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That’s all Folks!

Published by Ian John on May 24, 2010

So we can now pull a veil over the 2009-2010 soccer season in England, bar the League One and Two Play off finals. Chelsea lifted a historic league and cup double, Manchester United took the Carling Cup, we waved goodbye to Portsmouth, Hull City and Burnley from the top flight and Newcastle United, West Bromwich Albion and Blackpool will replace them next season.

Inter Milan won the Champions League in what looks like being Jose Mourinho’s final game for the club before he makes the expected move to Real Madrid. Atletico Madrid narrowly edged out plucky Fulham in the first Europa League final and now all our attentions are turning towards the World Cup Finals in South Africa, which start on Friday June 11th with the hosts taking on Mexico.

How will the season be remembered? Chelsea fans will no doubt recall a wonderful season for many a year but there was a lot in this season besides that. There was the unequivocal emergence of Wayne Rooney as a true world-class talent in the game, with even some commentators calling him the best in the world. That was until around February time when Barcelona’s Lionel Messi began producing the kind of form and performances that only come along very, very rarely and rendered all talk of who was the best player in the world entirely meaningless.

There was John Terry’s philanderings and dealings. From selling tours of the Chelsea training ground for a few extra quid for him and his ‘organiser’, to busily consoling Wayne Bridge’s ex behind his friends back. There was also Rio Ferdinand’s back injury and worrying loss of form for England, though I think I am the only person in the country who can remember how truly awful Ferdinand was for his country earlier this season.

There was the unlikely story of Nani too. Seemingly on his way from Old Trafford at the turn of the year, the Portuguese star turned it around spectacularly in the second half of the season to become one of United’s most influential and certainly most improved players.

Surprise of the season? It has to be Fulham reaching the Europa League final. Which just edges out Tottenham claiming the final Champions League spot. I’d also give Fulham performance of the season for their stunning 4-1 victory over Juventus at Craven Cottage. Which just usurps Tottenham’s 9-1 humiliation of Wigan and Chelsea’s 8-0 hammering of…oh Wigan again…

Disappointments? Well, where do we start? Liverpool can toss this season in a box, burn it, bury it and hope never to see its like again. I don’t think there is one crumb of comfort to be had from the season they have endured, especially when all the talk is now of players leaving the club. Which basically means that Torres, Gerrard and possibly Mascherano will be on their way to service the clubs debt, under the pretext of “helping the club forward”. Dimitar Berbatov once again is doing little to justify that enormous price tag and Michael Owen, derby winner apart,hardly showed his England class at Old Trafford. However that was more a personal disappointment for Owen as Fergie signing him for nothing was still a decent piece of business anyway.

And what to the future? Well Sir Alex says he only aims to make one signing in the summer, Chelsea are remaining quiet about any signings, Liverpool seem to be on the verge of selling Torres and Gerrard and keeping Benitez, which is, in my humble opinion, effectively the wooden stake through the heart of the club. Arsenal are struggling to hold onto Cesc Fabregas but want their full pound of flesh, or 60m Euros for him. Man City want pretty much any player worth anything and Zslatan Ibrahimovic could be gracing the Premier League next season at Man City along with, if you believe rumours, Thierry Henry at West Ham!

So there’s still plenty of stories to develop over the pre-season in the EPL and with the added backdrop of the most colourful World Cup in history, it looks like being a busy and exciting summer!

Image Courtesy of ***luc Pelzer *** on Flickr.com

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