Manchester United - Shaun O'Donnell - Observer reader
6/10 This was always going to be a transition season regardless of us being champions. Moyes knew the lack of quality in midfield needed addressing but left it until the last day of the transfer window and bought a player who he played further up the pitch. That our best midfielder has been a 40-year-old winger speaks volumes. Moyes seems to have handled Rooney well and he has carried a team short of confidence.
Stars and flops Januzaj has reached cult status, the kid seems to have it all and I can see him moving into a more central position behind the striker. Rooney is back to playing his best and seems to be in love with United again. Flops? Fellaini – £27m for a player who will get stuck in and be a handful in both boxes but hasn't managed to do either.
The gaffer: David Moyes 7/10 Made mistakes sacking the backroom staff, not addressing the midfield situation and buying Fellaini but given time he will get it right. He needs a good clearout, he inherited an ageing defence and a patched-up midfield but with the return of Fletcher and Carrick he will be able to play Evans and Jones as centre halves and then decide on the best team from there.
Who should he sign? Reus and Gündoğan – but why would they join us? They are German internationals playing for a Dortmund side who won their Champions League group and this in a World Cup year. A stop-gap – maybe Sneijder – who has proved he can operate at the very top. We could provide the swansong to his great career and should have insisted he was part of the deal when Ronaldo went to Madrid.
What one rule-change would you love to see? Points deducted for Fellaini wigs, half and half scarves, leaving early and not singing for 90 minutes.
Newcastle United - Richard & David Holmes - Observer readers
7/10 Joe Kinnear's reappearance and a failure to strengthen in the summer caused concern, however we've shown guile, great team spirit and no shortage of class (at least on the pitch). Defeat by Sunderland was hard to take – but the way we bounced back, slaying Chelsea, Spurs and Man U, put the buzz back into Tyneside.
Stars and flops The whole first team has shone brightly, with many players, including Cheick Tioté, putting last season's poor showings behind them. Yoan Gouffran has become a favourite for his workrate, Mathieu Debuchy has finally lived up to the hype while Tim Krul has been imperious between the sticks and that's just for starters. But Papiss Cissé is a shadow of his former self while Gabriel Obertan's continued inclusion on the bench is bizarre.
The gaffer: Alan Pardew 8/10 Has shown tactical acumen and made brave decisions – such as benching Hatem Ben Arfa and Cissé – which have paid off. Kinnear's appointment doesn't seem to have fazed him.
Who should he sign? We're still light up front, so it would be good to see a deal for another quality striker, and defensive reinforcements at centre-half and right-back would be welcome, too.
What one rule-change would you love to see? Given Sunderland's record this season for self-destruction, it would nice to see own goals count double for the next Tyne-Wear derby.
Norwich City - Gary Gowers - myfootballwriter.com
6/10 It's been stop-start. Until the recent win at The Hawthorns, our away form had been dire and consisted predominantly of no-shows and thumpings. On the flip-side the home form has been decent and has been Chris Hughton's saviour. With a sizeable chunk of the Yellow Army baying for his blood, his knack of engineering victories from 'must win' home games has proved invaluable. The football has evolved from last season's defence-first approach but not quickly enough for some. We remain a work in progress.
Stars and flops Jonny Howson has been excellent and by far and away the most consistent performer. His centre-midfield partnership with summer signing Leroy Fer has functioned well for the most part, with the Dutchman showing, in spells, why he's on the fringes of his national squad. Of late Gary Hooper has started to look every inch the goal-poacher extraordinaire we'd been promised. Ricky van Wolfswinkel, our marquee signing of the summer, arrived with plenty of bells and whistles but has failed to deliver.
The gaffer: Chris Hughton 6/10 Despite being on the receiving end of brickbats aplenty Hughton remains a beacon of tact, diplomacy and calmness. Recent results suggest that the all-important togetherness is still intact. His Achilles heel has been the away form and only when City perform more consistently on the road will he win over some of the doubters.
Who should he sign? A quality, footballing central defender; one who in addition to being solid as a rock could set the ball rolling with some assured distribution from the back.
What one rule-change would you love to see? Two things: additional points for conversions to assist Bradley Johnson in getting on the scoresheet more regularly, and bonus points for having celebrity board members.
Southampton - Ben Gammon - gomarchingin.co.uk
9/10 An unbelievable start to the season and the recent draw at home to City was a massive result for us, helping to steady the ship after three straight defeats. Dropping away from the top six isn't a surprise to anyone, finishing within the top 10 is definitely achievable.
