The following sides escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth, if QPR had got the best out of that squad of their then one of these sides might have been going down instead of them, we now take a look at what they did right this season and what they need to do better to avoid another lucky escape next season.
Stoke City – 13th
Highlight of the season
Only three defeats in their opening 20 games; for a side like Stoke that is beyond impressive. Keeping more clean sheets than the likes of Manchester City and United and looking like one of the most solid Premier League units outside the top four in recent memory.
Low point of the season
Whilst they only had three defeats, they did have 11 draws in those opening 20 games and it’s the draws that have killed them. Yes they had 14 losses in total but there’s teams above them who’ve had more defeats than that and still finished better off. 15 draws in a season is too much and if they were a bit more adventurous going forward it could’ve been a totally different season.
Player of the season
Asmir Begovic – Because of the style Stoke employed early on in the season to grind out the points, be it one point or three, they did have to soak up a lot of pressure and Asmir Begovic is the reason why they didn’t buckle. Some standout performances from the man between the sticks have seen the man linked with the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal and in all honesty it’s be no less than he deserves after this season.
What they need to do for next season
Bring a more attacking approach into their game. If Stoke had just won four or five of those 15 draw games they’d have been four positions up in the league. Finding a legitimate attacking option for next season will be the first task for the new manager to undertake.
Southampton – 14th
Highlight of the season
Despite what their league standing will tell you, they’ve played pretty well all season but the highlight has to be pushing the likes of United and City close away from home as well as victories of City, Liverpool and Chelsea at St. Mary’s.
Low point of the season
All the drama surrounding the sacking of Nigel Adkins didn’t help matters for the newly-promoted side and it turns out that the fans’ concerns were pretty much unfounded as Pochettino guided his new side to glorious victories in pretty stunning fashion.
Player of the season
I had a few players in mind for this one and you’ll probably disagree but I’ve chosen James Rodriguez. When the game is on the line and they’ve needed big performances to secure the point or the win the likes of himself and Ricky Lambert have come up trumps most of the time and secured the result for the Saints.
What they need to do for next season
Keep doing what they’re doing; they only lost five of their 15 games under Pochettino but had a fair few draw games. Going forward I think they could do with someone alongside Ricky Lambert through the middle to cause the opposition further problems; they have the quality in the side, it’s just a case of getting the execution right.
Aston Villa – 15th
Highlight of the season
For such a young squad that went through so much throughout the year, merely staying up would be a highlight in itself but they put in some really stunning performances against Liverpool at Anfield and Manchester United at Villa Park to give themselves some real hope that they can do some damage in seasons to come.
Low point of the season
With such an inexperienced group of players you’re going to suffer quite badly when the going gets tough and Villa struggled with that right from the off as they had an abysmal start to their campaign winning only three of their first 15 games and only reaching higher than fifteenth twice within that period.
Player of the season
Again it’s hard to choose here but I’m going to go with Christian Benteke and Andreas Weimann. These guys almost single-handedly ruined opposition defences all through the season and had they had a bit more help from their supporting cast throughout the season instead of just at the end, they’d have been a really dangerous side to contend with.
What they need to do for next season
Hold on to Weimann and Benteke; they’re going to struggle to do that but if they want to improve on last season I think they have to hold on to those individuals and bring in a few more to give them support on a more consistent basis.
Newcastle United – 16th
Highlight of the season
A decent start is about the only positive Newcastle can salvage from this domestic campaign as they lost only two of their opening 10 to occupy 10th place
Lowpoint of the season
Once injury concerns began to pile up, Newcastle had had it. Trying to guide such a thin squad through this level of domestic campaign as well as an advanced run in Europe is difficult for the best of squads but Newcastle just couldn’t cope. New signings in January gave Newcastle some hope but it was too little too late for the Tyneside club as they limped to the end of the season.
Player of the season
Had it not been for Papiss Cisse this season, Newcastle would be in some real trouble. Where others were sidelined through injury or just ill-form, the African striker powered on and dragged his side and his manager to survival.
What they need to do for next season
Pardew has always bought quite smart; he needs to continue to do so this summer. Who knows what this side could do when the likes of Cabaye, Ben Arfa, Ciss