End of year summary

I haven't posted for a while and as I wait for my own dear Barça's fate to be sealed - it feels like a slow death knowing that Madrid will edge us to the title - I decided to comment on the Premier League year. It's been another interesting year.

First, the relegation race. It was quite exciting with a few teams involved until the last few weeks. It's about time Sunderland actually got relegated and after the mutiny against Karanka, maybe Boro deserved to go down too. The team I feel sorry for are Hull - I had actually been rooting for them but you have to hand it to Paul Clement at Swansea - what a great appointment he has been!

Season has been full of strange managerial events - none more so than the players downing tools at Leicester. They just didn't want to play for Ranieri this season. Having already mentioned Clement, which was an inspired appointment, it's hard to believe that it was made by the same board who appointed Bob Bradley - that was doomed from the start! Fat Sam managed to bore enough teams to sleep in order to save Palace and West Ham managed to scrape together a few wins to save Bilic ... for now! Burnley survived again which just shows what a good manager and good recruitment can do. Watford sacking Mazzarri is a strange one - they just keep sacking managers who do well for them!

Towards the top, I think Everton have had a positive season but I think here special mention has to go to Pulis at West Brom and Eddie Howe at Bournemouth. Both good honest English coaches with differing approaches, but both successful and meriting praise.

Man Utd have been a complete deception again. Mourinho has not improved them despite four very big signings. He can moan about fixtures and injuries but United have a big squad and a defensive coach like him should be able to grind out more wins, especially at home. He even found time to have a dig at Conte's negative style - don't see where that came from as the only negative football played at Stamford Bridge came during his time as manager! Arsenal, yet again flatter to deceive. On top of a disappointing season, they don't even play the best football in the league any more. Liverpool will probably just about sneak into the Champions League but Klopp's style of play needs far more quality in the squad. Man City have also been pretty irregular this year. He's found that you can't just show up to win league games in England. Undoubtedly City have the best squad in the league, by a long way, but Guardiola wants to attack and not defend. I expect them to be much better next year.

Now the top two. Easily the best teams in the league this year. Spurs have played some great football and Pochettino is a really good coach. They just lost touch with Chelsea in mid-season and were never quite able to catch up again. They have developed into a really good team and if they keep Pochettino, Alli and Erikson and invest in a few more players, I can see them improving again next year and also doing better in the Champions League.

Chelsea deservedly win the league this year. Conte has used the players he has to the best of their ability. He's coached them into a system and they have played some excellent football. I like the fact that they are a team who can play with the ball and have 65-70% possession or just cede possession to the other team and play exciting and effective counter-attacking football. Pragmatism is one of Chelsea's strengths. Conte has always gone for the win and that means that Chelsea have won 29 games so far.

Now come the boring months! Can't wait till the next season!