The trophy has been lifted; dreams were broken, scars were planted and fateful realities dawned along with it. The Barclays Premier League season 2013/14 ended with a whimper, if you consider the certainties that were the title race as well as the drop fight. Manchester City deservedly won the title, Liverpool coming a close second and Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea completed the last of the podium places. Norwich City, Cardiff City and Fulham were condemned to the Championships for the upcoming season, while a fair few miracles unfolded in the ten-month long journey.
Roller coaster wouldn’t be the exact word to put it, but it was a season that came remarkably close to being one. Defending champions Manchester United ushered in a new era, but were blown off on the pitch and in the various races by mid-season. That it was the first Premier League season that would not see the sight of the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson on the touchlines already made for the title race an open house; at least Jose Mourinho’s return to his old stomping ground provided some succour.
THE WINNERS
The obvious ones would be Manchester City, and Manchester City. They won the double of the League Cup and the Premier League, first time that the club has done something of this magnitude ever since their much-documented oil takeover. And all credit to the man behind such a sublime season, Manuel Pellegrini. The Chilean acquitted himself well in unknown territory, and kept remarkable calm in times when he could’ve bottled it. City’s more-than-productive season culminated in their longest-ever Champions league run and their second league title in three years. Quite the winners.
Liverpool spurned their once-in-a-generation chance, but became the most improved team in the league. They made a significant jump of five places to second, leaving in their trail big spenders like Chelsea and Tottenham. It was a season without silverware but one to remember for those Kopites. And they announced themselves as an attacking force over the course of the season; they came third in the league’s all-time top-scorers in a season with 101 goals and had Luis Suarez topping the scoring charts and Steven Gerrard topping the assists charts.
Promoted and qualification into Europe qualifies as a pretty good season for Steve Bruce’s Hull City. Internal troubles that went public during the season threatened to derail the train, but the canny Bruce kept it all on the same boat and carried Hull through to a FA Cup final date with Arsenal. Hull finished 16th, remarkable for a squad so thin taking into account their impressive cup run. And they didn’t do any bad in the transfer market either, poaching two quality strikers in Shane Long and Nikica Jelavic in January. Pity that both are cup-tied for the Arsenal game.
THE LOSERS
Champions Manchester United finished the season in seventh place, a far cry from their summit finish the season previous. They finished 25 points and 22 goals worse than last season, and fell six places. David Moyes was brought on board to usher in a new era, but it all fell miserably apart for the Reds. Moyes was shown the boot prior to the season’s close, and their search for his replacement is still in the air.
Tottenham Hotspur spent upwards of GBP 100 million in the summer only to see themselves finish worse than the season previous. They even ended up sacking two managers on the way, while they played out a whimper of a season at large. They found themselves on the wrong side of many a humiliation; notably the 6-0 rout at the Etihad and the 5-0 home defeat at Liverpool’s hands. Things couldn’t have been more embarrassing for the Lilywhites.
THE WELCOME CHANGES
Everton under David Moyes always punched above their weight, but new manager Roberto Martinez took them to another, completely different level. His refreshing attacking approach to games was a breath of fresh air and a far cry from the defensive Moyes setups; and results showed how Everton improved as a team, even giving Arsenal a run for their Champions League place. Lack of depth finally cost them, but Europa League qualification and accruing their highest points tally in the Premier League would have made everyone at the club happy and proud.
Ian Holloway resigned at the starting trenches; citing misplaced trust from the top as his viable reason. Crystal Palace were mired in the dead zone and looked certainties for the drop when the out-of-work Tony Pulis decided to put up shop. And boy he impressed us so well that the Welshman ran away with the end-of-season Manager of the Year award. Pulis made Palace play as a group of professionals; they even embarked on a five-game winning streak towards the end of the season, remarkable for a small club of their ilk.
Sunderland turned it around in style; they were bottom at Christmas but finished a respectable 14th in the end. Not exactly a miracle, but an exercise in patience for the fans of the club. Gus Poyet replaced the enigmatic and dogmatic Paolo di Canio early on in the season, and managed to run the Black Cats deep in the cup competitions. And they hit top form when they needed most, towards the business end that sealed safety and ensured another season in the top-flight.
A FEW GOOD THINGS
The season has been a welcome change in terms of the challenging party and the candidates for the drop. Never had we anticipated a last day of such low drama content, but it was a joy-ride nonetheless. It was the first time in the league history that two teams managed to break the 100-goal barrier. Champions Manchester City fired 102 goals while Liverpool ended up with 101. It definitely was a goal-laden season.
Luis Suarez bagged all the individual accolades, and why not. He missed the first five games of the season, and how much more could he have scored had he played those games. Even then he managed a whopping 31 goals, an achievement in Liverpool colours. At least he managed to etch his name in the record books of the good. His captain Steven Gerrard had the most assists with 13.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers claimed the end-of-season LMA Manager of the Year award while Crystal Palace’s Tony Pulis won the LMA Premier League Manager of the Year award gong.
A FEW BAD THINGS
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew had his moment of controversy when he managed to headbutt Hull City’s David Meyler, thus earning himself a seven-game ban and severely tarnishing his ever downward-spiralling reputation. The heat of his actions indirectly fell on Newcastle, who went on a miserable six-game losing streak. Seems like Mike Ashley gaffe count is not stopping anytime soon; after all he was the one who handed Pardew that eight-year contract.
Andre Marriner faced a severe crisis of identity when he wrongly sent Keiran Gibbs in place of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in Arsenal’s 6-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge. It was a headline grabbing act of some stupidity from the referee as Oxlade-Chamberlain pled guilty without much success in the chaos that ensued thereafter. The only bit of drama for Arsenal on Wenger’s doomed 1000th game in charge.
Manchester United’s season turned worse as the days passed by, but one particular incident will be remembered more by rival fans and could be the ticket to their mockery in the future. After United lost the League Cup semi-final at home to Sunderland on penalties, a man in drunken state called the national emergency number 999 and demanded to speak to former manager Alex Ferguson for explanation. Another incident was the fly-by plane over Old Trafford carrying the banner “Wrong One, Moyes Out” which turned out to be quite an exercise in stupidity, while United fans took out another one in the season’s last game over Anfield that read “United 20 Gerrard 0”. It seems like those fans have far more creative things that had been curbed in the light of their trophy celebrations in the Ferguson era.
ON-THE-RECORD
Champions League Qualification:
Manchester City
Liverpool
Chelsea
Arsenal
Europa League Qualification:
Everton
Tottenham Hotspur
Hull City
Top Scorers:
Luis Suarez
Daniel Sturridge
Yaya Toure
Top Assists:
Steven Gerrard
Wayne Rooney
Yaya Toure, Mesut Ozil