Ahead of the final Premier League games, supporters of all 20 clubs look back at the best and worst of 2010-11
Arsenal
The season has ended so badly that it's easy to forget how well it started and how at one time we were in with a chance of winning all four titles ? after conceding a comedy goal at Wembley in the Carling Cup final it went downhill. A run of draws in the league, out of the Champions League to Barcelona and less than a week later out of the FA Cup to Man Utd. We witnessed some wonderful football including Wenger's tactical masterstroke against Barcelona at home. But we failed to hang on to leads, lacked leadership on the pitch and lacked the passion to win. It's great beating United and Chelsea at home, but there are 19 teams to beat home and away. With one game to go, it looks like we'll finish fourth.
Top marks Jack Wilshere, Samir Nasri, Robin van Persie.
The flops S�bastien Squillaci, while Andrey Arshavin, Theo Walcott and Abou Diaby underperformed.
The gaffer: Ars�ne Wenger 7/10 ? I don't think he's been happy with himself and has to take the blame for the results this season. Failed to buy a keeper and a big defender and made some poor team selections.
Who should he sign? A good defensive coach and a captain are needed. Barcelona's V�ctor Vald�s would fit the bill in goal, Christopher Samba would be a domineering defensive presence, Nigel de Jong could shore up the midfield. And if I'm allowed to dream, Andr�s Iniesta and Gonzalo Higua�n for their goals.
Best fans Man City.
Worst Birmingham.
Susan Ferguson, Observer reader
Aston Villa
Tactless, talentless management combined with passionless, guileless football. The only bits worth watching were a memorable half-hour against Manchester United at home, a brave draw at Chelsea and the 'why didn't they play like that all year' win at Arsenal last week. Only Blues' probable relegation could kick-start what would otherwise be a moribund end of season party today.
Top marks Stewart Downing has been superb. After a poor first season he has consistently been creative and dangerous, and worked hard throughout. Darren Bent is obviously class.
The flops Among the proper players no one stood out, but Robert Pires was the most ridiculous signing imaginable and went beyond being a boo-boy to become a laughing stock.
The gaffer: G�rard Houllier 2/10 ? He stumbled from one PR gaffe to the next, motivating no one on the pitch and irritating everyone off it. Whilst a full recovery from his current health problems is wished for, so is a move away from his current role. Who should he sign? We need a replacement for Ashley Young and someone to partner Bent. I genuinely think we have a decent squad already, so major surgery won't be required, but my suspicion is that the board will back the manager with cash.
Best fans Wolves.
Worst Birmingham.
Jonathan Pritchard, Observer reader
Birmingham City
Eight, but it could be a four if we go down. It has been 5% absolutely brilliant, with a day at Wembley and a cup win that will live in the memory for ever. However, for the other 95% it has been absolute dross, with dreadful football and some appalling capitulations.
Top marks Ben Foster - "He saves on the left, he saves on the right" ... Craig Gardner's goals and passion have also been important.
The flops You'd have to say Hleb, Michel (who?), Derbyshire and Bentley, but given that creative players don't always get a chance, maybe there's a reason.
The gaffer: Alex McLeish 3/10 ? Thanks for the Carling Cup, but otherwise I'm afraid it's not good enough. The team often lack attacking intent, and we only change when we are up against it. It's not acceptable that three years after Big Eck's appointment our league position is no better.
Who should he sign? Depends which division we are in. If we stay up we face the prospect of more journeyman players "on the way down", so maybe being relegated and regenerating with a young, hungry set of high-potential youngsters might be better ? however unpalatable that seems to the board.
Best fans Coventry.
Worst The Villa.
Paul Rivers, SmallHeathAlliance.com
Blackburn Rovers
It could be a zero if we go down. A tumultuous and anarchic season, in which the club has metamorphosed from John Williams's model of calm accountability into a chaotic circus. The timing of Allardyce's departure was crazy, the appointment of Steve Kean was bizarre and we have gone from being much admired to much derided. Despite all that, we will celebrate hard if we survive today.
