[Football] Which PL team had the best season?

Bry Nylon · May 30, 2022

Now everything that could be won and lost has been won and err, lost - which PL team can look back on the season with the greatest degree of satisfaction at a 'job well done'?

Some considerations....

Manchester City?
Yes, they retained the PL title which I guess equals 'meeting minimum expectations' but failed again in the CL (the one I imagine they really yearn for) in spectacular fashion. Plus no other trophies.

Liverpool?
An FA Cup and League Cup double isn't something to be sniffed at - even if they were both won after penalty shoot outs rather than champagne football. But they fell just fractionally short when it came to the trophies they really wanted. What I'd give for just an FA Cup ffs - but their Victory Parade yesterday had an air of 'putting on a brave face' on a season that ultimately fell a bit flat as the two prizes they really wanted slipped through their fingers.

West Ham?
European semi-final and European football next season too - albeit in the Conference thing. Maybe a bit disappointing given how close they came - but they are a million miles away from the side that was regularly bobbing around the bottom of the table with a toxic atmosphere in the London Stadium these days.

Newcastle?
Nailed on for relegation at Christmas but ended up comfortably mid-table with the fans back on side and a war chest of billions. I guess most Geordies would have taken that back in August.

....and my pick Brentford
Among the favourites to go straight back down, they started well, survived a wobble and finished pretty well and didn't look out of place for much of the season. Will be interesting to see how they get on next season.

Icy Gull · May 30, 2022

Call me biased but it was Albion by a country mile :smile:

Brentford were heading one way until World Class Eriksen arrived
Smug spent a shit load of money on a team that was underperforming but already had decent players

Liverpool and City have too many of the world's top players, anything less than first or second would have been a failure

We owned WHU as we always do

Giraffe · May 30, 2022

Not that I am a fan of the big six, but I think Arsenal's season has been pretty under rated. Think back to early season when they were a laughing stock. They have transitioned back into being a team competing for the top four. Not a bad effort really.

Brentford have done what Leeds did and caught a few by surprise. It wouldn't be unexpected to see them the follow the Leeds way and have a second season wobble near the bottom.

We have done mighty fine though.

Jim in the West · May 30, 2022

Surely an honourable mention for Palace? Or at least Viera and Gallagher...

Thunder Bolt · May 30, 2022

Brighton & Hove Albion, who despite a wobble earlier in 2022, finished their season at a gallop, with a record number of points and placing in the table.

birthofanorange · May 30, 2022

Who would have thought there would be a time when the mighty Man U don't even get a mention? :lolol:

As to the question, I'd put us up there with the best, for overall achievement.

banjo · May 30, 2022

Man U. Long May it continue.

kevo · May 30, 2022

Bry Nylon said:
Now everything that could be won and lost has been won and err, lost - which PL team can look back on the season with the greatest degree of satisfaction at a 'job well done'?

Some considerations....

Manchester City?
Yes, they retained the PL title which I guess equals 'meeting minimum expectations' but failed again in the CL (the one I imagine they really yearn for) in spectacular fashion. Plus no other trophies.

Liverpool?
An FA Cup and League Cup double isn't something to be sniffed at - even if they were both won after penalty shoot outs rather than champagne football. But they fell just fractionally short when it came to the trophies they really wanted. What I'd give for just an FA Cup ffs - but their Victory Parade yesterday had an air of 'putting on a brave face' on a season that ultimately fell a bit flat as the two prizes they really wanted slipped through their fingers.

West Ham?
European semi-final and European football next season too - albeit in the Conference thing. Maybe a bit disappointing given how close they came - but they are a million miles away from the side that was regularly bobbing around the bottom of the table with a toxic atmosphere in the London Stadium these days.

Newcastle?
Nailed on for relegation at Christmas but ended up comfortably mid-table with the fans back on side and a war chest of billions. I guess most Geordies would have taken that back in August.

....and my pick Brentford
Among the favourites to go straight back down, they started well, survived a wobble and finished pretty well and didn't look out of place for much of the season. Will be interesting to see how they get on next season.

There's a massive glaring omission from this list!

Machiavelli · May 30, 2022

Bry Nylon said:
Now everything that could be won and lost has been won and err, lost - which PL team can look back on the season with the greatest degree of satisfaction at a 'job well done'?

Some considerations....

Manchester City?
Yes, they retained the PL title which I guess equals 'meeting minimum expectations' but failed again in the CL (the one I imagine they really yearn for) in spectacular fashion. Plus no other trophies.

Liverpool?
An FA Cup and League Cup double isn't something to be sniffed at - even if they were both won after penalty shoot outs rather than champagne football. But they fell just fractionally short when it came to the trophies they really wanted. What I'd give for just an FA Cup ffs - but their Victory Parade yesterday had an air of 'putting on a brave face' on a season that ultimately fell a bit flat as the two prizes they really wanted slipped through their fingers.

West Ham?
European semi-final and European football next season too - albeit in the Conference thing. Maybe a bit disappointing given how close they came - but they are a million miles away from the side that was regularly bobbing around the bottom of the table with a toxic atmosphere in the London Stadium these days.

Newcastle?
Nailed on for relegation at Christmas but ended up comfortably mid-table with the fans back on side and a war chest of billions. I guess most Geordies would have taken that back in August.

....and my pick Brentford
Among the favourites to go straight back down, they started well, survived a wobble and finished pretty well and didn't look out of place for much of the season. Will be interesting to see how they get on next season.

