Well the 2015-16 Barclay's Preimer League has come to a wrap today and is already being considered one of the most memorable seasons in the league's history. The biggest highlight was of course the improbable Leicester City winning the title. At 5000 to 1 odds, they defied the expectations of being relegated to go on to win it's first ever Premier Championship. Tottenham also made a very impressive run yet finished 3rd behind Arsenal. Many of the usual dominant teams such as Chelsea and Liverpool struggled to reach the top. Newcastle, Norwhich, and Aston Villa are all to be relegated.
This was the 3rd season that I have followed closely and can gladly say it continues to remain one of my favorite sports league (2nd only to the NFL). I'm sad to see the season come to an end. Watching the games on Saturday or Sunday morning from August onto May has become one of my great joys. I'm also disappointed that my team Manchester United will not make the Champions League. However they still will be in Europa and have a chance at an FA Cup title.
The offseason will last for about 3 months, which isn't too long compared to other sports. Thankfully there's also the international Euro Cup to look forward to this summer which will start in a month. The offseason trades, new hires, and transitions will be exciting to follow. I can only hope my team will aquire some new talent and part ways with their manager, Louis Van Gaal. However in this post I'm not going to focus solely on Manchester United, yet rather give a recap on the memorable moments from the season as a whole.
1. Leicester City (23-12-3)
I'll never forget the time Leicester City destroyed my Man United last season in a 5-3 upset. It was in that moment I became aware that this team had heart and was backed by a very passionate fanbase at the King Power Stadium. They later went on to barely survive relegation yet finished their season on a winning note. Their headcoach Nigel Pearson was sacked after the season and the Italian coach Claudio Ranieri was brought on.
And so their season got off to a rocking start, win after win, they quicky began to gather attention with their counter-attacking style of play. This quick attack was lead by their star scorers Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez. During a mid season stretch Jamie Vardy went on to score in 11 consecutive games which broke Ruud van Nistelroy's long standing record.
By springtime their fantasy run was looking more and more like a reality as they sat on top of the table. Only Tottenham was in striking distance yet Leciester continued to win games. On May 2nd they sealed their title when Tottenham drew to Chelsea. The most shocking sports upset was complete and Leicester had become the most improbable of champions. Next season it will be very interesting to see if they can remain at the top while competing in Champions League.
Star Players: Jamie Vardy (24 goals), Riyad Mahrez, Christian Fuchs, Kasper Schmeichel, Robert Huth, N'golo Kante, Danny Drinkwater, Leonardo Ulloa, Wes Morgan
2. Arsenal (20-11-7)
This top notch team yet again failed to hit consistency as they struggled with injuries and losing games that should have been won. With the same star studded squad as last year and the addition of Peter Cech as goalkeeper this team had all the makings of a championship. They made it out of the group stage in the champions league losing to the hands of Barcelona. Yet their race for the title was always behind Leicester and Tottenham. The criticism fell heaviest on their long standing French coach, Arsene Wenger, who had not brought the club a title since 2004. The team still did however secure a 2nd place finish, a birth in the champions league, and yet again finished ahead of their arch rivals, Tottenham.
Star Players: Mesut Ozil, Olivier Giroud, Alexis Sanchez, Petr Cech, Danny Welbeck, Hector Bellerin
3. Tottenham (19-13-6)
Mauricio Pochettino's club got off to a strong start and quickly became title contenders. Led by last season's top scorer, Harry Kane, they were in fine form throughout most the season. As the season came to its final few weeks, they became the last team with a chance to catch Leciester. However after a heartbreaking draw to Chelsea, the team lost its chance at the title and fell into further decline losing their remaining few games. This would have been the first time since 1995 that they finished ahead of their rivals Arsenal, yet were edged out on the last game of the season. However the team's bad finish, should not take away from their tremendous season. Harry Kane went on to win the golden boot with 25 goals in the season. They also have a birth in champions league.
