Following my piece a few months ago chronicling my odd, and disjointed yet resoundingly passionate discovery of football the long way round (see MY COLUMN) and as I teased at the possibility within it, here is my own brief word on the latest UK Premier League football season of 2015/16.
First, a brief word on personnel. Players of all teams come and go, stay briefly or become long-standing legend, and the intricacies of all their different styles, forms and teams would take forever to discuss. Besides, what always seems to attract the most hype and non-too idle mutterings, are the managers.
Yes we had the fall of Tim Sherwood at Villa (whom I quite liked as a manager actually) followed inevitably yet sadly by Villa itself who dropped unceremoniously as the first team to be relegated this season (I bet Sherwood is actually feeling a tad smug; or if he isn't he should be). Then we had the likes of Dick Advocaat, who after valiantly saving Sunderland the year before promptly left their ranks when the going got tough. He was replaced by consummate survivor Sam Allardyce, who in turn had been replaced at his beloved West Ham by the dark, gruff and brooding but also I find quite charming and certainly successful Slaven Bilic. Once again Big Sam was able to carry off another rescue operation, securing Sunderland in the Premier League again this season, just.
No managerial job in football is safe, as Swansea legend Garry Monk was replaced as manager after a tricky patch, as was seemingly stalwart Brendan Rogers at Liverpool. Though again we got another character in return in the form of the brilliantly ludicrous but again charming Jurgen Klopp.
But once again, The Special One seemed to dominate proceedings this season.
Though José Mourinho's torrid last days at Chelsea after taking them to such heights previously was well publicised and made a massive meal out of, the results I suppose spoke for themselves (as they did when they started to improve under interim manager and fellow Chelsea legend Guus Hiddink).
Yet none were so pleased as I when after a leave of absence, Mourinho returned to the Premier League, albeit just after the season ended, to usurp his one-time mentor Louis Van Gaal at my team Manchester United (who's season I shall touch on shortly). Whatever you think of Mourinho, he courts attention and speculation hand-in-hand, and he very often courts success. Which is why I, among many other Red Devils, look forward to his Old Trafford tenure so.
Yet none were so pleased as I when after a leave of absence, Mourinho returned to the Premier League, albeit just after the season ended, to usurp his one-time mentor Louis Van Gaal at my team Manchester United (who's season I shall touch on shortly). Whatever you think of Mourinho, he courts attention and speculation hand-in-hand, and he very often courts success. Which is why I, among many other Red Devils, look forward to his Old Trafford tenure so.
We must also mention the form of teams generally. Villa sadly caved spectacularly, and were followed en route to the Championship by newly-promoted Norwich and Newcastle. Though I feel cautiously optimistic for the Toon army with Rafa at the helm, I fear Norwich and Villa may struggle to bounce back. Yet time will tell.
Liverpool under Klopp tended to trend up, Spurs had an unprecedented year, coming inches shy of the top spot. Manchester City forged farther in Europe than ever before, and had a decent season I found all round, yet that did not save their manager, the dutiful and dignified Manuel Pellegrini, at the expense of new dynamo Pep Guardiola (another one to look forward to next season). I shall address United's torrid and turgid time under Van Gaal in a moment, but the star of them all undoubtedly is the Fantastic Foxes of Leicester City.
Wow! Just wow! Firstly everyone wrote them off (hence those ludicrous betting odds) then people still thought their winning streak couldn't last. But from New Year onwards a massive euphoric wave of the greatest footballing underdog story of all time seeing fruition enveloped the globe. Leicester became legends the world over, and their meteoric season, which of course saw the unlikely band of misfits under Claudio Ranieri being crowned champions, finished on the biggest high imaginable. Whatever had gone before, and really whatever happens next, nothing can really top that for them. And every neutral, in fact every footballing fan, and any fan of a good story smiled and cheered with them as they lifted that famous trophy.
So, finally lets move onto my team - Manchester United (glory! glory!...yeah not this time). OK I know we won the FA Cup and finished fifth. If we played well and sparked the interest United deserves then I'm sure legions of fans would not be complaining. But we didn't. Van Gaal's decrepit, boring style of play was not winning enough games and not moving fans to anything but dissapointment and anger. Moreover the man's constant arrogant, big-headed, and Dutch mafia boss-style just pissed me off no end. I am glad he went a year early, to my mind it was at least a year too soon. All I can say is I hope Mourinho's time brings us a bit closer to being able to chant Glory Glory Man UNITED! with a bit more gusto.
I can feel I can say no more really, except this season was also the first I actually went to a few games at Old Trafford (it really started last season when I went to the last game proper against Arsenal) with my dad. So - here's a brief word on each of those:
MAN UTD: 0 - 0 :MAN CITY
28th October 2015
My first derby. It should have been exciting, dramatic, momentous! No, no and no. The only saving grace was that City could not get past our goalkeeper (the magnificent De Gea) either. Yes my first Old Trafford visit of the season was still special in terms of atmosphere, but not much else...and in terms of the form and the football of United, it was merely a sign of things to come...
