Connect with us

Rants

Top Four: Who Deserved The Silverware This Season?

 

Ok, so its all over. Utd are top dogs both domestically and in Europe, but did they deserve it? And what about the rest of the top four, did they finish in their deserved positions and will they challenge Utd next season?

No doubting who finished top of the pile, Utd, despite finishing only two points ahead of us at the end, really have had a cracking season. Considering the average age and the fact that they’re already being hailed as the ‘best ever’ Utd side Fergie’s managed, they’re going to take some competing with in the future. While Mourinho was on a mission to show us all the sort of inadequacies he could provide without the benefit of Roman’s millions, Fergie was busy strengthening a squad already capable of winning the title. The additions of Nani, Anderson, Hargreaves and Tevez, in combination with the phenomenal season Ronaldo’s had, didn’t leave much room for any of the rest of us to manoeuvre. Even defensively, Utd shaped up into the best and there’s no getting away from the fact that Fergie raised the bar this season. I’ll leave the fawning over them to the press, but suffice to say, Utd finished with a Premier and Champions League double and deservedly so. Not much else I can say about their season that won’t see me headbutting the screen really. And as for next season? I can’t see anyone challenging them as closely as we did this year.

We finished just two points behind the leaders, pushing them harder than anyone else in both the Premier and Champions League. Over the course of the season our performances have ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous. From the odd 6-0 win to some dire battles for a point at home, our inconsistency has made it a rollercoaster of a season. After Mourinho’s departure and a miserable start came the high of the Mestalla levelled again by a cup defeat at the hands (or feet) of Barnsley; securing a Carling Cup final place only to suffer an embarrassing defeat to Spurs; the disappointment of dropping points in the league followed by the ecstasy of taking them back off Arsenal and Utd; poor league form forgotten in a fight to the final day with Utd and of the course, the ultimate high of the Champions League final ending in the sort of gut-wrenching disappointment I hope I never have to experience again. It’s certainly been an eventful season for Chelsea and even having ended it trophyless, I think the fact we sustained the fight against Utd until the very last kick of the very last ball makes us worthy runners up this year. In the close season, we’ve probably got more work to do than any of the top four, with many areas of our game needing closer inspection. Add to that proposed changes in personnel and possibly management, and a time of transition could see us having to settle for 3rd spot next season.

Arsenal threatened to run away with the silverware during the first half of the season, which saw them playing some of the best football in Europe. Sadly for them, prizes still aren’t given out before Christmas. They seemed to have coped with Henry’s departure better than anyone had expected but the loss of Eduardo in pretty grim circumstances seemed too big a psychological mountain for them to climb as they slid harder than Terry on a wet Russian pitch. Maybe if Taylor had been publicly executed on request, they’d have got over it quicker but as it was, the Dummy Brigade led by the ever-tantrumming Gallas capitulated. Whilst they were winning, they made a very good case for pretty football being the be-all-and-end-all and everything at the Emirates was rosy, but defeat highlighted their lack of grit and the poor choice of captain to lift the team. So, with confidence well and truly out the window, Arsenal limped home in third place and justifiably so, although I’m sure gooners would argue their inventive and exciting football deserved a higher finish. There’s no question Arsenal have improved but whether they can actually sustain the sort of challenge they mounted in the first half of the season remains to be seen. If they can replace the departing players with equal or better quality and mature psychologically (I won’t suggest the ridiculous idea of introducing English players because that’ll never happen), then next season could see them challenge us for second place.

Finally, sneaking into their now reserved fourth spot is Liverpool. And yes, I know this was going to be their year, but world domination will just have to wait until next season for the Premier League’s dreamers. But, apart from working out that Torres was worth the money and Riise’s got a decent head on him, what else have Liverpool shown us this season? Well, they had a fairly good run in the Champions League again, so no surprises there and in the Premier League they again failed to beat the top three sides. Rafa went a little rotation mad without the required resources to make it effective, so for a club who seem to set themselves such ridiculously high, not to mention unrealistic standards, ending the campaign with nothing  at all to show for it has to be regarded, internally at least, as a failure. As for the rest of us, I’m sure we all expected fourth place finish for those ‘lovable scousers’ – and the same again next season no doubt!

Categories

Archives

Blue is the colour

TheChelseaBlog.org is an honest insight to the World of Chelsea FC. Not always pretty, sometimes rather cynical, but always realistic.









Calendar

Chelsea News



Chelsea Blog FaceBook Icon Chelsea Blog Twitter
Chelsea News

More in Rants