A musical review of the 2012/13 season – T to W
Tottenham Hotspur
League Position: 5th
Song: Everything you wanted – Kele
Gareth Bale is near enough the perfect player. Quick and clever with a great shot on him, Bale is no doubt one the most wanted players in football at the moment. He’s everything a team would want in a player. However, the same can’t be said for Spurs – they didn’t get everything they wanted. Quite the opposite; they got nothing. Yes they finished a respectable 5th but let’s remember that is a one place fall from last season. A failure to finish in the champions league places combined with a lack of silverware means I believe this season has been somewhat of a failure for Spur’s. If they are somehow able keep a hold of Bale this summer then Champions League qualification is a must next season.
West Bromwich Albion
League Position: 8th
Song: Hell of a season – Black Keys
I was struggling to select an apt song to describe West Brom’s season. I don’t know any songs with the word ‘loan’ in; that or Romelu. It was, after all, this loan signing that epitomised West Brom’s ‘hell of a season’. Lukaku was the powerhouse driving an organised and well managed team that finished an impressive 8th within a highly competitive top ten. However, you can’t overlook the other cogs in this well oiled West Brom team. The manager, Steve Clarke, did a sterling job while players such as Gareth McAuley and new lad Billy Jones quietly went about their business. Without Lukaku it is hard to judge how West Brom will do next season. Personally I think a finish around 10th – 13th will be par.
West Ham United
League Position: 10th
Song: Sam’s Town – The Killers
“We’re West Ham, we play on the floor” was a song frequently sung throughout Big Sam’s first season as disgruntled fan’s lambasted his direct playing style. However, Allardyce has seemingly won over these fans; for the time being at least. Within a recent article about glory or entertainment I outlined how fans will put up with a direct style as long as the results follow. This season the results have certainly followed as West Ham finished a very respectable 10th in their first season back in the Premier League. Players like Nolan, Jaaskelainen and Collins have been the bedrock of a solid West Ham side. The recent permanent signing of Andy Carroll and further ambition transfer rumours show West Ham are aiming to build upon their impressive first season back. Even though I am not a big fan of Sam I feel next season could be good for them – another top ten finish.
Wigan Athletic
League Position: 18th
Song: Bittersweet Symphony – The Verve
This season ended in bitter-sweet fashion for Wigan. A remarkable FA cup triumph over Manchester City was soured somewhat by relegation a week later. For the past few seasons Wigan have become great escape artists as Martinez’s philosophy of playing passing, attacking football paid dividends in the final ten games. However, while Martinez must be praised for his frugal use of funds and success in achieving a cup, I believe his managerial talents have been over emphasised. Year on year they were fighting relegation while last day escapes covered over the frailties shown earlier in the season. It will be interesting to see how Martinez does at Everton and how Wigan copes without him. I think the latter may be more comparatively successful.
Patrick Gallagher (paddygall26)
shifting the goalposts 