Top marks Both Chris Samba and Phil Jones produced individual acts of heroism that inevitably won admirers in higher places. Not quite Tugay yet, Michel Salgado has become a genuine cult hero. David Hoilett showed that pace and ingenuity were not extinct at Ewood after all.
The flops Roque Santa Cruz proved that you should never get back together with your ex. City have destroyed him.
The gaffer: Steve Kean 3/10 ? He promised a change of style but we have only seen glimpses. Regardless of what he achieves, he will always be viewed as a puppet of the owners. Nothing more than a flying start to next season will keep the vultures away.
Who should he sign? Use the money from the inevitable sale of Samba or Jones on a central midfielder (Charlie Adam would be nice). Also sign Jermaine Jones on a permanent deal. We require a goalscorer, with realistic targets being Daniel Sturridge or Peter Odemwingie.
Best fans West Ham.
Worst Birmingham.
Marcus Tattersall, Observer reader
Blackpool
Thrills and spills, carefree attacking football, goals galore. Bloomfield Road was sold out every week and was graced by some of the world's finest talent. Doing the double over Liverpool, battering Manchester United for an hour, coming within seconds of winning at Spurs, watching the January transfer deadline day on Sky Sports News as top clubs coveted Charlie Adam. How was our season? Well as the song goes: "This is the best trip we've ever been on."
Top marks David Vaughan and Ian Evatt have been the most consistent, Charlie Adam can be world class or hugely wasteful, depending on his mood. DJ Campbell for his goals. Stephen Crainey, Alex Baptiste & Gary Taylor-Fletcher had their moments.
The flops Most of the January signings failed to make a significant contribution (witness our run of results once the window opened) ? Andy Reid, Sergei Kornilenko and especially James Beattie, who arrived with a big reputation but looked slow, overweight and uninterested.
The gaffer: Ian Holloway 9/10 ? Untouchable despite some very curious if not downright bizarre tactical decisions and substitutions. If he keeps us up it would have to be 11/10.
Who should he sign? If we stay up Jason Puncheon plus a decent striker to share the workload with DJ. If we go down Ollie will probably need to find replacements for Adam and Vaughan.
Best fans West Ham.
Worst Wolves.
Cliff Smith, Seasiders-across-scotland.ning.com
Bolton Wanderers
Most fans would have taken a top-10 finish and an FA Cup semi-final at the start of the season.
Top marks Stuart Holden was the player of the season ? he's an all-action midfielder, a great tackler, can pick a pass, goes from box to box and he can score goals as well, so his injury in March was a major blow. Daniel Sturridge has been a revelation since he signed on loan in January.
The flops Martin Petrov has been a big disappointment ? he has shown flashes of what he can do but needs to be more consistent and not keep sulking when he's subbed.
The gaffer: Owen Coyle 8/10 ? He's transformed the club in just over a year. We have played free-flowing, attacking football and won games in style. Last season these same players bar Holden struggled against relegation, playing negative football. I can't praise Coyle enough; as I fan I feel we've got our club back. Owen has made himself accessible from day one, the players are involved in the community and it feels like we're moving forward together. All this has been achieved on a limited budget.
Who should he sign? We need to strengthen every area of the team bar the goalkeeper. Two new full-backs, a centre-half, at least two midfielders and a striker.
Best fans Blackpool.
Worst Stoke.
Shaun O'Gara, Supporters' Club
Chelsea
The proverbial rollercoaster ? awesome, average, awful, good, average. Six may seems harsh as we finished second, but there were some woeful performances in there.
Top marks Josh McEachran burst on to the Stamford Bridge scene to a crowd desperate for a new homegrown player. We've had a few false dawns but this boy looks the business ? we have to be careful not to put too much pressure on him. David Luiz has achieved almost cult status already ? talented but obviously mad as a box of frogs, he will become a legend one way or another. Ramires too has confounded all his early-season detractors to become probably our most effective player of the season.
