They say sequels are
never quite as good as the original (well, personally we’re big fans of
Beethoven’s 2nd) but rest assured there is plenty to enjoy in the second
part of our look through the highs and lows of the 2012/13 season. Come and
join us for our best manager of the year and why we aren’t sorry to see the
back of QPR...
Sir Alex Ferguson
will get his own special mention coming up, so for once, this is an award he
can’t win. Who’s your manager of the year?
Not
an easy one to call this as no one massively stands out. Steve Clarke leading
West Brom to 8th place was a fine effort given some (ahem, maybe
even this blog) had written off his chances. Likewise Chris Hughton at Norwich
deserves plenty of respect for guiding an average looking playing squad to 11th,
far away from the relegation spots.
Probably
just about beating both of them though is Michael Laudrup. I know Swansea
tailed off at the season’s end, but the League Cup, 9th position and
some great football was a pretty impressive all round achievement. And Laudrup
himself always seems to ooze pure class. (James Platt)
What with the Godfather of British
football stepping out the way, managers up and down the country will be hoping
that it leaves a few more things to be won, but starting with this category and
there are a few names that deserve a mention.
If it wasn’t for the fact that his
side stopped playing around the beginning of March then the suave and debonair
Michael Laudrup would have been all over this like a monkey on a cupcake.
Building on the solid foundations left by both Roberto Martinez, Brendan
Rodgers and the Swansea Board’s continuity of management model, the Dane turned
the men from Wales into a more forward thinking unit and brought home their
first trophy; a fantastic achievement. Full marks as well to the “nicest guy in
football” ™ Chris Hughton who despite a couple of dodgy spells kept up a
Norwich team that wasn’t exactly blessed with stars and or financial backing
(the two things not being mutually exclusive).
However, for this award I’m dipping
outside the bubble of the Premier League and doffing my Tony Pulis baseball cap
to Gary Johnson of Yeovil Town. Now, for anyone that accuses this blog of bias
(heaven forbid) I’ll caveat this by saying that I’ve never been a big fan of Mr
Johnson after a few testy encounters between his Bristol City side and this
writer’s own Crystal Palace (there’s that personal bias) but to get YEOVIL a
club that gets on average around 4,000 fans a game from a part of the world
known more for its cider (before it became trendy) than its football heritage
requires a massive amount of respect, and indeed more importantly this nod for
Gaffer of the year. (Matt Snelling)
The Premier League
waved goodbye to Wigan, QPR and Reading: sorry to see them go?
Yes, no, and mildly indifferent. I’m
sorry for Wigan, but they really had been living on the edge for far too long
and it was only a matter of time before that gust of wind was going to send
them toppling over the edge, although I’m sure that the FA Cup they take with
them and the prospect of some European adventures might break their fall
somewhat. They will be a loss, due to the good football they played and the
crazy, bizarre players they used to uncover (where did they drag Roger Espinoza
or Hendry Thomas from?) Jibes about sizes of crowds and a lack of history were
somewhat mean spirited too and If you look at the population of Wigan, then
it’s a significantly high percentage of the local area actually making their
way to the ‘D-DUB’ each week.
I’m not really sure of much to add
about Reading. They came up, signed basically no-one so went down to the
Championship with a squad of essentially Championship players. Not sure the
real point of Adkins instead of McDermott but think they should do well for
next season. QPR however, where to start?
This has nothing to do with the fans…
but really good riddance to bad rubbish: what a ridiculous way to run a
football club. Tony Fernandes was taken for a ride by some unscrupulous
chancers and they ploughed millions of pounds into a bunch of utter wasters. I
listed the various mercenaries who let the club down in Part 1 of this end of
season review but it goes to show that that hard work is still required in a
game awash with money, as QPR tried to take every cheap shortcut in the book
and yet still failed so spectacularly. There might be a lesson in there
somewhere… (MS)
The
simple answer to this is probably yes, no and no.
Bit
of a cliché now, but Wigan have always been quite likeable, playing some good
football at times, capable of great performances against bigger sides and
amazing runs of form, but also liable to lose 10 in a row and produce some of
the most comical defending you’ll ever see (step forward Gary Caldwell).
So all in all, quite a fun package.
QPR
will be missed for the sheer entertainment of seeing a club run so badly. But
aside from that, they were essentially a team of underperforming, overpaid
mercenaries and I can’t say I’m devastated to see them go down.