Star Players: Harry Kane, Eric Lamela, Mousa Dembele, Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, Tony Alderwiereld, Danny Rose
4. Manchester City (19-9-10)
With such a star studded squad and many new signings in the offseason Man City were favorites to win the title. However Manuel Pellegrini's team was unable to find consistency as the team floated at 3rd and 4th place most of the season. By mid season it was decided that Pellegrini would not be returning as manager and would be replaced by Pep Guardiola from Bayern Munich. With only his legacy to uphold Pellegrini was eager to finish strong. Man City was able to advance to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, the first in it's history, however lost to Real Madrid. All was not lost for them, however as they were able to secure a 4th place finish and a playoff birth into next season's champions league. Man City now finds itself in a very interesting transistion stage and their offseason should be very interesting with the arrival of Pep.
Star Players: Sergio Aguero, David Silva, Kevin de Bruyne, Raheem Sterling, Yaya Toure, Joe Hart, Fernandinho, Vincent Kompany
5. Manchester United (18-9-10)
With many new signings such as Memphis Depay, Bastian Shweinsteiger, Dailey Blind, Morgan Schniderlin, Antony Martial, etc it seemed Louis Van Gaal would be able to make a significant run for the title. Yet this season was no different than the previous two seasons of dissappointment and sheer boring futbol. All season long Man United struggled to create a threatening offense and score any goals. They lost many games they should have won, merely due to the fact that they were unable to score as much. Also many of their star players such as Rooney and Schweinsteiger struggled with injury for a good portion of the season. The team was mostly carried by their superstar goalkeeper David De Gea. They were eliminated from the group stage at the Champions League.
At the end of the season Man United still had a chance to finish within the top four, however continued to lose or draw games that should have been won. While they still have a chance to win some silverware at the FA Cup Final next week against Crystal Palace, there's still much improvement needed at this club. LVG's futbol philosophy is a failed one and has seen many of it's star players wither away. Martial and Rashford were the only two players to show consistent creativity in the team's offense. Many changes are needed next season, most especially the sacking of LVG. With a new coach such as Jose Mourinho, new players can be signed, and a winning team can return to Old Trafford.
Star Players: Antony Martial, David de Gea, Marcus Rashford, Wayne Rooney, Memphis DePay, Marouane Fellani, Juan Mata, Chris Smalling
6. West Ham (16-14-8)
This team was another of the surprise underdogs that became a formidable opponent and finished in strong standings. Under the coaching of Slaven Billic, West Ham proved to be a tough gritty team without any real superstar presence. New stars did however emerge in Dimitri Payet with the support of other strong players such as Andy Carroll. It was also a significant season for them since it was to be their last one at Upton Park. They won their last home game in dramatic fashion against Manchester United, which all but ruined Man U's top 4 hopes. Next year West Ham's home games will be played at the Olympic Stadium of London. They will also be participating in the Europa League with Man United.
Star Players: Dimitri Payet, Mark Noble, Andy Carroll, Manuel Lanzini
7. Southampton (18-9-11)
Yet another strong performance from the Southampton Saints, just nearly missing out on Europa League. Manager Ronald Koeman has established quite a formidable team in the past few years.
Star Players: Sadio Mane, Graziano Pelle, Shane Long, Dusan Tadic
8. Liverpool (16-12-10)
This team underwent a major transition mid-season with the sacking of Brendan Rodgers. Following many disappointing losses the team was stuck in the lower middle of the table. After the hiring of Jurgen Klopp the team improved significantly however still far from top competition. They continued to show grow improvement and team chemisty and went on to make it to the Europa Final against Sevilla. Although they did not qualify for European futbol next year, I think Jurgen is going to have a busy offseason for his newly aqucired team. Liverpool has so much star potential on it, and next season I predict them to finish in the top 4.
Star Players: Phillipe Coutinho, Robert Firmino, Nathaniel Clyne, James Milner, Jordan Henderson, Daniel Sturrdige, Adam Lallana, Emre Can, Christian Benteke
9. Stoke City (14-9-15)
Mark Hughes team had another average season finishing 9th overall. They were never contenders for top 4 nor relegation.
