Premiership Conclusions – the Final Edition

Every Monday during the season, we’ve brought you our conclusions from the weekend’s Premiership football. With the season now officially over and the league’s players either gearing up for World Cup 2010 or booking their flights for a round of golf in Dubai, we present to you our season-ending thoughts and conclusions.

Buying a Winner Isn’t as Easy as it Sounds: True, Manchester City did leap from 10th place last season to 5th place this time around, but they missed out on the coveted Champions League spot which would send the Sky Blue Revolution into full throttle.  Despite splashing out upwards of £200 million over the past two years, Man City’s shortcomings clearly show that it takes a shrewd mind to be successful in the transfer market.

A Renaissance for the English Manager: Tottenham ’s Harry Redknapp is the first English manager to guide his team into the Champions League since Bobby Robson was prowling the touchline at St. James’ Park. But despite Redknapp’s success, Scottish managers continue to rule the roost, with Alex Ferguson, David Moyes and Alex McLeish all guiding teams into the top half of the table.

You Can’t Win the Title with a Bad Goalkeeper: It’s never been done before, and Arsenal proved this year that even with the quickest-moving, slickest-passing collection of foreigners in the outfield, it’s still not possible. Manuel Alumnia couldn’t make a save if his life depended on it – and his deputy Lukasz Fabianski wasn’t much better. How much would you be willing to bet that David James finds his way to the Emirates over the summer?

Football Goes Bust: Portsmouth ’s mid-season financial collapse may have been just the most high-profile example of a number of clubs that have gone into administration in recent years, but it’s likely to be the straw that broke the camel’s back. The Conservative Party’s incoming sports minister has declared that it’s high time the government intervenes and forces business reforms on football clubs. Could this spell the end of the Premier League’s financial dominance?

Liverpool ARE a two-man team: Despite claims to the contrary, Rafa Benitez kicked off the season with a team that would live and die by its two world-class players, Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard. So when Torres went down with injury and Gerrard seemed more interested in passing the ball to the opposition, Liverpool’s fortunes took a massive nosedive. And to think that many believed they’d win it all this year.

Ronaldo proves the difference. When Cristiano Ronaldo left for Real Madrid last summer, Premier League players took a collective sigh of relief. No team has reaped the rewards of Ronaldo‘s departure more than Chelsea. Trouncing Wigan 8-0 to seal their third title in seven years, Carlo Ancelotti‘s Blues stand one match away from a historic double. For Sir Alex Ferguson, it’s back to the drawing board as the Red Devils churned out their first trophy-less season since 2005-06. (Ok, so they won the Carling Cup, but does that really count?)

Celebrating in style - Chelsea top dogs in 2010