EPL Season Review in brief

So it's the end of another exciting year in the EPL and with Sir Alex Ferguson retiring it’s also the end of an era.

As I predicted earlier this month here, Tottenham ended up missing out on the coveted forth position and therefore Champions league qualification for the second time running.

AVB was brought in to secure forth spot, but Tottenham have been guilty of relying on Gareth Bale far too much and it was a step too for their star man despite his obvious quality.

Chelsea relied on Juan Mata and Arsenal Santi Carzola, but the Blues had the likes of David Luiz providing goals needed for vital wins and Arsenal had Walcott Podolski and Giroud.

AVB should be given more time and the team should lose some of the deadwood in the fringes. If they do that, and they acquire players of the calibre of Bale rather than losing them they could be real contenders next season.

Manchester United struck back to claim yet another league title, snatching it away from City's desperate grasp. In truth, last year’s Champions simply weren't good enough and ran out of steam way too early.

It's been a season of transition in more ways than one. With both Manchester clubs parting company with their respective title-winning managers there may be a chance for a new challenger to make their mark whilst their rivals settle.

If Jose Mourinho doesn’t sign for Chelsea or City, than Arsenal will be in the unique position of being the only club in the top flight that has a premiership winning manager. Perhaps Arsenal will be resurgent in the new season, but they will have to work hard to avoid missing out as they have done in past seasons.

A willingness to do their transfers early and have business completed like Ferguson used to would help Arsenal and give them a better chance of getting good money for the deadwood in their squad.

There were quite a few retirements this season, but none will be felt more than Ferguson. The illustrious manager is joined by Beckham, Scholes and Owen to name but a few, but it does add to the sense that this is the end of an era in the EPL, even with football’s monetization-machine Beckham’s retirement.

Will England have another midfielder as classy as Scholes, who completes the package by being a model professional despite the fact that he’s done everything in the game?

Will United recover under Moyes in time to mount a successful defence of their title?

Will Arsenal actually spend money?

Will Chelsea stick with a manager, for a whole season?

Only time will tell, that in essence is the beauty of the EPL.

West Ham and the legacy of the Olympic stadium

West Ham and the Olympic Stadium legacy

West Ham have won the bid for the right to play in the newly-built Olympic stadium, but at what cost?

If reports published in the Daily Mail recently are to be believed, than the stadium (and its later refurbishment) cost close to £630m of public money with West ham paying only £15m up front and £2m a year thereafter in all.

The Hammers have certainly spent time making themselves feel at home, bringing the stand names along from Upton Park, no doubt in an attempt to placate the murmurs of some of the fans who didn’t want to leave their iconic ground.

If the stadium did cost that much to build and convert, the Olympic Legacy Committee (OLC) may be hard pressed to validate spending so large an amount, no matter how many people use the facilities.

West Ham do at least have a chance of filling the stadium to a degree. It won’t go unused which would be devastating for the OLC, but it may not be filled completely.

The Boleyn Ground, or Upton Park as it’s more commonly known, has been used since 1904 and has a capacity of 35,016, compared to the 80,000 limit of the Olympic stadium, which is second only to Wembley in England.

West Ham are tenth in the attendance table for this season, but their average stands at 34.7 thousand which is just under their optimum capacity. The Hammers will need to pack the rafters at their new home in order to justify a move that has cost an astronomical amount.

As the goodwill of the Olympic summer fades into memory, perhaps West Ham should be accepted as the best bid for the stadium. Despite issues with the club swallowing Leyton Orient’s local support in the area, the move has been reasonably smooth, with the courts having nothing left to settle.

West ham have an opportunity to provide sporting excellence for the local public to view at a world class venue, as well as other Olympic events hosted at different times. With the shadow education secretary Steven Twigg saying the Olympic legacy is “in tatters” it is good to see the stadium being used properly, despite the massive cost.

The legacy of the stadium is yet to seen, but at the moment it does seem to be heading in the right direction.

            

2014 Watch: Lizzie Yarnold

2014 Watch: Lizzie Yarnold

Elizabeth “Lizzie” Yarnold is an Olympian who announced herself on the world stage with first place finishes at the Skeleton World Cup in two stages of the 2011-2012 season.

Yarnold has been touted as a long-term replacement for the retired Olympic Champion Amy Williams and the young Briton lived up to her billing, winning a Bronze medal at the World Championships in 2012.

Williams, who was the first British gold medal winner in an individual event at the winter Olympics for 30 years, is a hard act to follow but Yarnold has finished an impressive 4^th overall in her maiden World Cup season.

Confidence is surely no issue for the starlet who proclaims herself to be “GB #1 women’s skele athlete” on Twitter but she has dominated her opposition at youth level, with a 2012 Junior World Champion accolade to her name.

