COMMENT: picks out the most memorable moments, star names and disastrous flops from a thrilling 2013-14 season full of twists and turns

The 2013-14 season was an incredible saga full of twists and turns. By the end of a whirlwind campaign, Manchester City did what seemed to be the unthinkable by pipping Liverpool to the title. The Reds looked set to end their 24-year wait for a league crown after winning 11 straight matches between February and April but they came unstuck thanks largely to one timely slip and a major collapse in front of a raucous crowd.Life without Sir Alex Ferguson was no picnic for Manchester United, Tottenham failed to reinvest their Gareth Bale windfall properly and sacked yet another manager, and barely any new signings made much of an impact.It’s been tricky trying to pick the standout candidates from such strong competition, but read on to see who ranks as Goal’s best and worst…

This one is easy. Luis Suarez has won both the PFA and FWA awards and he has been easily the best player in the country this season. He began the campaign suspended for biting an opponent and out in the cold after trying to force a summer move. He ended it with 31 goals in 32 league appearances, matching the scoring record over a 38-game Premier League season. It’s all the more impressive for the fact the Uruguayan does not even take his side’s penalties. To see Suarez on the ball is electrifying – he is a magical player, a genuine match-winner and totally unpredictable. Suarez never scores the same goal twice and he is the reason Liverpool were able to mount a title challenge in the first place.

Look at the Crystal Palace squad. Just look at it. Tony Pulis took over amid genuine concerns Palace could end the season with the lowest ever Premier League points total. They had just four points from 11 matches on the day of his appointment and looked doomed to relegation with a squad made up of loanees, free transfers and no-hopers. To finish comfortably in mid-table in 11th place is a minor miracle, and he has done it not only by organising the defence, but by playing with brilliant attacking vibrancy. There’s been none of the old Stoke long-ball tactics – Palace have been a superb counter-attacking side that have played with speed and guile.

Perhaps it is made even better by being so incongruous in Fulham’s dreadful season, but Patjim Kasami’s volley against Crystal Palace in October was something special. On the run, Kasami controlled a long ball with his chest and slammed an out-of-this-world volley over the goalkeeper into the top corner. Shades of Marco van Basten.

The entertainment granted to Liverpool supporters is highlighted by the fact my top three matches all involve them, but I’m going for the Reds’ victory over Manchester City at Anfield as the best game of the season. The atmosphere, the occasion and the sheer quality on show all made it a very special afternoon. Liverpool roared ahead, City came back brilliantly, then the hosts scored a late winner through Coutinho. As Steven Gerrard rallied his players in front of the dancing Kop, it really felt like Liverpool’s year.

Moment of the Season – Gerrard’s slip

Sorry, Liverpool supporters. I’m not saying I enjoyed it, but Steven Gerrard’s slip to let in Demba Ba against Chelsea is the defining moment of the season. That was the point, ultimately, when a first title in 24 years escaped from Liverpool’s grasp and was handed to Manchester City. Cruel on such an outstanding player but pivotal and dramatic.

Signing of the Season – Wilfried Bony

There is no obvious candidate for signing of the season but I think Wilfried Bony’s goals played a huge role in keeping Swansea safe this season. It has been a sometimes difficult campaign for the Swans but Bony has looked perfectly suited to the Premier League with his power and finishing ability. He is not the most refined striker in the country but it’s hard to argue with a record of 16 goals from 33 league appearances – and he will only improve next term.

Youngster of the Season – Ross Barkley

Some very impressive young players have broken through this season but none excite me more than Ross Barkley. I wasn’t convinced on the few occasions I saw him play on loan before this season, but he could become an incredible player under Roberto Martinez. He is tactically astute, physically powerful and brilliantly cocky. There is talk of £40 million-plus bids coming in for the 20-year-old but he’s better off at Everton, where he could become worth even more if he fulfills his potential. Some of his goals – the run against Newcastle and the curling strike against Manchester City – have borne eerie similarities to Wayne Rooney at the same age.

Supporters of the Season – Crystal Palace

This is a no-brainer. Whether at Selhurst Park or in away sections in far-flung corners of the country, the Crystal Palace supporters have been amazing. It looked for a while that they might only have one campaign in the top flight and they’ve made sure to enjoy it. The Palace fans have never given up on their team, constantly provided raucous support and taken on a European flavour with their songs, banners and mosaics.

Flops of the season – David Moyes & Manchester United

Manchester United and Tottenham have been exclusively competing for who could have the worst season in 2013-14, but United just about take it. Spurs spent more than £100m to build a team to challenge for the title and ended up scraping into the Europa League having sacked yet another manager in Andre Villas-Boas, with replacement Tim Sherwood set to follow.

But David Moyes managed to take last year’s runaway champions to seventh place and lost his job as a result. He oversaw so many wretched performances – including a 2-0 defeat away to Olympiakos and 3-0 home defeats to Manchester City and Liverpool – it is difficult to pick a low point, and his interactions with the media only further convinced fans that he wasn’t up to the job. He proved his talent at Everton but United was a bridge too far for Moyes.

Worst player of the Season – Maroune Fellaini

In Marouane Fellaini, Moyes signed a player for £27.5m who will come to define his terrible nine months at Old Trafford. The big Belgian has been a disaster. He has added nothing to United’s game, looking clumsy in possession, slow in the tackle and clueless in the opposition penalty area.

