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Premier League Review, Part 3

Snapshots of the best and worst of the season.

Article by : SpunOut.ie

Read part two here.

 

Wigan Athletic
Best Player: Antonia Valencia
Worst Player: Mido
High Point: 5-0 win at Hull City, which settled the team down after a difficult start.
Low Point: Getting beaten 3-1 by West Bromwich Albion.
Key Moment: Getting to the point where they were safe from relegation. After that, the team switched off, á la Alan Curbishley’s teams.
One to Watch: Maynor Figueroa
Most Improved Player: Titus Bramble
Manager Watch: Steve Bruce certainly led the team to safety, which is more than many expected, but his inability to break into the Top Ten should worry his new employers at Sunderland.
League Rating: 7/10.

Stoke City
Best Player: Liam Lawrence
Worst Player: Dave Kitson
High Point: Beating Arsenal 2-0 at the Britannia Stadium in November.
Low Point: Losing a late goal at home to Manchester United, when a draw was on the cards.
Key Moment: Signing James Beattie and Matthew Etherington; two players superior to most at the club, in January.
One to Watch: James Beattie
Most Improved Player: Glenn Whelan
Manager Watch: Well, Tony Pulis did it, regardless of the style of football he used. His ambition was to keep Stoke up, and he did that with plenty to spare. How he kicks on will be interesting.
League Rating: 9/10.

Bolton Wanderers
Best Player: Jussi Jääskeläinen
Worst Player: Johan Elmander
High Point: Hammering Sunderland 4-1, prompting Roy Keane’s departure. Not much else happened in their season, though.
Low Point: For such a previously combative side, they will be disappointed not to have accrued any points against the Big Four.
Key Moment: That Sunderland victory gave the team confidence. After that, relegation was never an issue.
One to Watch: Tamir Cohen
Most Improved Player: Andy O’Brien
Manager Watch: Yawn. Gary Megson, and his side, are incredibly dull. He’ll never win over the Bolton fans, and despite a decent showing this term, a poor run next year will see him fired by popular demand.
League Rating: 6/10

Portsmouth
Best Player: Glen Johnson
Worst Player: David Nugent
High Point: 3-0 mauling of Everton where Johnson, Peter Crouch and Jermaine Defoe flourished.
Low Point: Losing 3-2 at home against Liverpool in the last minute after twice leading, badly affected the team’s confidence.
Key Moment: Harry Redknapp leaving, as I predicted, (http://www.spunout.ie/mag/Sport/Premier-League-Preview,-Part-One) to go to Tottenham Hotspur derailed the club badly, and prompted a player exodus.
One to Watch: Martin Cranie
Most Improved Player: Glen Johnson
Manager Watch: Redknapp was doing fine until he jumped ship. Then, we were treated to the Tony Adams Horror-Show. Finally, Paul Hart kept the team up as temporary boss.
League Rating: 4/10.

Blackburn Rovers
Best Player: Stephen Warnock
Worst Player: Morten Gamst Pedersen
High Point: Arguably, having the privilege of Fernando Torres scoring one of the greatest Premier League goals ever against them. Failing that, probably doing the double over Newcastle.
Low Point: 4-1 hammering by West Ham in August.
Key Moment: Sacking Paul Ince, and replacing him with Sam Allardyce. Although The Guv’nor will turn out to be a good manager, Rovers were heading straight to the Championship before Big Sam’s arrival.
One to Watch: Keith Andrews
Most Improved Player: Paul Robinson
Manager Watch: Another difficult one. Ince was pretty awful, and although the football isn’t pretty, Big Sam is the best man to keep a team up.
League Rating: 4/10

Predictions:
Me: 0/5
FourFourTwo: 0/5
Steve McManaman: 0/5
Miguel Delaney: 0/5

 

By: Ciaran Leinster

 

Read part four here.

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