The world of football undergoes rapid changes. Just recently Leicester suffered relegation from the Premier League, despite being contenders for a top-four position just two years ago.
Back then, Leicester couldn’t secure a spot in the Champions League, but their team’s core was considered even stronger than the championship-winning squad from the 2015/16 season. Since then, only Wesley Fofana and Kasper Schmeichel have left Leicester, and the club has bolstered its ranks with players such as Patson Daka, Boubakary Soumaré, and Harry Souttar.
At the beginning of the season, it was challenging to envision that a team boasting players like James Maddison, Youri Tielemans, Harvey Barnes, and others would face relegation from the English top flight. Nonetheless, it has now become a reality, and “the Foxes” are continuing their journey in the Championship.
Let’s rewind the clock to remember other high-quality teams that were unable to evade relegation.
Crystal Palace (1992/93)
Three decades ago, Crystal Palace bid farewell to the Premier League with an impressive 49 points, a record that still stands. They achieved this feat over 42 matches, as opposed to today’s 38-game format, making their achievement even more remarkable. Despite having strong players like Chris Coleman, goalkeeper Nigel Martyn, and Gareth Southgate, Palace, who finished mid-table the previous season, couldn’t replicate their success.
West Ham (2002/03)
Exactly a decade later, West Ham found themselves relegated from the Premier League despite amassing 42 points. In comparison, they had finished 13th in the 2017/18 season with the same points tally. West Ham possessed a formidable squad at the time, with players such as Jermain Defoe, Paolo Di Canio, Joe Cole, Glen Johnson, and others, while Glenn Roeder served as the manager.
Leeds (2003/04)
No team experienced such a dramatic fall as Leeds did between 2001 and 2004. Only three years after reaching the Champions League semi-finals, they plummeted to the second tier of English football. This ordeal continued until 2020 when Marcelo Bielsa guided them back to the top.
After ‘living their dream,’ as director Peter Ridsdale put it at the turn of the millennium, Leeds found themselves burdened with substantial debts, leading to the sale of some of their star players, including Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Keane, and Jonathan Woodgate. However, even without them, boasting Paul Robinson in goal, Mark Viduka up front, and emerging talents like Alan Smith, James Milner, and Jermaine Pennant, their relegation with 33 points in the season seemed improbable.
Blackburn (1998/99)
Rovers suffered relegation just a few years after clinching the Premier League title. In the season preceding their demotion, the team even competed in the UEFA Cup. Blackburn’s primary issue was a goal-scoring drought. Despite Chris Sutton’s 21 goals in the previous campaign, his form waned, and he managed only four goals in the unfortunate season.
Middlesbrough (1996/97)
The 1996/97 season brought intense heartache for Middlesbrough fans. With incredible talents like Fabrizio Ravanelli, Emerson, and Juninho, Boro reached the finals of both domestic cups but lost to Leicester in the League Cup and Chelsea in the FA Cup.
To compound their misery, the Northeastern team was relegated from the Premier League. Boro played four matches in eight days at the season’s end, drawing in three of them. Just one additional goal in those ‘draws’ would have ensured their stay in the top tier.
Newcastle (2008/09)
The era of Mike Ashley proved to be a dark period for Newcastle supporters, with the 2008/09 season serving as a true nightmare. Club legend Kevin Keegan resigned early, disillusioned with Ashley and his associates. He was replaced by former Wimbledon manager Joe Kinnear, whose tenure was short-lived.
Alan Shearer came to salvage the sinking ship but, lacking any prior coaching experience, the legendary goal-scorer couldn’t turn the tide. Meanwhile, the team was packed with star names, including Michael Owen, Damien Duff, Nicky Butt, Kevin Nolan, Andy Carroll, Obafemi Martins, and more.
Newcastle (2015/16)
Ironically, ‘the Magpies’ appear twice on this list. In 2016, the team suffered relegation, featuring players like Georginio Wijnaldum, Moussa Sissoko, and Ayoze Perez. Additionally, Fabricio Coloccini, Jonjo Shelvey, Aleksandar Mitrovic, and Papiss Cisse were part of the squad.
Queens Park Rangers (2012-13)
Yes, a decade ago, this London-based team managed to accumulate only 25 points, but their individual talent within the dressing room was evident. Julio Cesar, Jose Bosingwa, Park Ji-Sung, Esteban Granero, Chris Samba, and Loic Remy were among the stars of Queens Park Rangers at the time, but they couldn’t prevent relegation.”
