With the Premier League over for another year, here’s a list of 25 of the biggest talking points and lessons learned from the 2014/15 season, including analysis on Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and more…
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1) Mourinho’s still got it
Fairly obvious, but another Premier League title win for Jose Mourinho eases any doubt that the Chelsea boss had ‘lost it’ after two consecutive trophyless seasons prior to this one. This title win was a stroll in the park for the Blues, who will surely only get even stronger next season and do better in the FA Cup and Champions League.
2) The romance of the game is fading
It was fairly surreal seeing Frank Lampard lifted into the air by his Manchester City team-mates on the final day of the season. Isn’t this the grand farewell from English football that he deserved at Chelsea? Why wasn’t the club legend informed before the final day of last term that he would be leaving? Lampard’s treatment by Chelsea and his own surprise move to join a major rival just shows the romance of the game is a thing of the past.
3) Arsenal are closer to being challengers
Although Arsenal may have been top for much longer last season, they perhaps looked closer to being the real deal this term. The Gunners have done well to finish third, running Manchester City pretty close for second and finishing above both Liverpool and Manchester United. There is clearly work to be done, but one feels there are fewer glaring areas of weakness in this squad and there is no longer the same fear that they will sell their stars this summer. Next season might be too soon, but in some ways Arsene Wenger’s side look like being Chelsea’s likeliest challengers.
4) …but Giroud is arguably their biggest problem
He continues to divide opinion, but it must be said that Olivier Giroud’s lack of quality at the crucial moments continues to be a major factor for Arsenal. At the age of 28, he looks unlikely to develop into a true 30-goal-a-season striker anytime soon, and must be replaced this summer.
5) Szczesny also needs replacing
With the unconvincing David Ospina keeping Wojciech Szczesny out of the starting lineup, it’s clear the Pole has had his last chance at the Emirates Stadium. Once hailed as the next big thing, he surely has no future at Arsenal after messing up one too many times.
6) Fabregas’ fitness is a concern
Chelsea will be delighted to win the title, but it is concerning that Cesc Fabregas’ fitness and form dipped so dramatically in the second half of the season. The numbers show that the Spaniard’s influence waned considerably after Christmas, just as it did in his time with previous club Barcelona. A great signing for his impact at the start of the campaign, but is he the long-term answer for the Blues? With Arsenal mocked for not re-signing him, perhaps this shows there was some justification.
7) Sanchez the signing of the summer
There is surely no doubt about it, Alexis Sanchez has been the signing of the season. The Arsenal man was excellent in his final season with Barcelona and it is staggering that they let him go. With Thomas Vermaelen also moving to the Nou Camp, the Gunners effectively signed the world class Chilean forward for just £20m, which has to be the bargain of the century. The 26-year-old has settled instantly in England, scoring 22 goals in all competitions. Worryingly for other teams, he is surely just going to get even better.
8) Terry confirmed as an all-time great
John Terry lifted his fourth title this season and played every single minute of every single game. Back to his very best form at the age of 34, this has to confirm the Chelsea captain as one of the all-time greats of the game, when so many had written him off just a couple of years ago. Whatever there is to say about him as a person, the former England skipper is still a world class defender and will surely prove irreplaceable for his club.
9) Manchester United will need time
After a nightmare season for David Moyes, Manchester United will be relieved to be back in the top four under Louis van Gaal. Still, fourth is not great for a club of such high standards and there have been some nightmare performances in this trophyless season. It is clear that the recovery from Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure will continue to take time, but at least the Dutchman looks a good bet to ensure they get back on the right track.
10) Money means they will stay competitive
One thing in United’s favour is the sheer money they can throw at the problem; Ferguson has left them in the safe position of being a world superpower that can rival Real Madrid in the transfer market. Van Gaal may not have got everything right last summer, but Memphis Depay looks a good buy and if they continue to raid the market for the world’s best talent, they will get it right more often than not.
