Paul Fennessy
What will be your defining memory from this season?
Steven Gerrard’s blink-and-you’ll miss it cameo against Man United sums up Liverpool’s rather hapless campaign.
What prediction do you wish you hadn’t made pre-season?
Arsenal not getting in the Champions League was a risky one. In my defence, I felt they hadn’t addressed the flaws of the previous season, which turned out to be partially true. I also was expecting more from Liverpool, Man City and even Man United.
Who was your player of the season?
José Fonte hasn’t got enough credit in the end-of-season awards, so I’ll go with him. Some people (not me) tipped Southampton to go down at the start of the season, however they’ll end up seventh at worst, and a large part of that is due to Fonte’s excellent performances that have helped them secure the current joint-best defensive record in the league.
What was your Goal of the Season?
Sergio Aguero giving his best Bergkamp impression runs him close, but Charlie Adam doing what Pele couldn’t is both the obvious and correct choice.
Best individual performance you witnessed this season?
Harry Kane against Chelsea at White Hart Lane on New Year’s Day. It was the one occasion this season when John Terry was made to look his age.
Which team did you most enjoy watching (aside from the club you support)?
Southampton have a number of very underrated players and nearly always look to play attractive football.
Which Irish player impressed you most?
Jon Walters scored as many goals as £50million-rated Raheem Sterling, so that has to count for something, right?
Pick your best XI from the season.
De Gea
Ivanovic Terry Fonte Azpilicueta
Sanchez Matic Fabregas Hazard
Kane Aguero
If this season was a film, what film would it be and why?
The Godfather Part III – entertaining at times, but not as good as the last one.
Ryan Bailey
What will be your defining memory from this season?
Steven Gerrard’s emotional farewell at Anfield. #ThanksStevie
What prediction do you wish you hadn’t made pre-season?
Falcao would score buckets of goals for United.
Who was your player of the season?
Eden Hazard — The obvious choice but the Belgian underpinned Chelsea’s title winning campaign and was head and shoulders above the other contenders.
What was your Goal of the Season?
Bobby Zamora — It’s an impressive shortlist this year and one weekend in April saw a couple of extraordinary goals scored, none more so than Bobby Zamora’s effort against West Brom. The sheer audacity to try a volley with the outside of the left boot whilst on the run, let alone pull it off and leave Ben Foster helpless from such a tight angle, gets my vote.
Best individual performance you witnessed this season?
Sadio Mane — two of his goals may have been tap-ins, but Mane’s two-minute and 56-second hat-trick against Aston Villa was one of the highlights of the season.
Which team did you most enjoy watching (aside from the club you support)?
I’ve developed a soft spot for Ronald Koeman’s Southampton over the course of the season. They play a hugely entertaining brand of football and it’s always good to see one of the smaller clubs hold their own with the so-called top six.
Which Irish player impressed you most?
Jack Grealish’s stock rose with every appearance he made but purely because Jon Walters is one of the few regulars for his side, he is the one Irish player to make an impression this year. He’s the best of a bad lot, I’m afraid.
Pick your best XI from the season
De Gea; Clyne, Terry, Cahill, Azpilicueta; Hazard, Matic, Fabregas, Sanchez; Kane, Austin.
If this season was a film, what film would it be and why?
Fight Club, starring Nigel Pearson, James McArthur, an Ostrich and an innocent journalist caught up in the gunfire.
Fintan O’Toole
What will be your defining memory from this season?
A tie between John Carver throwing his Newcastle team under the bus and Nigel Pearson’s ostrich press conference.
What prediction do you wish you hadn’t made pre-season?
Everton’s Champions League push.
Who was your player of the season?
Eden Hazard has been directing operations in style at Stamford Bridge.
What was your Goal of the Season?
Charlie Adam’s thunder-bastard for Stoke
Best individual performance you witnessed this season?
Alexis Sanchez ripping Stoke apart in January for Arsenal.
Which team did you most enjoy watching (aside from the club you support)?
Southampton were great to watch in the early part of the season.
Which Irish player impressed you most?
Does Jack Grealish count here? If so, it’s him.
Pick your best XI from the season?
