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Every transfer window, whether summer or winter, there are always clubs that spend a whole lot of money in the hope that it will change their fortunes. There are other clubs that, at the beginning of the season, are expected to be challenging for top honours but just don’t match those expectations.There are still other clubs that start out well but fall away as the season progresses. Here are a few teams that have not really performed to expectations and have flattered to deceive this season:
#5 AS Roma
At first look, one would think that AS Roma shouldn't be on a list such as this, considering that they haven’t really been one of the big clubs in the recent past, while also playing in a league that has ceased to be too competitive.
However, the fact remains that they are the closest rivals to Juventus, and after last season, a lot of people had hoped that they would push on and give the Old Lady a run for their money. And they did too, for the first half of the season.
But now, Roma seem to have lost their way, having drawn eight of their last 11 games and, as a result, have dropped crucial points in the title race. As it stands now, it seems like it will once again be Juventus who would end up running away with the title for yet another season.
#4 Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund are a club known for their loyal and vociferous fans, but more importantly, they are also a club that have come the closest in the last few years to challenge Bayern Munich’s hegemony in the Bundesliga.
Having lost the championship to Bayern last season after winning two consecutive titles, the expectation was that the team would fight back and give Pep Guardiola’s team a run for their money.
But in what was the biggest surprise in European football this season, Dortmund found themselves rock bottom by the time the winter break came around, and there were very real fears that they might actually get relegated come the end of the season, despite their Champions League campaign being the complete opposite.
However, they seem to have picked themselves up, as seen by their recent run of form, but it is really difficult to see them even finishing in the top four, let alone winning the title.
#3 Liverpool
After almost winning the league and then having to settle for second place, you would have expected a club like Liverpool to kick on from there and ensure that they remain in the reckoning the following season.
However, it would be fair to say that Liverpool have spectacularly failed in doing so. Not that they didn’t try, as they went out and made important signings such as Adam Lallana, Lazar Markovic, Emre Can, Dejan Lovren, etc. With no other striker in sight, they even opted to go for Mario Balotelli, who can be explosive on his day.
But as the season reaches its business end, it continues to show fans how much Liverpool depended on Luis Suarez, and how his absence has affected them, causing a lot of problems.
Although the team are now perched just outside the top four, their vision for the season was something much more lofty, and clearly, not everything has gone to plan, despite the amount of money spent in the summer.
#2 Atletico Madrid
When you win the league by beating out Barcelona and Real Madrid in a close fight, great things are expected of you in the following season. At the very least, their fans would be expecting a continuation of the form that saw them finish top of the league.
Irrespective of whether the club is able to successfully defend the title or not, they would want to see the fight in the team to try and retain the trophy. Sadly, that has been missing this season for Atletico Madrid, despite the fact that they spent quite a lot of money in anticipation of the added pressure of being La Liga champions and the need to defend the title.
Although it does look like all the new signings have more or less fully integrated into the team, they have dropped points in matches against smaller teams, while on the other hand, they have dominated Real Madrid in all their meetings this season.
Atletico are closer to fighting Valencia for third place than they are of waging war with Barcelona and Real Madrid to defend their hard-earned league title.
#1 Manchester United
The big story of the season was how Louis van Gaal and his philosophy would change Manchester United’s fortunes after what was a disastrous season under David Moyes. With a net spend of £122m in the transfer market, not to forget the exorbitant wages that the club pay for some of their top players, a lot was expected from the club.
But the way the team started the season was disastrous, losing out to lesser opposition and also getting knocked out of the League Cup early. While they are still in the race for a top four finish, the season has been a big let down for the fans.
Considering the money that was spent and the kind of players that were brought in, everyone would have expected a lot more than dull football and an Arsenal type finish in the top four with the possible chance of an FA Cup win.