With the 2014 Winter Olympics just over the horizon Lizzie has her work cut out if she wants to reach the pinnacle of her profession. She’s definitely a talented individual and since wrote her dissertation on “mental toughness” she should be well equipped to handle the stress of competing on the largest event of them all.

Regardless, come 2014, there will be a new name on the nation’s lips. That of its new darling, the impressive Elizabeth Yarnold.

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Manchester United: Life after Ferguson

Sir Alex Ferguson is one of the biggest names in recent football history.

Ferguson, who spent 26 years at united, announced his decision to step down at the end of the season, after a glittering career which brought glory to the red half of Manchester.

As one of the most divisive figures in the game, Ferguson was known for his no-nonsense approach to dealing with his star-studded team, his abilities as a man-motivator but above all his immense desire to win.

After winning his final title, (with what some say is one of his weaker sides) he leaves the team in a slight predicament.

Sure, he left the foundations of the club intact, but some would argue he is the root which holds the club together, that without his steely disposition pieces in the puzzle may slip away, with David Moyes unable to hold the team together.

This is all conjecture, as Moyes will have time to prove himself on one of the biggest stages of all.

Whether or not Wayne Rooney joins him, is an article for another time. I've read a few pieces that draw parallels between the two managers, both Scottish, both have an iron will and both have the respect of their players.

Sir Alex definitely has big boots to fill, but Moyes has never given the impression of a man who would shirk his duties, I'm sure he will be a success in his own right at United, if given enough time by the board to get his own ideas across.

Moyes has never beaten a "top four" team in the league with Everton, but I would think this is more of a statistical anomaly, rather than a gauge of his talents against the better clubs.
However, if this record extends to United next season they will inevitably give up the title as those 'six-pointer’ games are so important, Chelsea won their most of their titles thanks to beating the ‘big boys’ and I’m sure Moyes knows he has to win these types of encounters if United are to retain the league.

I have massive respect for Alex Ferguson, I was shocked when I heard he was retiring, but it is his decision to make and he has ensured his legacy will live on through the personnel left at the squad, as well as taking up a director’s position at the club, where I’m sure he can influence club policy to an extent.

Farewell then, to the greatest British manager of my lifetime. You will be missed.

The battle for the top four EPL

The Battle for the top four: EPL discussion

With Chelsea recording a momentous victory over Man Utd on the weekend, the race for the two remaining Champions League spaces is tightening up.

Juan Mata’s deflected strike lifted Chelsea up to third (just four points behind Man City) and it seems likely that the Europa League finalists will retain a place in the UCL, barring a loss against Tottenham midweek, which promises to be a massive six pointer.

Man City have done most of the work already and despite a quiet season for last year’s champions, I don’t see them being displaced as runners up in the league.

Arsenal and Tottenham are probably the most worried of the three London clubs and the remaining spot will probably go to one of the bitter north London rivals.

Inevitably, tears will be spilt, as both clubs have worked hard this season and refuse to give up the fight.

Tottenham demolished Man City in a 3-1 win a few weeks ago in April, but followed up that crucial win with a poor 2-2 draw against the perennial struggler's Wigan.

The general consensus seems to be that Spurs will fall away as they have done in previous seasons but people tend to forget that they finished fourth last year and lost out to Chelsea who qualified as holders.

Spurs are refusing to give up at the moment and as they have a game in hand over Arsenal and stand only two points behind their rivals.

The problem is that their game is against third placed Chelsea, who have the added incentive of securing their place in the UCL (leaving Spurs to fight it out with Arsenal) as well as lifting the Blues to within a single point of second placed City.

Spurs held up their end of the deal against Southampton with a 1-0 win to keep up the pace but this game could make or break both clubs seasons.

If Spurs do lose against the Blues midweek they may not be able to come back from such a psychological hammer-blow at the business end of the season. Despite their reliance on Bale, AVBs team have played well for most of the season and if they win, the momentum could lead them back to the Promised Land.

The old master, Arsene Wenger may have lost his star pupil in RVP but he has managed to plug the gaps with less impressive players and there are reports of a decent war chest for Arsenal to spend in the summer.

Finishing in the top four is a must for a club of Arsenals stature and everyone knows how much it means to their beleaguered boss.

Personally I think no matter where they finish, the hard work will start in the off season with personnel changes the aim of the game at the Emirates.

Arsenal have played an extra game, so I would imagine that a draw would be the result they want in the Chelsea v Spurs fixture.

No matter the result, this triple threat will probably go down to the last game of the season and at this point it truly is too close to call.

Chelsea remaining fixtures: 8^th May (Tottenham), 11^th May (Aston Villa), 19^th May (Everton)

Arsenal remaining fixtures: 14^th May (Wigan), 19^th May (Newcastle)

Tottenham remaining fixtures: 8^th May (Chelsea), 12^th May (Stoke), 19^th May (Sunderland)

Predicted League table:  

3^rd Chelsea pts: 73

4^th Arsenal pts: 73

5^th Tottenham pts: 72