Review : BPL season 2007-2008

Wow! Thats all you can say at the end of this year's Barclay's Premier League season. Right from on field controversy to last day drama , this season had everything sandwiched between some excellent football. A look at the 20 teams that set the green field on fire this season...

20. Derby County: Not a lot was expected from this side when they got promoted to the premier league last season , But the Rams go down to the championship as the worst ever side to have played in the premier league. Accumulating just 11 points and winning just one match they definitely have lot of work ahead of them . Maybe the money earned this season will help them build for future seasons.

+'s : Not many, but the emergence of Giles Barnes is a great asset to have even though he might leave in the summer.

-'s : Toothless attacking wise , woeful defensively , Derby have had an awful season and have to get their act together.

19. Birmingham City: All through the season Birmingham have flattered to deceive. They picked up points whenever necessary but a disastrous end of season campaign saw them finish 19th and get relegated to the championship. They did have quality upfront with the likes of McFadden and Kapo but in the end you have to feel that they just did not do enough to ensure safety. But with a manager like Mcleish they are sure to bounce right back.

+'s : Good performances and results against the big 4, getting points off Liverpool and Arsenal and doing the double against spurs.

-'s : Inconsistency and failing to get points off the mid table teams.

18. Reading: After a brilliant first season in the premier league which saw them almost clinch a European spot , Reading go down on goal difference this season. Poor defending has to be on the top of the reasons for this slide. They did lose Steve Sidwell but when you score 4 goals away from home and lose twice as they did you don't give yourself much of a chance of staying up.

+'s : None actually. But provided some really great matches.

-'s : Very poor defensively and lack of funds to buy quality players during crunch times.

17. Fulham : What a comeback! After being written off by almost everyone including some of their own players, Roy Hogdson has managed the impossible. From nowhere they won 4 of their last 5 matches defying all predictions and bets. But they really have work to do if they continuously want to stay in the premier league.

+'s : The new management seems to posses the much needed stablity that they were lacking in previous seasons

-'s : Lack of quality players who can provide the difference in crunch matches.

16. Bolton Wanderers : Selling Anelka = Relegation. That is what the experts said. But football is not played by the experts , it is played by the players on the field . After a disastrous start to the campaign by Sammy Lee which saw them try to play a different breed of football Gary Megson felt that it was better to stick to the Bolton way and grind out the results. After long periods in the relegation zone they managed to ensure safety with a victory over Sunderland.

+'s : Managing to score goals and win matches even after selling anelka.

-'s : Not having a guaranteed goal source after selling Anelka.

15. Sunderland : Being a huge fan of Roy Keane , I expected a lot from Sunderland this year. They were good in patches but lacked the quality to really finish off teams that they dominated throught some matches. Keane has promised to do some spending this year and expect a resurgent Sunderland next season.

+'s : Kenwyne Jones. Looks to be a brilliant striker and is a wonderful signing. Mainly responsible for Sunderland staying up this season.

-'s : Kieran Richardson , Their record transfer this season, failed to make an impact and was constantly injured.

14. Wigan Athletic : Early on in the season when Hutchins was the manager of wigan it looked like they were bound to get relegated. But , credit to the club for making some brave decisions by giving him the sack and snapping Steve Bruce from Birmingham. He duly turned their season around and ensured safety and also has led them to a respectable position. The main reason for Wigan's survival has been their home form which has been good. But they also have to start performing away from home if they are looking to move up the table.

+'s : Good team work and work ethic where every member of the team knows his role,

-'s : except of course Titus Bramble.Calls himself a defender. We know what everyone else calls him : A disaster.

13. Middlesbrough : This is a team that on their day can be quite brilliant. And when its not their day can be quite awful. You may think that a team that has beaten Arsenal and drawn against Man United at home may be in the top half of the table. If yes think again. They might have had an ok season but after spending big on players like Alfonso Alves you would expect them to push up next season.

+'s : Tuncay Sanli , Has been brilliant this season , scoring crucial goals.

