Arguably the worst predictions I made were regarding Sunderland and Cardiff City. With Paolo di Canio initially in charge of the Black Cats, I felt that they were destined for a poor season, and by January I had seen very little from di Canio's players that suggested that they would get away from trouble. However, a late surge inspired largely by Connor Wickham not only helped Sunderland to survive, but they also finished 14th in the league, 5 places higher than I predicted in pre-season. Cardiff City on the other hand had the potential for a good season whilst Malky Mackay was in charge. Although the 'Bluebirds' weren't glamourous under Mackay, they were efficient, showing their stubbornness to leave the Britannia Stadium with a clean sheet and a point. Once Mackay left, the trapdoor opened and although Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may prove himself to be a top-class manager, this was one baptism of fire. Before his appointment, I had said that if the right manager took over, they could look forward to a finish around 15th place. Instead, Solskjaer sold or loaned out most of Mackay's recruits, brought in players of his own that largely failed to make an impact and from there, relegation was inevitable.
At the top end of the table, my biggest mistake was backing Manchester United to retain their title, with their 7th placed finish a far cry away from where they should be finishing. On the flipside, Liverpool took advantage of United's vanishing act and mounted a title challenge that bar a slip from Steven Gerrard would have resulted in their first title in 20 years. The reasons behind my prediction errors are not hard to see in hindsight. Whilst Liverpool had been outside of the top four for several seasons and Manchester United were embarking on their first season post Sir Alex Ferguson, I had failed to take into account each team's style of play. Liverpool in the 2012-13 season had begun to gain momentum during the final months of the season, finally playing how Brendan Rodgers had been anticipating they would in his early days as Liverpool manager. In 2013/14, they carried this on, without any European distractions, which ultimately allowed them to concentrate on securing a top four finish and challenge for the title. United however were a ship in disarray from the moment David Moyes entered United, yet I had felt that he would be given time to mould a team in his image. Whilst Liverpool looked like a team with direction and a target, United looked confused and lost, as if Moyes had bought all of the squad that very season rather than all but one being Ferguson purchases across a decade. In pre-season I could not have known this, but by the half-way point I should have predicted failure to qualify for Europe for Manchester United in 2014/15.
The prediction that I am most pleased about is naturally Stoke City. Prior to the season's start, I had said Stoke had the capability to finish 8th in the league. By January I felt that 10th would be a resounding success for Mark Hughes and the team during his first year as manager. Yet the team finished in 9th, and whilst I may have had closer predictions with other clubs, I feel immense pride that Stoke finished in the top half, something that they have never achieved before. On the flip-side, the prediction I am most surprised about is Norwich City, who after making numerous purchases during the summer transfer window I had expected to be making a top half challenge alongside Stoke. Despite their victory at the Britannia in September, they never took off and their eventual relegation was surprising to see in one manner, but completely understandable at the same time.
Finally, based not just on my predictions throughout the 2013-14 season but also the performances of the clubs who participated over the season, I believe the team who performed best across the season were Southampton FC. To be clear, when I say 'performed best', I refer to the team that caught the eye during the season, had bums on the edges of seats, and perhaps were not expected to do as well as they did. Counting Rickie Lambert - who joins Liverpool in July - the Saints will have three representatives in the England squad that plays in this World Cup. If anyone outside of Southampton had been bold enough to predict that at the start of the season, then I tip my metaphorical hat to you. Mention of course must go to the league leaders Manchester City who by winning the league were by default the best team of the season, whilst Liverpool took up the mantle well of unlikely challengers. For me though, Southampton are the team who have had the best season, and based on Rickie Lambert and Mauricio Pochettino's departure from the club, it could be their best season for some time if the right replacements aren't brought in.
