This time last year, the Premier League was gearing up for its biggest season yet. Sure, there was the obvious influx of talented players to England's shores, as there is every year. So what made it so special then?
Put simply, the greatest number of world-class managers in the one league that football has ever seen.
Guardiola and Conte ventured into unknown territory after successful careers in Spain, Italy and Germany; Mourinho returned to the competition that he has dominated three times before – but this time in the unusual colour of red; and Wenger, Klopp and Pochettino were preparing for another crack at glory.
But now that the embers of the 2016/17 season have turned to dust and all eyes are focused on the 17/18 campaign, how did the top-six managers fare? What did they do wrong? What did they do right? And what can they do to make sure they're champions next May?
Here are all those answers, team by team, in Tribalfootball's Tactical Review.
2016/17 summary
Jurgen Klopp's frequent tactical tweaks made Liverpool one of the most interesting teams in the 2016/17 season and ensured this highly-sophisticated side enjoyed an excellent first full season under the German.
Particularly encouraging was the diamond 4-4-2 played at the end of the campaign with Philippe Coutinho excelling as a false-eight, which has freed up space for yet another creative player in the Liverpool side.
Klopp's gegenpressing football requires constant positional rotation and a compressed overall shape, which Liverpool achieved commendably over the course of the season.
The intelligence of their attacking interplay, and increasing organisation in defence, leaves fans significantly more encouraged by their momentum than is portrayed in the media.
Their biggest flaw, of course, was an inability to break down defensive opponents who wouldn't allow Liverpool to press high and exploit space on the counter-counter.
Without Sadio Mane - whose chaotic movement and unconventional, pace-driven playing style proved crucial in such matches – they were too easy to predict.
How to improve
Klopp made an excellent decision signing Mohamad Salah last week. Finding a Mane-like player ticked off a big need to help their improvement next season.
Salah will bring energy from the opposite flank and further stretch those narrow defensive shells while relieving pressure on the Senegal international.
Coutinho's new shift to a deeper role is arguably the most significant tactical revelation of Klopp's tenure so far, not only creating through-ball situations from deeper (and thus before the opponent has time to retreat), but also leaving space on the left wing for Salah.
They also require a genuine leader at the back (Virgil van Dijk would be perfect) in order to decrease their defensive errors and add a captain's stoicism to their mentality.
Another central midfielder to replace the inconsistent Georginio Wijnaldum wouldn't hurt.
For Liverpool, it is largely a case of improving personnel and adding strength in depth, because tactically they are all set to challenge for honours in 2017/18.