-'s : Too inconsistent to create an impression on anybody's mind

12. Newcastle United : Had a good start to the campaign under Big Sam. Then all of a sudden results start to go against them. Sam is sacked. Club is in turmoil. In comes Kevin Keegan (or "King" Keegan should i say?) with a lot of hype but fails to live up to the expectation . Then from nowhere , they start playing some brilliant football and manage to get the results too. On the whole it has been a roller coaster season for Newcastle and Kevin Keegan. They have promised to spend quite fortune this summer and the pressure will be high on them next season.

+'s : A late resurgence which saw them move up the table and also Michel Owen's return to form

-'s: Defense. They need to buy a quality centerback in the summer who can put in a performance week in - week out.

11. Tottenham Hotspur : One of the most entertaining teams of the premier league , Spurs have really been a treat to watch this season. They have been involved in 127 goals this season (66 for and 61 against). but having spent a lot last summer you expected Martin Jol to guarantee a European spot but it was not to be. It was his replacement Juande Ramos who in the end got them the much craved silverware in the form of the Carling cup and through that also clinched the European spot. They still posses some top quality players and all eyes will be on them next season.

+'s : their forwards who have been scoring goals all season.

-'s: their defense which has been letting in goals all season.

10. West Ham United : After a escaping relegation on the last day of last season the hammers got some reinforcements to go ahead and clinch a European spot. But in the end they had to settle for 10th place. They have been adventurous this season and have played some very good football but too many injury prone players meant that Alan Curbishly had to dig deep to put out a good starting 11 every week. They do have the quality though to challenge the teams at the top next season.

+'s : Play very good football that is easy on the eye. Dean Ashton's ability to come up with the goals when the chips are down.

-'s : Too many injury prone meant that Alan curbishly might never have his desired first team.

09. Manchester City : Sven Goran Eriksson's men started the season on a high and end it in turmoil. They had a brilliant home record at the start of the season and were a constant threat but teetered off towards the business end of the season. Sven seems to have restored pride in the club which was struggling last season. But even that might not ensure his job next season as the Thai boss has huge ambitions. And the last day 8 - 1 defeat to Middlesbrough certainly did not help.

+'s : Doing the double against the champions , Manchester United and Martin Petrov the Bulgarian winger who has had a terrific season.

-'s : Turmoil in the Boardroom as Sven is all set to be sacked.

08. Portsmouth : Not only have Portsmouth had a brilliant league season which saw them finish eighth but they have had a brilliant cup run as well and are in the finals of the FA cup as well and are the odds on favorites to win the event. Harry Redknapp has turned the fortunes of the club which was fighting relegation a couple of seasons ago. Kudos to Portsmouth and all the very best in the cup final.

+'s : Signings like Muntari and Diarra who have made their football click

-'s : Nothing in particular but better home form would definitely help.

07. Blackburn Rovers : Blackburn will not get European football next season. But they have definitely shrugged off the tag of a physical or dirty team this season. They have provided for some entertaining matches and have played some brilliant football. They might not get even the Intertoto route to Europe next season but finishing 7th in a very competetive league season in itself is a huge achievement. Watch out for Blackburn next season.

+'s : Roque Santa Cruz. Signed from Bayren Munich for 3.5 mil pounds. Has scored 19 goals in the league this season and not o forget David Bentley whose blistering form has been a bright spark this season.

-'s : their disciplinary record which is the worst in the league has done them no favors with the referees.

06. Aston Villa : Martin O'Neil after the last game of the season remarked that the club was moving in the right direction and he is right. Villa have certainly improved a great deal from last season and may even have a chance in Europe through the Intertoto cup route. Their defence has been uptight and Scott Carson has been brilliant for them between the sticks this season.
They will pose a huge threat next season if of course they manage to hold on to their players.

+'s : Their Midfield , Both in the center and in the wings which has functioned well as a unit both in attack and defense.

-'s : Interest from top clubs mean that they might not be able to hold on to important players like Young , Barry , and Agbonlahor.

05. Everton : Breaking into the top 4 is a huge task and for most periods this season Everton have challenged Liverpool for that final Champions League spot for long periods in the season even though they eventually fell short by 11 points. But David Moyes seems to have finally put together a team which can win matches on a consistent basis. They have been good both at home and away from home this season and that shows on the league table.

+'s : Lescott at the back and Yakubu upfront . Both have had brilliant seasons.

-'s : Inability to put off teams like Liverpool and Arsenal which would help them get into the top 4.