De Gea; Ivanovic, Terry, Cahill, Azpilicueta; Sanchez, Matic, Fabregas, Hazard; Costa, Aguero
If this season was a film, what film would it be and why?
She’s Out Of My League starring John Carver as the man who tries to get a football team to like him and play for him.
Rónán Duffy
What will be your defining memory from this season?
Louis van Gaal going from new hope to confused nutter and then canny nutter among United fans.
Who was your player of the season?
Eden Hazard. He’s the most consistently effective player in the Premier League. His dribbling and close control in tight spaces is bettered only by Messi right now.
What was your Goal of the Season?
Wayne Rooney against Aston Villa at Old Trafford.
Di Maria’s cross to him came to him at such an awkward angle it looked impossible to control. First touch with his left foot stopped the ball in his orbit. He then hit it on the rise with his right and it ended up top corner. Delish.
Best individual performance you witnessed this season?
David De Gea in United’s 3-0 win against Liverpool. You could pick three or four of his other performances though.
Which team did you most enjoy watching (aside from the club you support)
Arsenal. Welbeck and Sanchez were under-appreciated at their previous clubs. Loved seeing them do well.
Which Irish player impressed you most?
James McCarthy showed glimpses of what he could be possible if he’s given some leeway.
Pick your best XI from the season
De Gea, Bellerin, Terry, Cahill, Azpilicueta, Matic, Fabregas, Hazard, Sanchez; Kane, Costa.
If this season was a film, what film would it be and why?
The Godfather Part II. Mourinho’s back and is arguably building something better.
Hugh O’Connell
What will be your defining memory from this season?
#ThanksStevie. Closely followed by John Carver’s meltdown at Newcastle.
What prediction do you wish you hadn’t made pre-season?
I didn’t do too badly, actually. But I was woefully misguided in my belief that Ronald Koeman’s Southampton would be relegated. They’ve actually been pretty good at times this season and Graziano Pelle has to be the most handsome gent in the Premier League.
Who was your player of the season?
Eden Hazard has been amazing for Chelsea.
What was your Goal of the Season?
Coutinho’s worldie at Southampton gives me a warm feeling inside. It’s all about getting a bit of crossbar involved in your goal.
Best individual performance you witnessed this season?
Can’t get beyond Mane banging in three in three minutes for Southampton against Villa.
Which team did you most enjoy watching (aside from the club you support)?
Haven’t watched a huge amount of other teams this season, but Arsenal have been very good when I’ve seen them. Touches of their early 2000s best.
Which Irish player impressed you most?
Noel Grealish
Pick your best XI from the season
De Gea, Bellerin, Terry, Cahill, Bertrand, Can, Fabregas, Coutinho, Hazard, Sanchez, Kane.
If this season was a film, what film would it be and why?
Back to the Future. Mourinho and Terry inspiring Chelsea to title success just as they did 10 years ago.
Will Slattery
What will be your defining memory from this season?
Tim Sherwood’s 99 Problems vine.
https://vine.co/v/Oxm9nreYBua
What prediction do you wish you hadn’t made pre-season?
Ronald Koeman to get sacked. Thought they would struggle after losing three or four ‘big’ names… Turned out he just trimmed the fat.
Who was your player of the season?
Eden Hazard — there might not be a better penalty taker in football. He is pretty good at the rest of the stuff too, to be fair.
What was your Goal of the Season?
Courtois’ hand knocked 20% of the slickness off it, but Charlie Adam’s screamer at Stamford Bridge was still great.
Best individual performance you witnessed this season?
A bit forgotten now, but David de Gea made a few amazing saves to preserve an early-season win at home to Everton, when LVG desperately needed points.
Which team did you most enjoy watching?
For whatever reason, most of Everton’s games seemed to be pretty exciting, but Sherwood-era Villa were a treat because of their swaggering gilet-wearing general.
Which Irish player impressed you most?
Worryingly, none really rose above being average.
Pick your best XI from the season
(4-1-3-2) De Gea, Ivanovic, Terry, Cahill, Clyne, Matic, Fabregas, Coutinho, Hazard, Aguero, Kane.
If this season was a film, what film would it be and why?
Lincoln. I appreciate the great performance of the leader, but sitting through the whole thing was a very dull experience.