Worst signing of the Season – Erik Lamela

It was a toss up for the worst signing of the season been Erik Lamela and Roberto Soldado – but £30m Lamela edges it for virtually falling off the earth during the second half of the season following just nine league appearances for Spurs.

The Arsenal duo have been selected despite enduring injury-plagued seasons and have been included alongside fellow youngsters Ross Barkley, Luke Shaw and Raheem Sterling

England manager Roy Hodgson has taken a gamble on the fitness of Arsenal duo Jack Wilshere and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and named the pair in his 23-man World Cup squad.

Wilshere made his comeback from his latest setback at Norwich on Sunday having been out since early March after he injured his ankle on international duty in a collision with Liverpool’s Daniel Agger.

Oxlade-Chamberlain missed the first half of the campaign with a knee ligament injury and remains a doubt for Arsenal’s FA Cup final against Hull on Saturday with a groin problem, although his manager Arsene Wenger insists Hodgson should have few worries over the fitness of either of his young midfielders.

“The World Cup is in one month, so there is plenty of time,” Wenger said after the win over Norwich.

“Wilshere can play now, so it shows you that there is no problem for him to be available for England. The news (on Oxlade-Chamberlain) is good. He should re-integrate into the squad on Wednesday in normal training.”

Meanwhile, youngsters Luke Shaw, Ross Barkley and Raheem Sterling have been rewarded for their fine club form with a place in Hodgson’s squad.

News broke late on Sunday evening that Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole would not be named in the travelling party and would retire from international football, meaning the official announcement in Luton on Monday afternoon delivered few surprises.

Southampton left-back Shaw, 18, has enjoyed an impressive season in the Premier League and will vie with Leighton Baines for the left-back berth in Cole’s absence.

Barkley, 20, and Sterling, 19, have also stood out for Everton and Liverpool, respectively, and represent a new era for the Three Lions.

Shaw’s Saints team-mates Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert have also been called up, while Manchester United defender Phil Jones is also in despite picking up a shoulder injury against Hull City.

Jones’ club-mates Chris Smalling, Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck are also included, alongside Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge, who scored 21 Premier League last season, and fellow Reds Glen Johnson, Jordan Henderson and Steven Gerrard.

Frank Lampard has been named in his third consecutive World Cup squad following appearances in 2006 and 2010, though this season has been the first since 2002-03 that he has not reached double figures in terms of goals.

England World Cup 2014 Squad:

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Manchester City), Fraser Forster (Celtic), Ben Foster (West Brom)

Defenders: Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Phil Jones (Manchster United), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), Luke Shaw (Southampton), Leighton Baines (Everton)

Midfielders: Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Ross Barkley (Everton), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Southampton), James Milner (Manchester City)

Forwards: Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Danny Welbeck (Manchester United), Rickie Lambert (Southampton)

STAND-BY:
John Ruddy (Norwich City), John Stones (Everton), Jon Flanagan (Liverpool), Tom Cleverley (Manchester United), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Jermain Defoe (Toronto), Andy Carroll (West Ham)

The bookmakers believe Manuel Pellegrini’s side are the frontrunners to claim back-to-back titles with Chelsea made close second favourites

After a late surge saw them clinch the Premier League title, Manchester City are unsurprisingly the early favourites to retain the trophy in the 2014/15 campaign. After a decade of regular change at the Etihad, they may be one of the more stable Premier League clubs over the coming months.

Although the club didn’t make a significant impact in Europe this season, a return to the top of the Premier League table as well as a Captial One Cup victory is an encouraging start for Manuel Pellegrini and with their resources and existing squad depth it’s easy to see why the bookmakers are keen to price them as the market principles at 7/4 (2.75).

Chelsea are bet365’s second favourites at 9/4 (3.25) and Jose Mourinho has already hinted that he is likely to add significantly to the Blues’ squad over the coming months, with a big name striker at the top of his list of additions.

The 2013-14 season was the first time that a Jose Mourinho team has finished outside the top two in their domestic competition since Porto ended the 2002 campaign in third place, albeit Mourinho only took over that squad in January and during his 15 league games in charge he picked up 34 points to take the club from fifth to third place, so this is unknown territory for the 51-year-old Portuguese boss.

Manchester United look set to appoint Loius Van Gaal in the coming weeks and the bookmakers clearly believe that the potential arrival of the 62-year-old manager will see a turnaround in fortunes at Old Trafford after a dismal season.

United are priced at 5/1 (6.0) to claim the title and are generally a 4/7 (1.57) shot to reclaim a place in the top four after their disappointing seventh place finish in the last campaign.

After two frustrating transfer windows under David Moyes there is plenty of work to be done behind the scenes at Old Trafford but in Van Gaal the bookies clearly believe the club have a boss who can oversee a return to past glories in a relatively short space of time.

If United fans need an example of what a season without European football can do they need only look to second placed Liverpool, who are 11/2 (6.50) to go one step futher than the 2013-14 campaign and claim their first league title since 1990, although it seems somewhat unlikely that the Reds will be able to lay down such a serious challenge with the added European commitments to come.

Arsenal secured Champions League football courtesy of finishing in fourth place and bet365 make the Gunners a 10/1 (11.0) chance to make the transistion from top four stalwarts to genuine title contenders.

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