The flops Essien was nowhere near the player he was before his injury. His nickname used to be The Bison, but The Colourblind Hamster would be more appropriate now. If the damage is permanent it's an absolute tragedy.
The gaffer: Carlo Ancelotti 7/10 ? Honourable man who I respect enormously but still not convinced he knows who our best XI is nor what our best formation is. The Double last year and our late run buys him another season in my book.
Best fans FC Copenhagen.
Worst Wigan.
Trizia Fiorellino, ChelseaSupportersGroup.net
Everton
After a pretty horrendous start we have recovered and will finish seventh. Unfortunately the season doesn't start in February and we have simply not been good enough for most of it. The players take their chunk of the blame for that, but the manager's tactics and general negativity have hurt us dearly. The amount of draws we have had, particularly at home, have effectively cost us a place in Europe.
Top marks Leighton Baines bagged a hat-trick of accolades at the club's end-of-season dinner: Player of the Year, Players' Player of the Year and Goal of the Season. There can be few arguments. Unfortunately, with Manchester City sniffing around our resolve could be tested. Sadly, Everton under Bill Kenwright are a selling club ? that is how we survive.
The flops Diniyar Bilyaletdinov hasn't been given a chance in his preferred role and unfortunately just doesn't seem to have the self-belief to succeed in the Premier League.
The gaffer: David Moyes 5/10 ? Not happy. He has earned our patience and loyalty, but he's running on reserves.
Who should he sign? I suspect we'll see Yakubu Ayegbeni, Joseph Yobo, James Vaughan, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov and Johnny Heitinga move out. I'd like Charles N'Zogbia, Kevin Doyle, Matt Jarvis and Johan Elmander in.
Best fans Manchester United.
Worst Fulham.
Joe Jennings, SOS1878.co.uk
Fulham
Our late surge up the table has only underscored what might have been. The loss of Bobby Zamora back in September and a lack of striking cover hit us badly. We stuttered for a few months but once the injured parties returned so did the team's shape, confidence and goals. We even managed consecutive away wins!
Top marks Our centre-back duo, Brede Hangeland and Aaron Hughes, have again been classy; Clint Dempsey slogged away up front and in midfield; Danny Murphy still leads by example ? but the right-back Chris Baird gets my vote.
The flops Eddie Johnson tried hard but didn't cut it, Zoltan Gera has slipped down the pecking order and John Pantsil's own goals seem to have cost him dear.
The gaffer: Mark Hughes 7/10 ? It all looked bleak when we slipped to a dismal 3-1 home defeat to West Ham on Boxing Day. But we've come good in the new year and now have a solid squad ? there's genuine strength on the bench these days. Sparky's been hamstrung for much of the season so let's see if he can bolster things during the summer months and really make his, er, mark.
Who should he sign? A left-back (Stephen Warnock?), another midfield playmaker (Charlie Adam or Scott Parker?), an injection of pace (Ga�l Kakuta?) and a striker (Pablo Osvaldo?).
Best fans Probably Blackpool. I hope we see them again next season.
Worst Liverpool fans were amazingly unoriginal with their crass chants about our new statue (yawn!).
David Lloyd, TOOFIF.co.uk
Liverpool
Ten for the fact we got rid of Hicks and Gillett, 10 because we finish the season talking about the game again, and 10 because common sense prevailed and Roy Hodgson was replaced by Kenny Dalglish before we ended up in a relegation battle. Focus finally shifted back to football in October when the toxic partnership of Hicks and Gillett were sent packing, but bereft of ideas and hope, it wasn't pretty. All that seems a long time ago now and that's down to Kenny, who seemed to find the magic wand Hodgson said didn't exist.