Star Players: Marko Arnautovic, Bojan Krkic, Xherdan Shaqiri, Peter Crouch
10. Chelsea (12-14-12)
This was perhaps the 2nd biggest shock of the season after Leicster's improbable championship finish. Chelsea were the defending champs and Jose Mourinho had the same team returning. However for some strange reason they got off to a terrible start and loss many games they normally would have won. For a while they were even flirting with the lower half of the relegation zone. Soon the blame fell entirely on Mourinho, for unable to get his players to mesh together. He was then sacked and replaced by an interrim coach, Gus Hiddink. Chelsea improved a bit in their 2nd half of the season and found security in the middle of the table. However this was still a very poor performance for this mega club with mega superstar talent. Next season they will be coached by the Italian's national team manager, Antonio Conte, following the Euro Cup.
Star Players: Diego Costa, Eden Hazard, John Terry, Cesc Fabregas, Eden Hazard, Oscar, Willian, Branislav Ivanovich
11. Everton (11-14-13)
The Evertonians yet again remained at the middle of the table for most of the season. This lead to much frustration throughout the organization and the eventual sacking of Roberto Martinez. His successor is yet to be decided. Other significant notes from their season was a strong performance from Romelu Lukaku finishing with 18 goals, and also the last season for American goalkeeper, Tim Howard.
Star Players: Romelu Lukaku, Ross Barkley, Kevin Mirallas
12. Swansea City (12-11-15)
The Swans finished middle of the tablet yet again, however improved as the season went on. Early in the season they beat us a third consecutive time, however we beat them on the 2nd match to end their win streak against Man United. Their African striker Gomis was always fun to watch for his hungry effort and goal celebrations.
Star Players: Bafetimbi Gomis, Andre Ayew
13. Watford (12-9-17)
The newly promoted team to the EPL did surprisingly well in finishing at the middle of the table. They were led by their star forward Odion Ighalo who had many strong performances. They even went on to defeat Manchester United. Their organization has parted ways with Quique Sanchez Flores and will have a new manager in the next season.
Star Players: Odion Ighalo, Mario Suarez, Troy Deeny
14. West Bromwich Albion (12-9-17)
Tony Pullis' team flirted with relegation for some time however managed to stay in the safe zone thanks to star performers such as Salomon Rondon.
Star Players: Salomon Rondon, Saido Berahino
15. Crystal Palace (11-9-18)
Allen Pardew's club got off to a decent start yet continued to slip downward as the season went on. They were fortunate enough to avoid the relegation zone. They did however make it to the FA Cup Final against Man United which is still to be determined.
Star Players: James MacArthur
16. AFC Bournemouth (11-9-17)
The newly promoted team, known as the Cherries, made a decent stand for their first ever season in the premier league. They stayed clear of relegation and proved to be a challenging opponent.
Star Players: Joshua King
17. Sunderland (9-12-17)
Sam Allardyce's team appeared to be sure bets for relegation towards the conclusion of the season, however several crucial wins at the end kept them just barely clear from the 18th spot.
18. Newcastle United (9-10-19)
It's a shame to see this iconic English club will not partake in the Premier League next season. This is the 2nd time, they've been relegated, the first being the 2008-2009 season. Their manager Steve McLaren was sacked in March and replaced by Rafael Benitez.
Star Players: Pappis Cisse, Mousso Sissoko, Georgino Wijnaldum
19. Norwich City (9-7-22)
Another one and down season for the Canaries as they return to the 2nd tier Championship League once again. Their season was full of disappointment however they did manage to squeak a win against Man United.
Star Players: Steve Naismith
20. Aston Villa (3-8-27)
They were without question the worse team of the season and secured a relegation spot with several games to go. The firing of two managers throughout the season could not even save them. This is the first time since 1987 the classic club has been relegated.
