I read that psychologists have found that when asked to mark anything out of ten, people actually use six or seven as 'average'.
So on that basis, a five.
At best.
Didn't come within a mile of actually competing for any of the trophies on offer. Looked every bit as out of our depth in Europe as in previous years. Sure, we scored a handful against Barca, but the tie was all but over after 25 minutes of the first leg. Very disappointing for long periods in the league. Some of our poor runs could have been a lot worse, if it hadn't been for a visiting teams self-destructing within the first few minutes.
And then there are the cups.
Overall, we went from a squad perceived as by far the strongest to a squad percieved as poorly matched, overpriced, past it, lacking mentality.
So, I'm sorry, but a smooth end to the season cannot disguise that this has genuinely been a bad year.
And I'm struggling to see how a few good attacking midfielders will put things right. We are losing three central players, including our best, and our hardest working and most versatlie player. De Bruyne replaces Nasri, Yes. Firmino for Milner, could work, we'll see. Sterling replaces... Jovetic? Upgrade on Navas? Yes. Pogba for Yaya is swapping the most influential central player in the league for an incredible prospect who, naturally for a young lad, can be peripheral. Ages notwithstanding, that is a massive amount of money, and I reckon we come out evens in terms of ability.
Then you have to think, Lampard's replacement? What about Fernando being such a bust? Dzeko? A new LB? And how does any of this make Mangala a suitable partner for Kompany, or help Vincent rediscover some form?
I ask myself, how did we end up so well sorted on paper, but now dealing with all these problems?
When you have so many different 'symptoms', in so many different areas, I believe it strongly suggests they are symptoms of something else. A common factor, or factors.
Carefully diagnosing this is the first task, treating it is the second.
Good luck, Mr Chairman.