Top marks Lucas has been our player of the season, proving he isn't just a stand-in. It's fantastic to see John Flanagan and Martin Kelly slotting in, and Luis Su�rez ? the reason we go to the game is to watch players like him.
The flops It hasn't worked out for Joe Cole, but credit to him, he's never moaned.
The gaffer: Kenny Dalglish 10/10 ? The biggest smile in football has made us smile again. If only he hadn't been out of the game so long.
Who should he sign? We're still looking for a winger and Eden Hazard at Lyon looks great. We could do with Jos� Enrique at left-back and we need a centre-back, too. Vincent Kompany has been brilliant for Manchester City.
Best fans City were very respectful in the pre-15 April Hillsborough game.
Worst All those who trot out the tired, witless, same old insults masquerading as chants.
Stephanie Jones, Observer reader
Manchester City
What an end to the season this has been for our success-starved fans. Within seven days we qualified for the Champions League, lifted the FA Cup and moved clear of Arsenal into third place. The team have been excellent in the past few weeks, and much of the credit must to go to Roberto Mancini.
Top marks David Silva was written off as too lightweight for the English game, but his skill, technique and balance have come to the fore. Yaya Tour�, the tower of power, has excelled too.
The flops J�r�me Boateng promised much but has delivered little. Edin Dzeko has struggled, but he's not been as bad as the media have suggested. He has all the attributes to be a top striker in England and I'm sure he'll be a hit next season.
The gaffer: Roberto Mancini 9/10 ? His cautious tactics have earned him few admirers, but he promised Champions League football and a domestic cup at the start of the season; and he's delivered on both counts.
Who should he sign? Alexis S�nchez and Juan Mata would be ideal ? both have talent in abundance and hunger for trophies. S�nchez in particular would bring a lot to the team: he is a tricky player who gives you a very direct outlet in attack. I don't think City will spend lavishly, but expect replacements for Shay Given and Patrick Vieira, with a centre-half coming through the door as well.
Best fans Lech Poznan, without a doubt.
Worst Spurs.
Lloyd Scragg, ManCityIssues.com
Manchester United
Champions! And with an impending European Cup final I would say we have put an end to the myth that we are unconvincing title-winners. It's been a real squad effort with us suffering from injuries and Fergie has got the very best out of the players ? plus we knocked you-know-who firmly off their perch!
Top marks Edwin Van der Sar, Nemanja Vidic and Ryan Giggs have been consistently excellent. Nani's performances in the first half of the season carried us while Dimitar Berbatov scored important goals, but the star for me was Javier Hern�ndez. His enthusiasm and finishing have been sublime.
The flops No one ? it has been a great effort by the squad.
The gaffer: Alex Ferguson 10/10 ? The Greatest! Fergie galvanised the whole team and the support with the way he handled Wayne Rooney's transfer request, and created a real siege mentality with regards to the press which spurred us on to claiming title No19. He got the best out of the squad when it looked like the lack of investment and an ageing team might go against us.
Who should he sign? I would go for the creative Luka Modric as he looks like a 'United' player. I like Wesley Sneijder but with Rooney playing behind Hern�ndez I can't see him playing a defensive midfield role.
Best fans Spurs ? they always make plenty of noise.
Worst Bolton, they claim they hate us but bring about 500 fans ... disgraceful.
Shaun O'Donnell, Observer reader
Newcastle United
Consolidation was the watchword and we achieved that, but inconsistency meant a few backward looks at the wrong end of the table. Thrashing Sunderland and Villa at home was particularly satisfying ? the Mackems just because they are, and Villa because of their supporters' delight at our relegation in May 2009. We had some good results against the so-called top four, but there were some dire performances against lesser lights. Overall, the great team spirit engendered last year was still evident and that helped to see us through.
Top marks Joey Barton (sheer class!), Cheik Tiot� (a revelation), Kevin Nolan (an inspirational leader) and Jos� Enrique (a bull with finesse).
The flops James Perch and Sol Campbell were dire, and this probably contributed to Hughton's demise.