Top Goal Scorers
1. Harry Kane- Tottenham (25 goals)
2. Sergio Aguero- Man City (24 goals)
2. Jamie Vardy- Leicester City (24 goals)
4. Romelu Lukaku- Everton (18 goals)
5. Riyad Mahrez- Leicester City (17 goals)
6. Olivier Giroud- Arsenal (16 goals)
7. Odion Ighalo- Watford (15 goals)
7. Jermain DeFoe- Sunderland (15 goals)
9. Troy Deeny- Watford (14 goals)
9. Alexis Sanchez- Arsenal (14 goals)
The offseason will last for about 3 months, which isn't too long compared to other sports. Thankfully there's also the international Euro Cup to look forward to this summer which will start in a month. The offseason trades, new hires, and transitions will be exciting to follow. I can only hope my team will aquire some new talent and part ways with their manager, Louis Van Gaal. However in this post I'm not going to focus solely on Manchester United, yet rather give a recap on the memorable moments from the season as a whole.
1. Leicester City (23-12-3)
I'll never forget the time Leicester City destroyed my Man United last season in a 5-3 upset. It was in that moment I became aware that this team had heart and was backed by a very passionate fanbase at the King Power Stadium. They later went on to barely survive relegation yet finished their season on a winning note. Their headcoach Nigel Pearson was sacked after the season and the Italian coach Claudio Ranieri was brought on.
By springtime their fantasy run was looking more and more like a reality as they sat on top of the table. Only Tottenham was in striking distance yet Leciester continued to win games. On May 2nd they sealed their title when Tottenham drew to Chelsea. The most shocking sports upset was complete and Leicester had become the most improbable of champions. Next season it will be very interesting to see if they can remain at the top while competing in Champions League.
Star Players: Jamie Vardy (24 goals), Riyad Mahrez, Christian Fuchs, Kasper Schmeichel, Robert Huth, N'golo Kante, Danny Drinkwater, Leonardo Ulloa, Wes Morgan
2. Arsenal (20-11-7)
This top notch team yet again failed to hit consistency as they struggled with injuries and losing games that should have been won. With the same star studded squad as last year and the addition of Peter Cech as goalkeeper this team had all the makings of a championship. They made it out of the group stage in the champions league losing to the hands of Barcelona. Yet their race for the title was always behind Leicester and Tottenham. The criticism fell heaviest on their long standing French coach, Arsene Wenger, who had not brought the club a title since 2004. The team still did however secure a 2nd place finish, a birth in the champions league, and yet again finished ahead of their arch rivals, Tottenham.
Star Players: Mesut Ozil, Olivier Giroud, Alexis Sanchez, Petr Cech, Danny Welbeck, Hector Bellerin
3. Tottenham (19-13-6)
Mauricio Pochettino's club got off to a strong start and quickly became title contenders. Led by last season's top scorer, Harry Kane, they were in fine form throughout most the season. As the season came to its final few weeks, they became the last team with a chance to catch Leciester. However after a heartbreaking draw to Chelsea, the team lost its chance at the title and fell into further decline losing their remaining few games. This would have been the first time since 1995 that they finished ahead of their rivals Arsenal, yet were edged out on the last game of the season. However the team's bad finish, should not take away from their tremendous season. Harry Kane went on to win the golden boot with 25 goals in the season. They also have a birth in champions league.
Star Players: Harry Kane, Eric Lamela, Mousa Dembele, Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, Tony Alderwiereld, Danny Rose
4. Manchester City (19-9-10)
With such a star studded squad and many new signings in the offseason Man City were favorites to win the title. However Manuel Pellegrini's team was unable to find consistency as the team floated at 3rd and 4th place most of the season. By mid season it was decided that Pellegrini would not be returning as manager and would be replaced by Pep Guardiola from Bayern Munich. With only his legacy to uphold Pellegrini was eager to finish strong. Man City was able to advance to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, the first in it's history, however lost to Real Madrid. All was not lost for them, however as they were able to secure a 4th place finish and a playoff birth into next season's champions league. Man City now finds itself in a very interesting transistion stage and their offseason should be very interesting with the arrival of Pep.
