All week at ProSoccerTalk we are reviewing the dramatic 2014-15 Premier League season. From dishing out awards to looking back at the highs and lows in the 380 games as 20 teams battled it out, we’ll have every angle covered.
[ ARCHIVE: Premier League season review ]
For the full archive of our review content, just hit the link above. For now, enjoy our look into the most beneficial and the least effective transfers of the season. This list will tend to include more high-profile names than low-risk moves that didn’t pan out.
Five best
5. Aaron Cresswell, West Ham United -- Out of nowhere, the former Ipswich Town man provided a real threat from outside back, and isn’t a poor defender either. A real coup for the Hammers.
4. Diego Costa, Chelsea -- Jose Mourinho knew what he was paying for and, aside from a wonky hamstring, Costa brought goals to the league. He also may’ve inherited the “biggest villain” mantle from Luis Suarez.
3. Esteban Cambiasso, Leicester City -- Not only was it a bit of an profile-raiser that a man of his caliber was headed to Leicester, but the bull of a midfielder was invaluable down the stretch as the Foxes rescued their season. Fit right into the fabric of the club.
2. Cesc Fabregas, Chelsea -- A successful return to England, and a near perfect yin to Nemanja Matic’s yang (or vice versa)
1. Alexis Sanchez, Arsenal -- No need to explain. Alexis was dynamite.
Five worst
5. Radamel Falcao, Manchester United -- Never fit in at Old Trafford, and became an unnecessary subplot each week as Louis van Gaal tried to restore United’s PL power.
4. Dejan Lovren, Liverpool -- Looked like a big ‘get’ for Brendan Rodgers, but failed to find the dominant form he showed at Southampton.
3. Juan Cuadrado, Chelsea -- Perhaps unfair to have a winter transfer so high, especially when his team won the title, but the move did very little for a good deal of dough.
2. Emmanuel Riviere, Newcastle United -- After struggling to match the promise of Ayoze Perez as a pair of striker moves for the Magpies, Riviere was especially poor in trying to fill in for suspended Papiss Cisse in Newcastle’s nearly tragic relegation run-in.
1. Mario Balotelli, Liverpool -- Too easy, and I was wrong on this one. Balotelli was simply a distraction apart from the odd goal. Looked aimless on the pitch and didn’t come close to being worth the risk.