So, there you have it, another Premier League season is done and dusted. There have been ups, there have been downs, there have been winners and there have been losers. And at the end of the day that’s what it’s all about. Ignore all that ‘it is the taking part that counts’ nonsense, everyone wants to come out of the season on top but of course not everybody can.
Below is a look at those who have come on the better end of this season and those who haven’t fared so well. Starting with the winners...
Gareth Bale
I’d like to sit here and list the individual accolades won by the Welsh Wizard this season but I only have so much room. The stand out player in England this season, Bale won many a game for Spurs seemingly single-handedly, leading Spurs to their highest ever points haul since the Premier League began and only barely missing out on Champions League qualification.
Bale may not be in that exclusive group that contains just Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo but he’s getting closer all the time. Spurs will do well to hold on to their prized asset this summer.
Arsène Wenger
When RVP left for pastures new last summer many doubters thought this would be the end for Wenger at Arsenal. After a defeat in the North London derby left them 7 points off of 4th Arsenal fans could be forgiven for fearing the worst. But a stellar end to the season for the Gunners saw them pip Spurs to 4th and claim one of those lucrative Champions League places.
Seemingly key players keep on leaving and Wenger keeps on replacing them with a modest budget and somehow keeps Arsenal at the right end of the table.
Every player at the club has had to stand up and be counted to make up for the loss of van Persie and that is evident in the fact that Arsenal were the only club for which four different players (Giroud, Podolski, Santi Cazorla and Theo Walcott) reached double figures in the league. Expect Arsène to have the Gunners even more formidable next season.
Michael Carrick
A career with minimal individual honours and little acclaim has finally been given recognition. A PFA Player of the Year nomination and the winner of Manchester United’s player’s player of the season capped a fantastic campaign for Carrick. And that’s not to mention his sizeable contribution as United wrestled the Premier League title back across Manchester.
But anyway, on to the losers. Well, loser is a harsh term, but they’re not winners, so what would you call them?
Peter Odemwingie
A promising start to the season for the West Brom striker was quickly eclipsed in January of this year. Odemwingie launched a tirade against the club on Twitter (where else?) accusing them of ‘reaching into his pocket’. But this was small fry compared to the embarrassment he brought on West Brom and himself on transfer deadline day.
Infamously, Odemwingie inexplicably turned up at QPR trying to force through a move, only to be turned away as they had not agreed a fee with West Brom. Odemwingie was forced to publicly apologise after the closing of the transfer window left him at West Brom. He barely featured during the second half of the season and will likely be gotten rid of this summer.
Queens Park Rangers
“Never again” declared then QPR manager Mark Hughes after Rangers barely escaped relegation last season. But things went from bad to worse this time out and QPR ended the season bottom of the pile. Their inflated wage budget will look fairly out of place in the Championship next season.
Overpaid players under performing and stories of dressing room unrest and splits within the squad all contributed to a dyer season to endure for the Loftus Road faithful. Even the appointment of the ever impressive Harry Redknapp wasn’t enough to galvanise QPR and much work is ahead if they hope to bounce back into the Premier League at the first attempt.
Luis Suárez
It’s a shame, almost a travesty, that one of the most gifted players in the country would end up a shoe-in for the ‘Loser List’. But Luis Suárez can look himself in the mirror knowing that it is all his own doing.
Much has already been written about Suárez biting Branislav Ivanović and I don’t wish to tread on old ground, all that is left to say is that Suárez committed an act that was such a combination of unacceptable and idiotic that an entire season of good work can quickly be evaporated.
Not a comprehensive list, far from it. There’s plenty of room in the Premier League for more players and managers to be commended and condemned. The real magic though is in the fact that the summer is good for providing a clean slate. If we do this again in 12 months’ time then some winners could be losers, some losers could be winners and some nobodies could become somebodies.
I can’t wait. Now, let’s just get that pesky summer out of the way.