Graham Hunter looks back on the best of the 2016-17 La Liga campaign in Spain and offers up a glimpse of what could happen in 2017-18.

That the Spanish title was won by a buccaneering, attacking and thrilling team is a beautiful thing to announce. Real Madrid aren't simply La Liga champions, they are identifiable proof that if there is any response to the possession-based football which, via Barcelona, has dominated Spain's top flight for almost a decade, then it's this.

Not to park the bus, stifle and play sterile, defensive "hope we score the only goal" football. But to attack. To sign or develop expansive footballers and adopt the "we'll score one more than you" philosophy. The emergence of Zinedine Zidane as an inspirational man-manager has truly rejuvenated the club he loves.

Barcelona remain interesting but inconsistent. This season, the difference between the two squads was more than the three-point gap in the league table. The deposed champions were more fragile, less reliable and, frankly, less fun to watch than Los Blancos.

Back when Pep Guardiola took over in 2008 and kickstarted the domination of domestic football which Barca have enjoyed for the last nine years, he gave a speech to his players. He warned that he could forgive errors -- a fluffed penalty; a misplaced pass -- because he understood that even world-class footballers are men, not machines. But he warned that being outworked, not giving your best on a day-to-day basis (not just at weekends), was unforgiveable.

And Barcelona are second best this season because, on occasion, they could be out-worked and out-competed -- they could be run off their feet and didn't have the passing, possession and pressing skills to combat that threat.

And what of Atletico? There was a time, not so long ago, when saying goodbye to the muscular, bouncing, noisy Vicente Calderon stadium with a win over Real Madrid, guaranteed Champions League football, and a Champions League semifinal place would have been regarded as manna from heaven. But that is no longer the case. The standards are too high for this to be considered, especially by manager Diego Simeone, as more than a 'could do better' 6/10 return after finishing 15 points off top spot.

That's not a criticism, simply a recognition that they should have reinforced central midfield and they needed more goals. That Fernando Torres sent the Calderon off into the night with a couple of goals was righteous but there will be overall disappointment.

Elsewhere, Sevilla, Celta, Alaves, Villarreal, Las Palmas outright entertained us -- and the value of that must not be forgotten. At the beating, pulsing heart of football are games like Alaves winning at the Camp Nou; Sevilla 1-0 Atletico; Las Palmas nearly winning but then drawing 3-3 at the Santiago Bernabeu; Villarreal demolishing Valencia at the Mestalla.

By the latter part of the season Leganes played with pomp and ceremony and huge confidence. But their safety owed a lot to the haplessness of the relegated trio -- Granada (and please, Tony Adams, make your contribution to Spanish football different to what we've seen thus far), Osasuna and Sporting Gijon.

Finally, it's been a good year for the Basque sides. Given the budgets and squad difficulties with which Eibar and Alaves have had to cope, they have done a wonderful job. Athletic simply ticked over and will perhaps now lose their important and high-achieving coach, Ernesto Valverde, to Barcelona next Monday. Real Sociedad, latterly, showed that they were capable of beautiful, flowing and intelligent football. They were a pleasure to watch and a couple of their young players are showing that not only are they here to stay but they will influence matters too.

The day that they beat Barcelona at their own game was a thing of joy to see -- passing, possession, pressing -- but this is where we started. Madrid found that their way is best. Wave after wave of attacks, using full-backs as wingers and a "we're not beaten until the dressing room is empty and the stadium lights turned off" attitude. That'll do for me.

Best player

There's an ocean of candidates. Some would automatically swim towards Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, while the case for Toni Kroos is far too little heard. Perhaps you'd argue that 22-year-old midfielder Marcos Llorente (on loan at Alaves from Real Madrid) has been such a sensation that he needs recognising, or unsung heroes like Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak, or the under-pressure but consistently remarkable Keylor Navas at Madrid merit a gong.

However there's a clear winner for me: Isco. He makes football fun, but he's more than tricks and flicks. He's the engine-oil that makes the Ferrari purr; the artisan who learned the art of hard graft. He's also been mentally able to deal with being called on for parts of games, bursts of appearances in a row, and then to accept being left on the bench.

Goals, match-changing impacts, assists, tackles, work, and class. Pure class.

Most disappointing

It was upsetting to see Villarreal goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo crumple in a heap, again, and leave the field against Real Madrid with his knee in pieces. When it happened, after 24 matches, Villarreal had conceded fewer goals than any other team in the top league. In the remaining 14 without Asenjo they conceded nearly the same amount again.

In all likelihood that injury cost the Yellow Submarine the chance of a Champions League place (they missed out by six points). But in human terms it was much more desperate. A truly excellent keeper has had his career truncated by constant debilitating knee problems.

This season, while undergoing the gruelling rehabilitation process he admitted that anything beyond being able to walk, play with his kids and remain active into his old age would be a bonus. A man not just frightened for his career but his mobility.

Biggest surprise

Anyone who doesn't proclaim "Alaves" is a liar. The club were promoted, sacked the coach, appointed Mauricio Pellegrino and brought in 16 new players at high speed. Then proceeded to prove that they were more than an equal for the established clubs.

That they stayed up might not be an outright shock -- especially when you consider how miserably Granada and Osasuna have played -- but to soar up the table, to win at the Camp Nou and reach the Copa del Rey final have been incredible achievements.

Best goal

Spain will always produce brilliant candidates for this award but there's one stand-out candidate. That we were amazed by a Messi goal, after more than a decade of his remarkable, prolific scoring, tells you something.

For him to score in a Clasico, with seconds remaining, at a time when the La Liga title race needed to be kept alive, with Madrid having just equalised, was pure, freezer-chilled adrenalin. The shirt celebration, the incredulity, the indomitable spirit, all just icing on the cake.

Best game

There's a theme here. Year after year, El Clasico, Barcelona vs. Real Madrid, provides the best games anywhere on the planet. However this year was doubly special.

Barcelona scoring three times in Madrid, without the suspended Neymar when they couldn't score once at home or away to Malaga, was a spectacle.

James Rodriquez using all his street-smarts to move brilliantly and finish wonderfully to leave the game tied with four minutes left; Sergio Ramos' infantile red card; Marcelo's elbow into Messi's teeth; Messi taking his fury out on the opposition defence not once but twice -- finishing with a last-second winner. An incredible roller-coaster ride.

Prediction for next season

"Catch us if you can" will be Madrid's motto. As long as Zidane can keep the attention to detail, team morale and intensity somewhere near as high as it has been since he took over in January last year, then Madrid will start as strong favourites to repeat their title win. Not because they won this year, but because they have a spectacular team ethic and always fight until the final whistle.

When Barcelona announce their new coach on May 29, the job of deciding whether to move further away from the Pep Guardiola-Johan Cruyff ideology or to restore lost values will be interesting, but also potentially distracting.

Atletico Madrid at a new stadium; Valencia coached by a proven hard-nosed achiever; Levante back where they belong; Sevilla without Monchi -- it will be a season of new beginnings.

Source:
courtesy of ESPNFC

by GRAHAM HUNTER

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