The gaffer: Alan Pardew 7/10 ? His record isn't much better than that of the unfortunate Hughton. He talks the talk, but can he stand up to the remote Mike Ashley and Derek Llambias? The jury's out until we see the mettle of his summer signings and which stars of the current squad remain.
Who should he sign? There's no point naming names as Ash with the Carroll Cash will be looking in the bargain basement for players we've never heard of. We need two strikers, two full-backs, a centre-half and a creative midfielder.
Best fans Blackpool ? a breath of fresh air.
Worst Manchester United ? arrogant and ignorant, as always.
David & Richard Holmes, Observer readers
Stoke City
For Stoke fans the feel-good factor was dealt a heavy blow with that defeat at Wembley in the FA Cup final. But with a possible top-half finish, that first ever FA Cup final appearance and Europa League football to look forward to, this has been our best season for a generation.
Top marks Matty Etherington and Jermaine Pennant, revitalised our attacking options.
The flops Kenwyne Jones promised a lot but failed to produce the goods for much of the season due to 'personal problems' off the pitch ? although he did come through in the final run-in with four goals in five games.
The gaffer: Tony Pulis 10/10 ? Often criticised for his style of play, but you can't knock his results and he is now being favourably compared to the Potters' legendary manager of the 1960s and 70s, Tony Waddington.
Who should he sign? The midweek repeat defeat at Man City has emphasised our lack of depth. Our starting XI are great, but just a few injuries are enough to cause chaos. Hopefully we'll have a decent run in Europe so new players in all positions are critical if we're going to keep our place in the Premier League as well.
Best fans Blackpool.
Worst Wolves fans jeered Etherington's early departure with a serious injury, prompting post-match apologies from the Wolves management.
Chris Baldwin, Stoke.VitalFootball.co.uk
Sunderland
Decent football bred initial optimism, resultingly crushed by a run of defeats. Arguably our greatest ever Premier League result, demolishing Chelsea at the Bridge, was offset by our worst, the unspeakable capitulation at St James' Park. If the season were a month longer we'd be relegated.
Top marks Phil Bardsley has been outstanding in the unfamiliar left-back role, with the addition of spectacular goals to his default setting of dogged defensive determination.
The flops Current Argentinian international Marcos Angeleri and Cristian 'Statistically the best midfielder at the World Cup' Riveros are harder to spot in red and white shirts than Where's Wally at a Russian civil war re-enactment'.
The gaffer: Steve Bruce 6/10 ? Mrs Doubtfire received a lot of praise in the early part of the season, before our alarming slump. We're only a few signings away from becoming a very decent Premier League side but equally a few dodgy ones could put us in the mire.
Who should he sign? Strikers are top priority: Demba Ba, Nikica Jelavic, even Jay Bothroyd would help.
Best fans Blackpool.
Worst Fulham.
Arthur & Conor Crummie, Observer readers
Tottenham Hotspur
Given the strength of the squad, the fact we are 5th ? and are looking over our shoulders at Liverpool for that privilege ? must amount to failure. There have been more draws than wins at home and an alarming lack of goals from the strikers: if Roman Pavlyuchenko had been told in August that his tally would equal the combined total of Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe, he wouldn't have believed it. In six games against West Ham, Wigan and Blackpool we got four points. OK, there was Europe and some new adventures but even there I saw us 3-0 down in Berne, 4-0 in the San Siro and 4-0 at the Bernab�u.
Top marks William Gallas and Benoit Assou-Ekotto have been consistently strong; Sandro a revelation.
The flops All the strikers earning vast amounts for pitiable returns, and I've finally given up on Heurelho Gomes.
The gaffer: Harry Redknapp 5/10 ? 15 wins in 37 games is not good. After the Manchester City away game, an anchorman on Radio 5 said Spurs' fans critical of Redknapp must be mad. So call me a lunatic, but his tactics have given me enough ammunition.