Reading
were a bit nondescript really. Seemed a strange decision to sack Brian
McDermott at the time, and looked even more dubious when Nigel Adkins was
appointed as his replacement. As a club that booed Petr Cech for getting his
head caved in by Stephen Hunt the C…, I’m not too sad to see them relegated.
(JP)
With the conclusion of the “richest, most biggest, supersized, valuablest game of all time” (TM Sky Sports) Crystal Palace will join the Cardiff Red Dragons and Hull City in the Premier League next season. Technically this is looking forward rather than back, but how do you see their chances of surviving or indeed thriving?
I
think of all of them have a decent chance, but as ever it will depend on what
strengthening is done in the transfer market. Cardiff look to have the best
equipped squad on paper, and with a couple of quality additions they could be
well set up for an extended stay in the top flight. As it’s taken them this
long to finally get up, you’d imagine they’re really not keen on going back
down again…
I
think Hull could struggle a bit more. However, while I don’t rate Steve Bruce
as the best manager around, he does have Premier League experience and that
could be handy.
Crystal
Palace are probably most pundit’s favourites to go back down, but I think
there’s something about the club and Ian Holloway that could see them survive.
Much will depend on finding a goal scorer to replace the injured Glenn Murray
though.
The
positive for all three is the number of sides already in the league that don’t
look particularly strong. I certainly don’t see (famous last words) all three
promoted teams going back down. (JP)
Well let’s get the emotional one out
of the way to start with then: Palace’s ascent to be back amongst the big boys
after eight years away was a remarkable story. Unfancied all throughout the
season, their promotion was a somewhat against the odds achievement, and to
stay up next year they will have to upset a few more bookies form books.
Looking at things with the head and not the heart whilst there are some
terrific raw materials to work with there is a number of the squad that will
either need to significantly step up or be left wading well out of the shallow
end, somewhat out of their depth. They need some Premier League know how to
supplement the talent already in the team but without breaking the bank: simple
ay? It will be tough, but it’s not beyond the possibility, after all Holloway’
Blackpool only went down on the last day of the season and there is an awful
lot of dross in the Premier League to compete with. Dare to dream.
Hull will be pretty much in the same
boat, not fancied by many (sort of like Steve Bruce) to stay up, but there
might just be enough especially if Bruce remains capable of picking up some
bargains from all across the globe. When he was at Wigan he discovered a lot of
the players they went on to sell for big money and with the connections of the
club he has been building an interesting base of Egyptians. The man at the
helm’s canniness and experience could be the key.
As for Cardiff, they worked look
enough to get to the Promised Land so you would imagine they would fight tooth
and nail to stay there. Of all the teams, backed by their Malaysian owners they
should have the most money to spend and their squad was impressive in
Championship terms last year. Much will rely on Craig Bellamy staying fit and
if Peter Whittingham can display all the class he has done in the second tier
but I think they stand a more than fighting chance. It will be tough for all
three to stay up but only one came straight back down this year, so who knows?
(MS)
Speaking of the little guys, who was the season’s unheralded hero that deserves to have their profile considerably raised by appearing right here (and to CollinsBeans 40 odd Twitter followers)?
In
the world of brash personalities and bad boy behaviour promoting people’s reputations
way above their station it’s refreshing to know that some out there prefer to
sail with their masts below the radar, but that’s the way this man carries
himself rather than his reputation. As while it may seem that Juan Mata is not
really what you would call unheralded, he is in a way that people don’t seem to
realise how wonderfully talented he is and how instrumental he is to everything
that Chelsea do. This is a guy that plays pretty much every minute of every
game: never stopping, always working and always creating and all with the air
of a man that puts the team before the individual. Maybe not unheralded then
but still underappreciated. (MS)
I’m
going slightly leftfield for this one and saying Jamie Carragher. Wait, hear me
out… As most football fans will know, Carragher retired at the end of this
season. And in an era of agents, mercenaries, players out to maximise their
wealth and a rapid decline of young Englishmen turning out for their local
team, it’s good to see a loyal one club man like Carragher still exists.
Never
the most gifted of players, you always got the impression Carragher would
nonetheless give everything for Liverpool. And there’s something reassuring
about a proper Scouser playing for one of the Merseyside clubs. I also always
appreciated his honest, outspoken style, including some frank comments on the
national team.
I’m
no big Liverpool man, but I think Carragher deserves a bit of respect for
dedicating himself to one club and always appearing like he was in the game for
the glory, not the cash. And with Carragher gone, we’re also losing perhaps the
greatest own goal scorer since Frank Sinclair…(JP)
Half way through and still more fun to come, stay tuned for part 3 coming soon...
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