The fourth and final instalment of our end of season review is here, and we begin our analysis at the City Ground as a resurgent Nottingham Forest escaped the drop thanks to some late-season form.
Nottingham Forest
Final league position: 16th
Points: 38
Rezzil’s rating: 7/10
The job Steve Cooper has done in charge of Nottingham Forest is nothing short of fantastic but for large parts of last season it did look as though they were in danger of dropping straight out of the division having worked so tirelessly to get back into the promised land.
22 new summer arrivals ensured that Forest’s season started in the same chaotic manner as you would expect from a plethora of strangers that had been thrown together and expected to compete in the world’s toughest league off the bat, and that led to valid concerns over the club’s ability to remain in the top-flight beyond 2023.
However, once Cooper got his new acquisitions gelling, things began to look up for the East Midlands outfit and they ended the campaign strongly with three wins, two draws and just one defeat from their last six games – beating Arsenal 1-0 at the City Ground to secure their status for next season.
Overall, Forest can be pleased with how things played out during their first campaign back in the big time, though a much quicker start will be expected of Cooper and his men next term now that the dust of last season’s mayhem has settled.
Southampton
Southampton finished rock-bottom of the league last season and you would be hard pressed to find a soul who would disagree with the fact that they were there deservedly.
Only Leeds conceded more goals than Saints, as the Hampshire side shipped 73 in 38 games and majorly struggled with any form of cohesion, with conflicting styles of football adopted by several different managers largely to blame for the complete lack of direction the team displayed.
While one isolated incident cannot be truly to blame for the club’s disasterclass of a campaign, the decision to hire Nathan Jones as long-term manager Ralph Hasenhuttl’s successor was a bizarre one and never really offered up any positive belief among supporters, and that was proven by the Welshman’s inability to galvanise a team in such need of hope and motivation.
Jones’ tenure lasted a miserable 14 games, of which he only managed one win in eight league outings before Ruben Selles was handed the reins at the start of the year but struggled in equal measure. New manager Russell Martin has work to do if the Saints are to bounce straight back to the Premier League this season, with star men James Ward-Prowse, Tino Livramento and Kyle Walker-Peters looking like certain departures from the south coast.
There is distinct hope, though, that with a new brand of football implemented and a squad of young, hungry players looking to right the wrongdoings of last season, Southampton can perform well in the Championship. One thing is at least for certain – they surely can’t get any worse.
Final league position: 20th
Points: 25
Rezzil’s rating: 0/10
Tottenham
Final league position: 8th
Points: 60
Rezzil’s rating: 1/10
Tottenham’s campaign ended in disappointment following a disastrous 2023. The north London club finished 8th and will therefore miss out on European football in any capacity next term, although that might actually be a blessing given how inept they were at competing in two major competitions throughout 2022/23.
Had it not been for the individual brilliance of Harry Kane, who struck 30 league goals but still missed out on the Golden Boot thanks to Erling Haaland’s superhuman ability to find the back of the net, Spurs’ season would have been a hell of a lot worse.
Son Heung-min, so often reliable in a Tottenham shirt, struggled to find any sort of consistent form whilst defensively they were abysmal for large parts, shipping a colossal 63 goals. Ange Postecoglou will look to inspire his new team next season, and the importance of retaining Harry Kane must be right at the top of the Australian’s to-do list if they want to stand any chance of breaking back into the top-four or, dare I say it, win a trophy.
West Ham
Final league position: 14th
Points: 40
Rezzil’s rating: 6/10
West Ham endured two completely different seasons during 2022/23. On one hand there was jubilation and success as the Hammers won the Europa Conference League and were elegantly rampant in their journey to the final, though there is no denying that their exploits away from the Premier League certainly affected their performance in it.
David Moyes’ side were serious relegation contenders throughout the most part of the campaign but did manage to pull themselves clear of the drop towards the back end, picking up some important results against the likes of Arsenal (2-2), Bournemouth (4-0), Manchester United (1-0) and Leeds (3-1).
In all, West Ham fans will look back on last season as a huge success considering how well they performed in Europe, though investment is certainly required this summer if they are to avoid a repeat of their struggles in the league next term, especially without their talismanic captain Declan Rice – who looks bound for Arsenal or Man City – to rely on.
Wolves
Final league position: 13th
Points: 41
Rezzil’s rating: 5/10
Despite managing to avoid relegation under Lopetegui’s leadership, this season proved to be an incredibly frustrating one for Wolves. Their failure to win more than two league games in a row, coupled with inconsistent performances (such as defeating Forest before losing to Crystal Palace) left fans rightfully exasperated.
Although they managed to string together some back-to-back wins, they were unable to maintain any momentum beyond just keeping their heads above water. Wolves’ away form was particularly poor, a trend that has persisted over the past few seasons. With only 12 points taken from their last 23 away games in the Premier League, it’s clear that they have a long-standing issue on the road.
Interestingly, the only instances in which they scored more than once away from home this season were also the only times they were able to clinch a win. This highlights a key area for improvement if Wolves hope to overcome their problems next season. A repeat of what we have just witnessed could see them lose their place in England’s top-flight altogether.
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