Stars and flops Dejan Lovren, without a doubt our best signing of the summer. He is one of the reasons we have been so good defensively. Morgan Schneiderlin – his tireless work ethic fits in perfectly with Pochettino's tactics and his passing ability allows him to switch the play effortlessly. While Dani Osvaldo certainly hasn't been a flop, a club record signing of £15m brings a certain expectation. There have been glimpses of his quality, such as his equaliser against City, but I think he just needs more time to adjust to the English game.
The gaffer: Mauricio Pochettino 10/10 Defensively we look well organised and there's no doubt that his tactics are giving quite a few teams headaches. The players seem to hang off his every word and I believe it's partly thanks to his reputation that we were able to buy some of the players – Dani Osvaldo in particular – that we did over the summer. He speaks good English as well, just not in interviews!
Who should he sign? A full-strength defence looks strong, but injuries and suspensions highlight a lack of quality in depth. Better cover for Luke Shaw would be nice, as would another quality centre-back to provide more competition for José Fonte and Dejan Lovren.
What one rule-change would you love to see? Bonus points if your first team contains more homegrown players than foreigners.
Stoke City - Rob Holloway - Observer reader
7/10 It's been a little up and down, but recent performances have suggested there are more ups on the horizon than downs. The fantastic 3-2 win against Chelsea is not only the highlight of this season, but one of the greatest games in living memory. There have been plenty of nil-nils, but the scattering of 3-2, 3-3, 4-4 results has also ensured the start of the season has had everything. It was always going to be a period of transition, but so far so good!
Stars and flops Asmir Begovic. The best goalkeeper in the world right now. I'm sure during 2014 we'll see Asmir move to a European giant, but it's been a pleasure to watch a keeper at the top of his game week in and week out. It doesn't happen often at Stoke. Some will disagree, but I haven't been impressed from what I've seen of Marko Arnautović. Aside from a world-class display at Old Trafford, his performances have been average. He divides opinion, but I think he can do much better.
The gaffer: Mark Hughes 8/10 Hughes has slowly started to change the style of play, but most Stoke fans understand it will take two to three years to really change. So far it's been a mixture of the new style coupled with the more direct approach, and it's worked well. There are games where it doesn't work, and it's awful (Norwich at home) whereas there are other games where it flourishes (at West Ham). Has the potential to be a top manager.
Who should he sign? Two from Luuk de Jong, Jermain Defoe or Mame Biram Diouf – strikers who will fire Stoke to certain Premier League survival and perhaps even cup success.
What one rule-change would you love to see? Two points for a nil-nil draw. We've had far too many this season.
Sunderland - Peter Sixsmith - salutsunderland.com
4/10 The season has been as dismal as the league position suggests. Defeats to teams pushing for the title at home and defeats to our relegation rivals away have made it almost as dispiriting as the infamous 15-point season.
Stars and flops Star men are in short supply at the Stadium of Light. Giaccherini has shown some nice touches, Borini scored a stunning winner against Newcastle and Ki Sung-yueng passes the ball well. New signing (well, it feels like that) Wes Brown is probably our star man. As for underperformers, there are the usual suspects – Adam Johnson, Craig Gardner, Seb Larsson – and they have been joined by Cabral, Diakité and Roberge, all signed by the director of football and against the wishes of a certain Italian – or so he says.
The gaffer: Gus Poyet 7/10 We don't have managers at Sunderland, just head coaches. The current one looks good, with a philosophy that preaches careful possession and thoughtful football, but he has been dealt a poor hand. Poyet is a solid 7/10. The previous head coach gets uno out of dieci. He gets the uno for his suits.
Who should he sign? Signings in January are going to be very interesting. Last January we signed Danny Graham (now on loan to Hull) and Alfred N'Diaye (now on loan to Eskisehirspor) so we have form in this window. We need a central defender, a full-back and a creative midfield player who can score goals – there must be lots of those available who would want to play for a side heading for the Championship.
What one rule-change would you love to see? If you score an own goal, you should be allowed a free shot at your opponent's goal. As long as Jozy Altidore was not allowed anywhere near the ball, we could be five goals and eight points better off.
Swansea - Kevin Elphick - swansea.vitalfootball.co.uk
7/10 It's not been pleasing on the eye this season, but you can't complain too much when yet again we've managed to get to mid-table before the halfway point, despite having the added Europa League demands.
Stars and flops Midfield signing Pozuelo looks a bright, young prospect who can develop with us and soon be one for the future. Leon Britton has put in some solid performances despite not getting a run in the side, while Shelvey has shown different sides to his game, but recently he's been excellent. There's been a few underperformers unfortunately. Dwight Tiendalli is struggling to prove he's good enough at this level, and a lot of fans would like to see the young Jazz Richards given a chance ahead of him since returning from his loan spell at Huddersfield.
