Mid-Season Takeaways

With the season half-way done, it’s time to take a look at my mid-season takeaways from the campaign:

Ange Ball is Special

(Image via Football London)

Ok, I will admit that I had no faith in Ange Postecoglou. I thought he was taking over a team that had problems that were way too big for a Celtic coach to fix. I did not think he would still be in a job by January 2024. Now, it is clear that Ange is the most exciting manager Tottenham has had since Mauricio Pochettino. His no-nonsense style of coaching has helped the team reach new levels this season. Son and Maddison have really stepped up and Richarlison is finally scoring goals. While they did slip up a little and lose their hold on top spot, they are still in contention for top four and I think they have a chance of achieving it. 

Arsenal are World Class Bottlers

(Image via Arsenal's website)

This happened last season at the end, now it’s happening halfway through this season. Arteta's Arsenal are a very good side and on their day, they can beat anyone. The problem in this team is consistency in the crucial stages of the season. Last year, Arsenal were top of the league for most of the campaign when they slipped up at the end of the season and lost the title to Manchester City. This season, they started their annual slip-up in December. Although they are still in contention for the league title, they could have been farther ahead. For Arsenal's sake, I hope they can start putting some wins together. 

Peps Side is Starting to Crack

(Image via ESPN)

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City have dominated the Premier League in recent years. The club enjoyed a domestic treble last season, being the first English side to achieve this since cross-town rivals Manchester United. This season has not gone according to plan. The Citizens have experienced dropping points on numerous occasions, namely away at Wolves (2-1 L), away at Chelsea (4-4 D), away at Aston Villa (1-0 L) etc. While the team is still in contention for their fourth Premier League title in a row (and what would be Pep’s sixth title since joining the team), their form suggests that there will be a few more slip-ups along the way. This is the most significant run of bad form City have endured since Pep’s first season at the club, where they finished third overall. It’s evident that this City side is starting to show vulnerability. 

Luton could stay up

(Image via Forbes)

The miracle tale. Luton Town in the Premier League. After beating Coventry on penalties in the play-off final, nobody expected Luton to do what they are doing right now. All summer, pundits and fans tipped them to go straight back down, ending dead last in the league. As we reach 2024, Luton has put up a valiant fight. The club sits 18th in the league and while that is in the relegation zone, the side has shown signs of resilience and has picked up points because of this. I can see them staying at the top for another season. 

Mo Salah is still top-class

(Image via Peoples Gazette)

14 goals in the Premier League this season, level with Haaland. For a winger of his age, Salah is seemingly getting better after every game. There were rumors that Saudi Arabia will continue to pursue the Egyptian after a move failed to happen last summer. With Liverpool top of the table, I can’t see Salah leaving anytime soon. 

Andoni Iraola is class

(Image via The Telegraph)

Bournemouth started the season off poorly and fans started to doubt Iraola, I too had my doubts. Halfway through the season, Bournemouth sit in 12th, with Dominic Solanke running the show with 12 goals this season. Iraola and Bournemouth have done exceptionally well with key wins coming at Old Trafford (3-0 W), home to Newcastle (2-0 W), and many more. Over time I can see this Bournemouth team competing for the European places if they can keep up this great form. 

Ten Hag is not the problem

(Image via Sky Sports)

Manchester United are nowhere near their best as they sit eighth in the table, nine points off the top four. After such a successful first season for Ten Hag (third in the league and a Carabao Cup trophy), many thought Manchester United were finally back to competing for the Premier League title. Nobody could have predicted this season. United have gone through their fair share of managers in recent times. The media is quick to blame Ten Hag for this form and while he is to blame for some of the performances, he is not entirely to blame. These players have played their part in firing multiple managers: Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solkjaer, and Ralf Ragnick. Ten Hag showed the league what he could do last season, if he was given better players, he could turn the team around.

Unai Emery can win a league title with Aston Villa (but not this season)

(Image via CNN)

Unai Emery has transformed Aston Villa into one of the best teams in the league in just over one season in charge. The Spanish manager endured a torrid time at the Emirates a few seasons ago. He enjoyed a successful few seasons with Villareal before returning to the Premier League with Aston Villa. Emery has turned Villa into an exciting team. Players like John Mcginn, Ollie Watkins, Pau Torres, and Emi Martinez have stepped up this season. With proper backing from the board, I can see Aston Villa competing for a Premier League title in the next few years. I don’t think their squad is strong enough to beat teams like Liverpool, Arsenal, or Man City to the title this season, but top four is very much on for them. 

Newcastle need to start using their wealth on signings

(Image via iNews)

Eddie Howe’s side had an amazing season last year, finishing third in the table. This season has gone horribly wrong. The side sit ninth in the table having lost five of their last six games in the league, not to mention finishing last in their Champions League group. Newcastle has a lengthy injury list, including the year-long ban of their new signing Sandro Tonali for betting issues. Now that we are in January, Newcastle must dip into their immense wealth and sign a lot of players to fill in their gaps. Newcastle will eventually succeed domestically and in Europe, but to do that they need to start spending a lot of money on the team. 

Let me know if you agree with these takeaways and what you want to see happen before the season ends!