With the 2016-17 season at an end, we look back on five clubs that were expected to do so much but ended up underachieving. To be clear, this list doesn’t just include sides that were expected to win trophies, it also includes clubs that many thought would at least make a title challenge, qualify for European competition or do something notable in the Champions League. We’ll start at the bottom and work our way to the top.
Riyad Mahrez has handed in a transfer request. The Algerian winger intends to leave Leicester City, the club where he won the Premier League and the PFA Player of the Year award in 2015-16, for larger and greener pastures.
Mahrez released a statement Tuesday announcing his intention to depart:
“Out of the huge admiration and respect I hold for Leicester City Football Club, I wanted to be totally honest and transparent with them and have therefore informed the club that I feel now is the time for me to move on.
There’s still another round of matches to play in Serie A. Sure, Juventus have won the title. Sure, they printed some pretty cringe-worthy ‘LE6END’ merchandise and plastered it everywhere. Sure, Napoli and Roma seem set in their Champions League spots. Sure, every position in the league is seemingly sorted, bar Crotone and Empoli bickering about who gets to be the third worst team. Sure, the league is pretty much done and dusted. But we still have one round of fixtures left.
Leicester City continue to play quality, no frills football and the individual effort of Riyad Mahrez helped the squad to a controlling victory over Manchester City. The creative brilliance of the Algerian winger was on display the entire match. Mahrez has embraced the center stage as the squad remain on course to an EPL title.
Jamie. Vardy. Those two words have taken over this 2015 - 2016 English Premier League season. While his name was in numerous transfer rumors to some of the top clubs, Leicester City decided to keep their beloved striker and are expecting to sign him for the long run. The first place club faced Liverpool Tuesday night and in the 60th minute, Vardy unleashed a sensational volley from outside of the box. His league leading 17th goal was masterful as he volleyed a long ball off the bounce leaving Liverpool keeper, Simon Migonlet standing still.
What would you say the odds were that Leicester City was going to be atop the table 16 games into the BPL campaign? Or the odds that Jamie Vardy would have as many league goals as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi combined? Well, Leicester was about a 2500-1 favorite to win the title back in August, and Jamie Vardy having as manys goals as CR7 and La Pulga combined, we'll go ahead and set the odds at 1,000,000-1.