Southampton gamers applaud their followers, considerably apologetically, after they have been relegated by Spurs – Getty Photographs/Shaun Botterill
Southampton turned the primary workforce in Premier League historical past to be relegated with seven video games remaining following on Sunday.
Their demotion resulted in supervisor on Monday.
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Derby are statistically the worst workforce the highest flight has ever seen, recording simply 11 factors as they went straight again right down to the Championship within the 2007-08 season.
However even when Southampton – who’ve 10 factors with seven matches remaining – handle to surpass that tally of their remaining matches, is there an argument to counsel they’ve already taken Derby’s undesirable Premier League baton?
Right here Telegraph Sport’s soccer writers put ahead the worst groups they’ve ever witnessed within the Premier League. You’ll be able to vote to your worst workforce on the backside and be a part of the controversy under within the feedback part.
Aston Villa 2015-16: When Garde determined to drop Grealish
Derby County have been the worst ever workforce within the Premier League. However Villa have a declare and never least as a result of they limply misplaced their standing as one in all solely seven ever-present members of the league with a disastrous marketing campaign highlighted by the truth that the hapless Remi Garde, who changed the inexperienced Tim Sherwood in October, truly thought it was a good suggestion to drop Jack Grealish. Garde solely lasted till March and, by then, it was too late. They completed backside with 17 factors and simply three wins which was damning for a membership of Villa’s stature.
Few might imagine it when Remi Garde dropped Jack Grealish – PA/Neil Corridor
Sunderland 2005-06: McCarthyism lastly runs its course
Mick McCarthy was a great supervisor for Sunderland, profitable promotion again to the Premier League the earlier 12 months, however there was little cash to spend and minimal funding within the workforce, with McCarthy procuring primarily within the decrease divisions for bargains. Sunderland set the tone for a depressing marketing campaign with 5 successive defeats to start out the season. They solely spent a few weeks outdoors of the underside three and McCarthy was sacked in March by which era relegation was all however assured.
Mick McCarthy couldn’t cease Sunderland taking place – Getty Photographs/Laurence Griffiths
Queens Park Rangers 2012-13: Nice expectations flip right into a nightmare
A reprehensible assortment of massive names, large egos and Joey Barton. Demented spending underneath Mark Hughes then Harry Redknapp summed up by signing of goalkeeper Rob Inexperienced at starting of summer time switch window, then Brazil worldwide Julio Cesar to play forward of him when he turned out there a month later. Followers have been thrilled by the recruitment drive, which additionally included Park Ji-sung, Jose Bosingwa and Actual Madrid’s Esteban Granero. A 5-0 opening day thumping at residence to Swansea dampened the keenness they usually managed simply 25 factors and 4 wins.
Joey Barton was a key participant as QPR went down in 2013 – Motion Photographs/Matthew Childs
Derby County 2007-08: Bowing out with a season-long whimper
Sadly, the Midlands has turn into accustomed to groups preventing relegation over time. Aston Villa’s 2016 season was a shocker, made well-known by Joleon Lescott unintentionally tweeting an image of a £125,000 automotive after a 6-0 residence defeat by Liverpool, whereas Leicester’s marketing campaign this 12 months has created a mammoth disconnect between gamers and supporters. However it’s not possible to look past Derby and the present document lowest-points complete of 11. After the unbridled pleasure of promotion at Wembley the season earlier than, it proved a nightmare. After creditable performances towards Portsmouth and Manchester Metropolis, heavy defeats towards Tottenham, Liverpool, Arsenal and West Ham adopted and Derby by no means recovered. Steve Howard, the ahead, as soon as remarked that the workforce felt they wanted to attain two or three targets simply to face the prospect of getting a draw.
Steve Howard misses a penalty towards Blackburn – Getty Photographs/Jamie McDonald
Leicester Metropolis 2024-25 (underneath Van Nistelrooy): Incorrect man at fallacious membership at fallacious time
I’ll admit there may be most likely some recency bias at play right here, however we should not overlook how horrible Leicester have been since Ruud van Nistelrooy’s appointment in November. They’ve received seven factors in 17 league video games and have been woeful in entrance of their very own followers: in the event that they fail to attain towards Newcastle on Monday evening, they would be the first facet in historical past to lose eight residence league video games in a row with out scoring.
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How can they be worse than Southampton? I’m marking them down as a result of they have been truly in respectable form underneath Steve Cooper (who was sacked with the membership in sixteenth). Their subsequent collapse underneath Van Nistelrooy due to this fact represents a failure throughout all the membership, from board stage to the gamers. Southampton have been at all times going to battle this season, having completed fourth within the Championship final 12 months. Leicester, against this, have been promoted as champions. Their self-sabotage since has been ludicrous.
Ruud van Nistelrooy has overseen a shocking decline at Leicester – PA/Martin Rickett