Updated at 08.00

1. Van Gaal praise shows the fine line between success and failure in football

IT SEEMS MORE or less to be the consensus that Louis van Gaal has brought Man United forward significantly since the ill-fated David Moyes era, however, while there have been signs of progress at Old Trafford, much work still needs to be done.

For all the millions that the Dutchman has spent since joining the club, they finished just six points better off than last season.

The majority of the better-performing players — David de Gea, Ashley Young, Wayne Rooney — were all in place prior to Van Gaal’s arrival.

Moreover, as the club seemingly prepare to spend big again in the summer, the pressure on the Dutch coach is only likely to intensify, with another significant improvement on this season bound to be expected.

- Paul Fennessy

2. Rodgers left red-faced as Liverpool’s season ends on a low note

There may have been little to play for when Liverpool lined out against Stoke at the Britannia Stadium today, but that doesn’t excuse how poorly the Reds performed in the first half.

The Reds were 5-0 down at the break and eventually lost 6-1 to the Potters — despite Steven Gerrard scoring in his final game for the club.

Brendan Rodgers issued an apology afterwards and admitted being “embarrassed” by the defeat, which saw them finish sixth in the table table to qualify for the Europa League.

The Liverpool boss spoke of addressing several areas which need improvement in the summer, but, after picking up eight points from their final nine matches, how many fans would like to see the Fenway Sports Group replace him in the close season?

- Ben Blake

3. Arsenal not far off being title challengers

Dominic Lipinski Dominic Lipinski

(Theo Walcott hit a hat-trick as Arsenal beat West Brom 4-1)

There was sense of Groundhog Day at the Emirates by the end of this season. Despite occasional moments of promise, Arsenal’s inconsistency meant that, once again, they failed to launch a sustained title challenge over the course of the campaign.

However, Arsene Wenger’s men aren’t a million miles away from being in with a genuine chance of winning the league, as their emphatic 4-1 win over Tony Pulis’ West Brom today indicated.

Players such as Alexis Sanchez, Santi Cazorla and Laurent Koscielny would be good enough to get in most teams in the world, while promising youngsters like Calum Chambers, Hector Bellerin and even Jack Wilshere (who is still just 23) will only get better with age.

Nevertheless, the North-London side still need a world-class goalkeeper and centre forward, while Per Mertesacker’s lack of pace is too often exposed in big games. If Wenger can rectify these flaws, then expect the title race to be much closer next season.

- Paul Fennessy

4. Fairytale ending to nightmare season for Newcastle

Above all, there was a feeling of relief at St James’ Park as Newcastle United preserved their Premier League status, but the contribution of Jonas Gutierrez added more emotion to an already highly charged afternoon.

Perhaps it would be stretching it to say it was written in the stars for Gutierrez, who only recently recovered from testicular cancer, to score the goal to effectively ensure Newcastle weren’t following QPR and Burnley through the trap door, but barely anything has gone right for the Magpies this term.

It has been another turbulent season for Newcastle, both on and off the pitch, as they were dragged into a relegation scrap following the abrupt departure of Alan Pardew, however, they did just enough on the final day to keep their head above water.

It was a fairytale ending to a nightmare season for the Toon Army, yet despite the elation which greeted the final whistle on Sunday, there is no hiding away from the dissension that still exists at all levels of one of England’s biggest clubs.

Before the game, owner Mike Ashley insisted he would not sell the club until they qualified for the Champions League or won some silverware. There are underlying problems, not just on the pitch, and Newcastle will need to sit down and find a solution, or risk finding themselves in a similar situation in 12 months’ time.

There were inevitable tears and laughter at full-time, but once the celebrations of Premier League survival die down, serious issues need to be addressed.

- Ryan Bailey

5. Worrying times for Irish players

Confirmation of Hull’s 18th-place finish earlier took the total number of Irish first-team players relegated from the Premier League to seven this season.

That said, Robbie Brady impressed with his set-piece delivery, while Paul McShane earned a well-deserved man-of-the-match award during today’s 0-0 draw with Man United.

However, for Brady, McShane, David Meyler and Stephen Quinn to all be playing Championship football next season would be a significant blow for the Irish national side.

A bigger team may take a chance on Brady, given his relative youth and clear expertise from dead-ball situations, nonetheless, it seems unlikely that the other three will find themselves playing in the top flight anytime soon.

And the lack of confidence that this latest development will likely prompt ahead of the vital Euro 2016 qualifier against Scotland is far from the only concern for Irish manager Martin O’Neill. Centre-back Marc Wilson failed to start for the fourth time in five games for Stoke, while Aiden McGeady was an unused sub again for Everton.

- Paul Fennessy

Originally published at 23.40 on 25 April 

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