have been something of a flash in the pan. Still, the Belgian international has been sensational since coming back for Villa, and has played a major role in keeping them up and also firing them to the FA Cup final, where they will face Arsenal this weekend. Liverpool and Chelsea are now being linked with the 24-year-old, who is surely ready to make that step up to a bigger club?