Who should he buy? Robert Green and two strikers who do what it says on the tin. Scouts, do your job before Harry reverts to default mode and brings in Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Michael Owen. No one knew much of Javier Hern�ndez and Luis Su�rez this time last year; the talent is out there.
Best fans Wolves.
Worst Wigan.
Dave Mason, Observer reader
West Bromwich Albion
A roller-coaster ride ? early promise (when we briefly appeared capable of competing with the best) followed by a spell when the threat of relegation became much too close for comfort, concluded with a magical spell that swept aside that possibility. It has to be our best ever Premier League season.
Top marks Peter Odemwingie, Youssuf Mulumbu and Jonas Olsson were outstanding. Chris Brunt, Nicky Shorey and Paul Scharner played well. It was a pity that Graham Dorrans missed so many games due to injury but hopefully that will be rectified next season.
The flops Scott Carson. On his day a quality keeper but numerous errors led many fans to query his capabilities. Marc-Antoine Fortun�, another willing worker, rarely troubled defences.
The gaffer: Roberto Di Matteo 6/10 ? An outstanding start took us into the top six but sadly he lost his way and paid the penalty. Roy Hodgson 8/10 ? A tremendous job. Instilled a sense of discipline into a defence that had previously conceded goals as if it was written into their contracts.
Who should he sign? No specific names but I definitely wouldn't be surprised if the likes of the ex-Baggie Zoltan Gera and Andy Johnson ? a move that is already being rumoured ? figured in his thoughts.
Best fans Newcastle.
Worst No one stood out.
Terry Wills, Baggies@yahoogroups.com
Wigan Athletic
As we've come to expect. Staying up would be a major achievement for us. All the talk about kicking on is silly, unless you've �80m to throw at it and even that guarantees nothing ? just ask Sunderland.
Top marks Without Ali al-Habsi in goal we'd have been down by now, and Charles N'Zogbia has stood up to be counted in the latter half of the season.
The flops Last summer's �6 million signing Mario Boselli is plying his trade in Italy on loan, which tells you more than I can about his impact this season.
The gaffer: Roberto Mart�nez 7/10 ? His approach is different to anything we've had in the past and it has taken time for people to adjust. The fans are split right down the middle on him, but we've improved gradually, reduced the wage bill Steve Bruce left us and invested in young players. So he is fine by me.
Who should he sign? Ali al-Habsi, who is on loan from Bolton at the moment. He will be vital and has indicated he would like to stay. It all depends on which league we are in.
Best fans West Ham came in numbers last week considering the situation they were in, and Tottenham always travel well and enjoy a day out in town.
Worst Manchester United fans are arrogance personified.
Mark Ashurst, Observer reader
Wolverhampton Wanderers
It's been a strange one, so many highs and some very low times. You don't take points off six of last seasons top seven often though. We've also played some brilliant football at times, which is why the 'dirty' tag we were labelled with was so ridiculous.
Top marks Matty Jarvis was sensational at times, thoroughly deserved his England call up. Wayne Hennessey is becoming one of the league's best keepers and Kevin Doyle is well, Kevin Doyle. Steven Fletcher has scored some vital goals.
The flops Jelle van Damme played very few games before going back to Belgium. Steven Mouyokolo has had lots of injuries all season, but hasn't looked promising when he's played.
The gaffer: Mick McCarthy 8/10 ? I'm a big fan of Mick. He's taken us from a mess four years ago to a team we can be proud of. He comes out with some great quotes too.
Who should we sign? A centre-back and left-back should be top of the list. We need a leader in the middle of defence now. Another Jamie O'Hara-quality centre-midfielder would be nice. I've heard Bassong wants to leave Spurs, a good centre-back. If we stay up, of course, why not?
Best fans Everton.
Worst Birmingham.
Louie Silvani, MyWolvesblog.com
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/may/21/premier-league-observer-fans-network
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