Star Players: Sergio Aguero, David Silva, Kevin de Bruyne, Raheem Sterling, Yaya Toure, Joe Hart, Fernandinho, Vincent Kompany
5. Manchester United (18-9-10)
With many new signings such as Memphis Depay, Bastian Shweinsteiger, Dailey Blind, Morgan Schniderlin, Antony Martial, etc it seemed Louis Van Gaal would be able to make a significant run for the title. Yet this season was no different than the previous two seasons of dissappointment and sheer boring futbol. All season long Man United struggled to create a threatening offense and score any goals. They lost many games they should have won, merely due to the fact that they were unable to score as much. Also many of their star players such as Rooney and Schweinsteiger struggled with injury for a good portion of the season. The team was mostly carried by their superstar goalkeeper David De Gea. They were eliminated from the group stage at the Champions League.
At the end of the season Man United still had a chance to finish within the top four, however continued to lose or draw games that should have been won. While they still have a chance to win some silverware at the FA Cup Final next week against Crystal Palace, there's still much improvement needed at this club. LVG's futbol philosophy is a failed one and has seen many of it's star players wither away. Martial and Rashford were the only two players to show consistent creativity in the team's offense. Many changes are needed next season, most especially the sacking of LVG. With a new coach such as Jose Mourinho, new players can be signed, and a winning team can return to Old Trafford.
Star Players: Antony Martial, David de Gea, Marcus Rashford, Wayne Rooney, Memphis DePay, Marouane Fellani, Juan Mata, Chris Smalling
6. West Ham (16-14-8)
This team was another of the surprise underdogs that became a formidable opponent and finished in strong standings. Under the coaching of Slaven Billic, West Ham proved to be a tough gritty team without any real superstar presence. New stars did however emerge in Dimitri Payet with the support of other strong players such as Andy Carroll. It was also a significant season for them since it was to be their last one at Upton Park. They won their last home game in dramatic fashion against Manchester United, which all but ruined Man U's top 4 hopes. Next year West Ham's home games will be played at the Olympic Stadium of London. They will also be participating in the Europa League with Man United.
Star Players: Dimitri Payet, Mark Noble, Andy Carroll, Manuel Lanzini
7. Southampton (18-9-11)
Yet another strong performance from the Southampton Saints, just nearly missing out on Europa League. Manager Ronald Koeman has established quite a formidable team in the past few years.
Star Players: Sadio Mane, Graziano Pelle, Shane Long, Dusan Tadic
8. Liverpool (16-12-10)
This team underwent a major transition mid-season with the sacking of Brendan Rodgers. Following many disappointing losses the team was stuck in the lower middle of the table. After the hiring of Jurgen Klopp the team improved significantly however still far from top competition. They continued to show grow improvement and team chemisty and went on to make it to the Europa Final against Sevilla. Although they did not qualify for European futbol next year, I think Jurgen is going to have a busy offseason for his newly aqucired team. Liverpool has so much star potential on it, and next season I predict them to finish in the top 4.
Star Players: Phillipe Coutinho, Robert Firmino, Nathaniel Clyne, James Milner, Jordan Henderson, Daniel Sturrdige, Adam Lallana, Emre Can, Christian Benteke
9. Stoke City (14-9-15)
Mark Hughes team had another average season finishing 9th overall. They were never contenders for top 4 nor relegation.
Star Players: Marko Arnautovic, Bojan Krkic, Xherdan Shaqiri, Peter Crouch
10. Chelsea (12-14-12)
This was perhaps the 2nd biggest shock of the season after Leicster's improbable championship finish. Chelsea were the defending champs and Jose Mourinho had the same team returning. However for some strange reason they got off to a terrible start and loss many games they normally would have won. For a while they were even flirting with the lower half of the relegation zone. Soon the blame fell entirely on Mourinho, for unable to get his players to mesh together. He was then sacked and replaced by an interrim coach, Gus Hiddink. Chelsea improved a bit in their 2nd half of the season and found security in the middle of the table. However this was still a very poor performance for this mega club with mega superstar talent. Next season they will be coached by the Italian's national team manager, Antonio Conte, following the Euro Cup.