04. Liverpool : In a season where all the attention has been shifted to the boardroom , a lot of things have happened in the football field as well for Liverpool. In spite of having a good season in the champions league (which they always do) they have failed yet again in the league to challenge for the title. Rafa's team selection has always been in question and always will be in question but the reds really have to win consistently if they hope to challenge for the league next season.

+'s : It just has to be Fernando Torres with 23 goals this season and is turning out be a lethal hitman upfront for them .

-'s : Inability to clinch any form of silverware after lot of spending in the summer.

03. Arsenal : After having an awesome start to the season which saw them race away to the top of the table Arsenal had no problems in consolidating and getting to a 5 point lead midway through the season. But that was as good as it got for Arsenal. Some gunners wont like me saying this . But it is the old cliche that Kids don't win you titles. After the injury to Eduardo they let their heads drop and lacked a leader who could inspire them to perform doggedly. In the end they had to settle for 3rd place behind Man Utd and Chelsea.

+'s : Played probably the best football in the premier league and Henry's absence was not even felt.

-'s : Lack of bench strength which really cost Arsene Wenger when they were hit by injuries .

02. Chelsea : Love them, hate them , you just cant ignore Chelsea. After being written off by every expert under the sun after Mourinho's departure and Avram Grant's first match loss to Man Utd , Chelsea went into the last day of the season level on points with Manchester United trailing them just by goal difference. That is just tribute to Chelsea's grit and the will to win at all costs instilled into them since the Mourinho era. Still not praised by anybody for the brand of football that they play , their ability to constantly grind out results is what frustrates teams around them . And its not to be forgotten that they still have a champions League final to play in Moscow which gives them a huge possibility of silverware.

+'s : Ability grind out results even at the most crucial times.

-'s : New signings Ben Haim , Sidwell and Pizzaro being uselessly parked on the bench.

01. Manchester United : The team of the season it has to be said. With a brilliant combination of youth and experience they overcame all odds and threats posed by Arsenal and Chelsea to retain the premier league title. Even in the toughest of times they never let their heads drop and always bounced back after a poor result or a loss. To cap it all up they have a date with destiny in the champions league final at Moscow. They are currently the team to beat in the whole of Europe and Sir Alex Ferguson is planing to strengthen the squad even further next season. Rest of the teams in Europe, better watch out!


+'s : Winning constantly playing some outstanding football . The signings from Portugal Nani and Anderson clicked, Tevez was influential , Rooney made an impact every minute he played and of course that boy Ronaldo who certainly has been the player of the season not only in England but in the whole of Europe with 31 goals in the league.

-'s : Is there even anything to type here? .... But sometimes they lacked a physical presence upfront when Rooney/Tevez were injured. Maybe SAF can invest in a sriker in the summer.


And so at the end of the season it is the red devils who once again finish as champions. congrats to Fergie and the brillant squad of players that he has assembled. Looking forward to an equally good if not better season next time around.

BROKEN NEWS!

Its everywhere. Take a look at the top 4 news English news channels , the Hindi channels and even the regional channels. One thing they always have for you is BREAKING NEWS! Be it the menu in a recent bollywood wedding or the choice of clothes of a tennis star , these channels take it upon themselves to provide the public with such vital snippets which may make or break their lives.

On a serious note though it has to be admitted that these channels feel that they can no longer survive with just news. They need an entertainment quarter , a fashion zone and even reality shows. And after all this when its actually news time they don't give just news . They come up with a top story and everything else is "Breaking news" or "just in". And if they fail to do that they undergo the danger of losing out to another channel which might have just done that.

This also results in intense rivalry between these channels each of them claiming to have provided the earliest news and the most exclusive footage. The race has become so intense that one of the channels has started claiming itself to be "Refreshingly different" (No prizes for guessing which one). I just cant help but think , from when did news start becoming different?
If you thought this was awful just take a look at some of the regional news channels which somehow manage to come up with the most atrocious , obscene and biased pieces of news you will ever see. Not long ago obtaining a neutral view was not that difficult . Today it is virtually impossible . And the sad thing is that it only gets worse everyday in spite of criticism from various quarters .

This will continue unless some channel has the guts to risk it and start providing straight , unbiased and not so breaking news. Even though i feel thats just wishful thinking.