Jol managed to last longer than the board's appalling treatment of him suggested, but they now have their man in Juande Ramos. Expect major surgery in the summer, with Dimitar Berbatov among the likely departures. 4/10 for the league, 6/10 if you factor in the Cup win
12. Newcastle United. Most people would never have put feisty but dull "Big" Sam Allardyce together with Newcastle, and predictably the partnership didn't last long.
The Geordies are much more at home with energetic dreamer King Kev (Keegan), who flirted with relegation before remembering he was the messiah and not a very naughty boy.
He then went and spoiled it all by reminding them that they had no chance of finishing in the top four any time soon, but they will let him off with just a slapped wrist for that one. By next Christmas he will be surely be waxing lyrical about his brilliant side, and threatening the top four stranglehold... ok maybe not. 5/10
13. Middlesbrough. Didn't score more than three in a game all season until the final day, but hardly surprising after losing the Yak and fat but talented Mark Viduka.
Boro lost Jonathan Woodgate in January as well, so with their three best players gone in one campaign, Gareth Southgate must be pretty content with a 13th place finish.
Dismal cup defeat to Cardiff when it looked like the competition had opened up for them was a low, but they have improved as the season has gone on, and have reason to feel confident of better next time round, when goal machine Afonso Alves should be fully operational. 7/10
14. Wigan. Post-Jewell was always going to be tricky, but Wigan found themselves a mid-season diamond in Steve Bruce.
Until then, it looked like relegation all the way under Hutchings, but Bruce got the best out of key players Paul Scharner, Antonio Valencia, and Emile Heskey, and they even took some points off of the Big Four on their way to securing safety with a game or two to spare.
Wigan will need more reinforcements if they are to avoid a third relegation scrap in succession next season, though. 7.5/10
15. Sunderland. How do you stay up by three points after promotion to the Premier League? Well, spending £45m will help.
In truth, it wasn't always spent wisely, with Roy Keane getting more strikers than Arthur Scargill ever managed, but Craig Gordon and Kenwyne Jones were the biggest outlays and the biggest successes.
Expect more Irishmen next season, as Stephen Hunt and Kevin Doyle will surely join from Reading. Any chance of them "doing a Wimbledon" and re-locating to Dublin?
Stranger things have happened; Roy Keane even seems like a nice bloke these days... 7.5/10
16. Bolton Wanderers
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