Star Players: Diego Costa, Eden Hazard, John Terry, Cesc Fabregas, Eden Hazard, Oscar, Willian, Branislav Ivanovich
11. Everton (11-14-13)
The Evertonians yet again remained at the middle of the table for most of the season. This lead to much frustration throughout the organization and the eventual sacking of Roberto Martinez. His successor is yet to be decided. Other significant notes from their season was a strong performance from Romelu Lukaku finishing with 18 goals, and also the last season for American goalkeeper, Tim Howard.
Star Players: Romelu Lukaku, Ross Barkley, Kevin Mirallas
12. Swansea City (12-11-15)
The Swans finished middle of the tablet yet again, however improved as the season went on. Early in the season they beat us a third consecutive time, however we beat them on the 2nd match to end their win streak against Man United. Their African striker Gomis was always fun to watch for his hungry effort and goal celebrations.
Star Players: Bafetimbi Gomis, Andre Ayew
13. Watford (12-9-17)
The newly promoted team to the EPL did surprisingly well in finishing at the middle of the table. They were led by their star forward Odion Ighalo who had many strong performances. They even went on to defeat Manchester United. Their organization has parted ways with Quique Sanchez Flores and will have a new manager in the next season.
Star Players: Odion Ighalo, Mario Suarez, Troy Deeny
14. West Bromwich Albion (12-9-17)
Tony Pullis' team flirted with relegation for some time however managed to stay in the safe zone thanks to star performers such as Salomon Rondon.
Star Players: Salomon Rondon, Saido Berahino
15. Crystal Palace (11-9-18)
Allen Pardew's club got off to a decent start yet continued to slip downward as the season went on. They were fortunate enough to avoid the relegation zone. They did however make it to the FA Cup Final against Man United which is still to be determined.
Star Players: James MacArthur
16. AFC Bournemouth (11-9-17)
The newly promoted team, known as the Cherries, made a decent stand for their first ever season in the premier league. They stayed clear of relegation and proved to be a challenging opponent.
Star Players: Joshua King
17. Sunderland (9-12-17)Sam Allardyce's team appeared to be sure bets for relegation towards the conclusion of the season, however several crucial wins at the end kept them just barely clear from the 18th spot.
18. Newcastle United (9-10-19)
It's a shame to see this iconic English club will not partake in the Premier League next season. This is the 2nd time, they've been relegated, the first being the 2008-2009 season. Their manager Steve McLaren was sacked in March and replaced by Rafael Benitez.
Star Players: Pappis Cisse, Mousso Sissoko, Georgino Wijnaldum
19. Norwich City (9-7-22)
Another one and down season for the Canaries as they return to the 2nd tier Championship League once again. Their season was full of disappointment however they did manage to squeak a win against Man United.
Star Players: Steve Naismith
20. Aston Villa (3-8-27)
They were without question the worse team of the season and secured a relegation spot with several games to go. The firing of two managers throughout the season could not even save them. This is the first time since 1987 the classic club has been relegated.
Top Goal Scorers
1. Harry Kane- Tottenham (25 goals)
2. Sergio Aguero- Man City (24 goals)
2. Jamie Vardy- Leicester City (24 goals)
4. Romelu Lukaku- Everton (18 goals)
5. Riyad Mahrez- Leicester City (17 goals)
6. Olivier Giroud- Arsenal (16 goals)
7. Odion Ighalo- Watford (15 goals)
7. Jermain DeFoe- Sunderland (15 goals)
9. Troy Deeny- Watford (14 goals)
9. Alexis Sanchez- Arsenal (14 goals)
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