MAN UTD: 2 - 0: WEST BROM
07th November 2015
At last! Our first win! Well...my first win at Old Trafford...you know what I mean.
The constant shouts of Attack, attack attack attack! Seemed to actually be sinking in at that point. Yes Van Gaal's trademark was still all over the game but young Jesse Lingard's debut goal and the sheer delight of winning just about erased it for the time being.
Liverpool under Klopp tended to trend up, Spurs had an unprecedented year, coming inches shy of the top spot. Manchester City forged farther in Europe than ever before, and had a decent season I found all round, yet that did not save their manager, the dutiful and dignified Manuel Pellegrini, at the expense of new dynamo Pep Guardiola (another one to look forward to next season). I shall address United's torrid and turgid time under Van Gaal in a moment, but the star of them all undoubtedly is the Fantastic Foxes of Leicester City.
Wow! Just wow! Firstly everyone wrote them off (hence those ludicrous betting odds) then people still thought their winning streak couldn't last. But from New Year onwards a massive euphoric wave of the greatest footballing underdog story of all time seeing fruition enveloped the globe. Leicester became legends the world over, and their meteoric season, which of course saw the unlikely band of misfits under Claudio Ranieri being crowned champions, finished on the biggest high imaginable. Whatever had gone before, and really whatever happens next, nothing can really top that for them. And every neutral, in fact every footballing fan, and any fan of a good story smiled and cheered with them as they lifted that famous trophy.
So, finally lets move onto my team - Manchester United (glory! glory!...yeah not this time). OK I know we won the FA Cup and finished fifth. If we played well and sparked the interest United deserves then I'm sure legions of fans would not be complaining. But we didn't. Van Gaal's decrepit, boring style of play was not winning enough games and not moving fans to anything but dissapointment and anger. Moreover the man's constant arrogant, big-headed, and Dutch mafia boss-style just pissed me off no end. I am glad he went a year early, to my mind it was at least a year too soon. All I can say is I hope Mourinho's time brings us a bit closer to being able to chant Glory Glory Man UNITED! with a bit more gusto.
I can feel I can say no more really, except this season was also the first I actually went to a few games at Old Trafford (it really started last season when I went to the last game proper against Arsenal) with my dad. So - here's a brief word on each of those:
MAN UTD: 0 - 0 :MAN CITY
28th October 2015
My first derby. It should have been exciting, dramatic, momentous! No, no and no. The only saving grace was that City could not get past our goalkeeper (the magnificent De Gea) either. Yes my first Old Trafford visit of the season was still special in terms of atmosphere, but not much else...and in terms of the form and the football of United, it was merely a sign of things to come...
MAN UTD: 2 - 0: WEST BROM
07th November 2015
At last! Our first win! Well...my first win at Old Trafford...you know what I mean.
The constant shouts of Attack, attack attack attack! Seemed to actually be sinking in at that point. Yes Van Gaal's trademark was still all over the game but young Jesse Lingard's debut goal and the sheer delight of winning just about erased it for the time being.
MAN UTD: 0 - 0: CHELSEA
28th December 2015
No Mourinho to watch strut about this time as he'd already gone from the Blues' ranks by then. Instead we were back to the Dutch misery, as the anti-Van Gaal boos really came into their stride during the festive season.
MAN UTD: 0 - 1: SOUTHAMPTON
23 January 2016
From my first win, to a lacklustre draw to my first loss. Lacklustre was the kindest thing you can say about Van Gaal's United come that point, and another first for me was seeing the team booed off come the end.
MAN UTD: 1 - 1: LEICESTER
01 May 2016
A few month's break saw United fans resigned to a boring end to a boring and frustrating season, whilst also being resigned to denouncing Van Gaal (progression again as they were booed off at half time too) and mostly clamouring for Mourinho to step in ahead of time. For me this was more about potentially seeing Leicester crowned early winners on points with a win, than seeing United do anything remotely pleasing under Van Gaal. In the end the one all deflated hopes slightly on all fronts I'm afraid. Yet at least I got to see the champions-elect in action.
MAN UTD: 3 - 1: BOURNEMOUTH
17th May 2016
What I was there for was when a Premier League match was called off due to suspected terrorism for the first time (even though it turned out to be a moronic security person mislaying a "dummy" bomb!). We returned a few days letter to a sparse Old Trafford (though at least the seating arrangements were a bit more leisurely) for our last, and in scoring terms best live game of the season.
Yes our three goals were worth cheering for, and a good end to the season for me and my dad. Though by that point the race was won, the campaign was done, and all eyes were turning to what was to come.
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