11) Van Persie past his best
This season has seen the sad decline of a modern great in Robin van Persie. The Manchester United man has looked well past his best this season, struggling fot fitness and having some notably anonymous games in the Premier League. Much of the focus has been on Radamel Falcao, but it is RVP’s decline that is most alarming and his time in England is surely up.
12) Liverpool have failed Gerrard
A humiliating 6-1 defeat in his final game, Liverpool let club legend Steven Gerrard down badly…again. In a season summed up by the devastating impact of losing big names like Luis Suarez, it is clear that Gerrard’s loyalty down the years has not been rewarded as other stars such as Michael Owen, Fernando Torres, Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso have also been offloaded. Raheem Sterling may be the next, and if Gerrard’s career is anything to go by, it may just not be worth showing that level of commitment to the Merseyside giants, who continue to look a faded force in the game.
13) Rodgers deserves one more season
As much as this season has been a disaster for Liverpool, manager Brendan Rodgers deserves more time to put things right. Last season lifted expectations to an unrealistic level, and there is perhaps little the former Swansea boss could have done to keep Suarez at the club. With some fine form for the club between January and March, there have been signs that Rodgers can get this team playing fantastic football, and one crazy result on the final day of the season should not decide his future.
14) Aguero amazing
With Manchester City so poor, with Yaya Toure and Vincent Kompany in such decline, it is a miracle that Sergio Aguero has finished as the Golden Boot winner. The Argentine has been world class again this season and is a player the club must keep fit if they are to mount a better title challenge next year.
15) Pellegrini over-hyped
After a narrow and arguably undeserved title win last season, Manuel Pellegrini has shown this year that he is not quite up to the task of managing a big club. City were again awful in the Champions League and were again knocked out of the FA Cup by lower-league opposition. He may have worked wonders with clubs with lesser expectations in La Liga, but the Chilean is surely not the right man to take the club forward.
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?
21) Berahino needs the right manager
A terrific young talent on his day, it has been an up-and-down season for West Bromwich Albion forward Saido Berahino. The England hopeful has definitely stood out at the Hawthorns, but has also had his fair share of off-the-field problems and disciplinary issues. Tony Pulis has done a good job with him and it may be that he should really stay and learn more from the Welshman before rushing off to a big club. Wherever he does go, Berahino needs a manager who will handle his temperament and channel that raw ability into something more.
22) Ings looks overrated
Why so much hype over Burnley striker Danny Ings? The 23-year-old is being linked with a whole host of top clubs ahead of the summer despite scoring only 11 goals in all competitions and going ten games before the end of the season without a goal at all. As usual, this looks like a typical case of an English youngster being hugely over-hyped, particularly given his contract situation at Turf Moor which means he can leave for a cheap compensation fee this summer. Still, is he Liverpool or Manchester United quality? No chance.
23) Pardew hugely underrated
With Newcastle United needing a last-day win to avoid relegation, it’s clear just how much Alan Pardew had them punching above their weight. Crystal Palace are also now celebrating a 10th place finish when they’d looked slightly doomed earlier in the season. Whatever your opinion of Pardew, he clearly has a great track record and is under-appreciated at Premier League level.
24) Aston Villa need fixing
Tim Sherwood may be a good appointment and could even still be lifting the FA Cup at the weekend, but Aston Villa’s finish of 17th shows just how badly they need change. Paul Lambert looked the wrong man for the job ever since he walked into Villa Park, and it took until things got desperate for him to be shown the door. Randy Lerner needs to invest more in this squad and show some ambition for one of English football’s historically biggest clubs.
25) QPR still not learning
More big spending on players who aren’t really good enough, more questionable management decisions, it’s no surprise to see Queens Park Rangers go down and finish rock bottom of the Premier League. This once-great club is another being dragged down by an owner who doesn’t know enough about the game and who doesn’t have the team’s best interests at heart. Chris Ramsey seems a good guy and his appointment will be an interesting one in the context of playing in the Championship, but this is another side that needs major rebuilding without spending the ludicrous amounts it has in recent years.