The gaffer: Michael Laudrup 7/10 Some fans would give him a lower score, but you can't argue with our progress. We've qualified through the group stages of the Europa League and we're also looking decent in the Premier league. The football hasn't been as entertaining as previous seasons, but hopefully we'll show improvement in 2014 when we're fresher and playing fewer games.
Who should he sign? I don't think Laudrup will buy many players, not a lot of funds will be available after our summer spending but judging from our reported targets, he's looking at wingers and centre-backs. With Dyer injured and our other wingers far from shining, that's not a bad idea.
What one rule-change would you love to see? Extra points for possession and passing accuracy. We have some of the best stats in those areas so that rule would mean we'd be up in the Champions League places.
Tottenham Hotspur - Dave Mason - Observer reader
5/10 Sold Elvis and bought the Beatles. At first I thought this would prove to be an insightful analogy: talented individuals coming together to an effect greater than the sum of the parts. We've had a couple of catchy singles, a bouncy little EP entitled Europa League but the important big album is beset by teething problems. And now we have sacked the producer. A new producer would love the talent at his disposal. He should let the band go creatively beyond the straitjacketed ideas of the old producer. Otherwise, sold Elvis and bought the Rutles might be more appropriate.
Stars and flops Chiriches looks the best of the recent buys. We broke our transfer record three times last summer to buy Paulinho, Sandro and Lamela. What are they worth now they have been coached by André Villas-Boas for five months?
The ex-gaffer: P45 out of 10 Spurs was the first job in which AVB lasted more than a year. I wonder how many millions of pounds he has now banked after his "failures"? But he averaged more points per game than any previous Spurs manager since the Premier League started so he must have done something right. He loved possession, nothing wrong with that. Except ours was sideways/backwards possession, we out-possessed Man City yet lost 6-0. We've lost three times at home while at the same time not managing a single goal .
Who should he sign? A left-back would be nice, and we don't need to buy one even: he's on loan at QPR. Hi, Benny.
What one rule-change would you love to see? Only one attacker per team allowed in the opposition penalty area at any time. This would not affect us in the slightest because that's all we have anyway. But it wouldn't half ruin it for everyone else ...
West Brom - Rich Baggie - @richbaggie
5/10 It's been disappointing – for the first time in a while we are looking, nervously, at teams below rather than above us. Stars and flops Saido Berahino has made a breakthrough, our first real academy star. The lad will go far as long as he keeps his feet on the ground and doesn't let his new contract go to his head. Billy Jones has been our most improved player. Anelka has been an expensive and divisive flop. However, a few more are pushing him for the title of chief flop.
The ex-gaffer: Steve Clarke 5/10 At the moment, we are managerless after Clarke's sacking but the usual outcry from pundits about it being unjust ignores the fact that 2013 has been a bad year for him with seven wins in 34 games. He is a thoroughly decent bloke but maybe he will always be a great coach rather than a great manager.
Who should he sign? There will be little or no movement in, given the squad is already too big for the chairman's liking. Any new manager will have to ship players out to get players in but a left-back is vital.
What one rule-change would you love to see? We should be allowed to kick-off before the opposition take to the pitch, although given our non-goalscoring strike force, we would probably still be level by the time the opponents joined in.
West Ham - Pete May - hammersintheheart.blogspot.co.uk
4/10 Not pleased, no. We put all our eggsin one big Geordie basket and he hasn't played all season. We had to sign Andy Carroll on last season's form but we need at least three quality strikers, not one.
Stars and flops Winston Reid held the backline together until his injury, while Ravel Morrison (below) has shown brilliant skill at times and scored a sensational goal at Spurs. The defence has played reasonably well and kept a good number of clean sheets so far. James Collins and Mark Noble always put in a decent shift and Jaaskelainen is still looking a quality keeper. Skipper Kevin Nolan hasn't scored since the opening game and needs goals to justify his place while Diamé has been played out wide where he's looked ill at ease.
The gaffer: Sam Allardyce 4/10 Did all that was asked of him and more in his first two seasons. He's been unlucky with injuries but has to take responsibility for not signing a deputy for Andy Carroll. Stewart Downing is starting to play well but we needed to spend that £6m on a striker. His strikerless side worked well at Spurs in the league but the tactic was soon rumbled.
Who should he sign? A striker, even if Carroll gets fit. Take your pick from Ba, Defoe, Long, Lambert, Crouch, Rhodes, Jelavic – anyone who can hit a cow's posterior with a banjo.
What one rule-change would you love to see?Points for crosses, as we get in several thousand a game towards the hole where Andy Carroll should be. And bonus points for every time Big Sam says: "We just need to be more clinical in front of goal."
• Part 1: Arsenal to Manchester City