If we're selecting the top five candidates, take Newcastle out of that and put us in -- your explanation for them is that they had a good second half of the season, whereas the criteria you set was for its entirety. A top half finish must put us into the top five. I think you might be right in selecting Brentford as top dog.
Palace, Arsenal and Tottenham just outside. Man United clearly had the worst season, alongside the three relegated teams and Leeds.

Bry Nylon · May 30, 2022

kevo said:
There's a massive glaring omission from this list!

If by that you mean Brighton & Hove Albion then yes, and no I suppose.

Yes, we comfortably out-performed our budget, won plaudits for some great football and achieved our best ever top flight finish and points total. However, we won nothing and didn't achieve a European placing of any description.

Plus, the long streak when we couldn't win a raffle and the number of draws / inability to get over the line in many matches can't be ignored either. Personally I think we have had a great season - our best ever in fact. But if the question is which club has had the best PL season, I'm not sure the answer is 'Brighton.'

GT49er · May 30, 2022

Jim in the West said:
Surely an honourable mention for Palace? Or at least Viera and Gallagher...

Sadly, yes.

kevo · May 30, 2022

Bry Nylon said:
If by that you mean Brighton & Hove Albion then yes, and no I suppose.

Yes, we comfortably out-performed our budget, won plaudits for some great football and achieved our best even top flight finish and points total. However, we won nothing and didn't achieve a European placing of any description.

Plus, the long streak when we couldn't win a raffle plus the number of draws / inability to get over the line in many matches can't be ignored either. Personally I think we have had a great season - our best ever in fact. But if the question is which club has had the best PL season, I'm not sure the answer is 'Brighton.'

In which case why are Newcastle in your list? They were absolutely pony until the Saudi's took over - and then inevitably their form improved.

birthofanorange · May 30, 2022

Bry Nylon said:
If by that you mean Brighton & Hove Albion then yes, and no I suppose.

Yes, we comfortably out-performed our budget, won plaudits for some great football and achieved our best ever top flight finish and points total. However, we won nothing and didn't achieve a European placing of any description.

Plus, the long streak when we couldn't win a raffle and the number of draws / inability to get over the line in many matches can't be ignored either. Personally I think we have had a great season - our best ever in fact. But if the question is which club has had the best PL season, I'm not sure the answer is 'Brighton.'

I suppose if winning things is the main criteria, then it has to be between Liverpool and Man City. As for European places, I think there were no great surprises there, so not sure if you could include any of those as having a 'best' season.

Bry Nylon · May 30, 2022

kevo said:
In which case why are Newcastle in your list? They were absolutely pony until the Saudi's took over - and then inevitably their form improved.

Well, the list isn't scientific. I was just musing! I suppose I put them on there simply because at Christmas they were all but down. But I'm not sure if that counts as the 'having had the best season' so on that basis, you are probably right.

Robinjakarta · May 30, 2022

Bry Nylon said:
If by that you mean Brighton & Hove Albion then yes, and no I suppose.

Yes, we comfortably out-performed our budget, won plaudits for some great football and achieved our best ever top flight finish and points total. However, we won nothing and didn't achieve a European placing of any description.

Plus, the long streak when we couldn't win a raffle and the number of draws / inability to get over the line in many matches can't be ignored either. Personally I think we have had a great season - our best ever in fact. But if the question is which club has had the best PL season, I'm not sure the answer is 'Brighton.'

I'm sure it is.

Of the five mentioned in the OP, all did well for sure. However, there are already reasons given why it shouldn't be one of the top two. The other three didn't win anything, we finished above two of them and exceeded expectations more than the third (WHU). Perhaps more significant than the bad spell is the way we came out of it, beat Tottenham and Arsenal away and thrashed Manchester United and West Ham.

So it's us

jessiejames · May 30, 2022

Definitely us,I would them place Brentford and Wet Sham as joint runner up.

How Potter was not up for manager of the season is beyond me.

I am not saying this because I'm a Brighton fan either

birthofanorange · May 30, 2022

jessiejames said:
Definitely us,I would them place Brentford and Wet Sham as joint runner up.

How Potter was not up for manager of the season is beyond me.

I am not saying this because I'm a Brighton fan either

I was amazed that GP wasn't even in the running, but then it 'is' Brighton, so pretty much par for the course.

Thunder Bolt · May 30, 2022

Bry Nylon said:
If by that you mean Brighton & Hove Albion then yes, and no I suppose.

Yes, we comfortably out-performed our budget, won plaudits for some great football and achieved our best ever top flight finish and points total. However, we won nothing and didn't achieve a European placing of any description.

Plus, the long streak when we couldn't win a raffle and the number of draws / inability to get over the line in many matches can't be ignored either. Personally I think we have had a great season - our best ever in fact. But if the question is which club has had the best PL season, I'm not sure the answer is 'Brighton.'

Surely overcoming difficulties, especially with key injuries, is success.

Bry Nylon · May 30, 2022

birthofanorange said:
I was amazed that GP wasn't even in the running, but then it 'is' Brighton, so pretty much par for the course.

Like you I am amazed that Potter isn't even in the running, given that he has comfortably out-performed his budget / resources at his disposal, which surely has to be the definition of great management in any industry.

birthofanorange · May 30, 2022

Bry Nylon said:
Like you I am amazed that Potter isn't even in the running, given that he has comfortably out-performed his budget / resources at his disposal, which surely has to be the definition of great management in any industry.

Still 'under the radar', which is normally fine with me, but a little disingenuous to GP, given what he achieved this year.

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[Football] Which PL team had the best season?

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