The Premier League. The promised land.
You spend a lifetime dreaming of seeing your heroes go toe-to-toe with football's elite, stepping out on centre court at Old Trafford or Anfield, and beaming with pride as Gary Lineker sings their praises on Match of the Day.
And then the season starts. Week after week, you sit through humiliation upon humiliation, Your previously worshipped manager gets the sack, and you fall asleep before you even get to watch your team get pummelled in the final game on MOTD.
Full-time at Carrow Road.
— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) July 11, 2020
The result means City will play Championship football next season.#NORWHU pic.twitter.com/rUWz2qfqi9
Probably for the best to miss it, at any rate. It's safe to say, that for some clubs, the Premier League just ain't what it's all cracked up to be. And to make matters even worse, for some brave little souls who find themselves in the top flight for an incredibly brief season, their stay is remembered for all the wrong reasons.
So, in honour of Norwich City's now-confirmed relegation back to the second tier, 90min takes a look at some of the worst teams to have graced the Premier League over the years.
8. QPR - 2012/2013 (25 points, -30 GD)
Harry Redknapp. Mark Hughes. Julio Cesar. Jose Bosingwa. Esteban Granero. Bobby Zamora. How did this not work?!
Resembling a social experiment that had got seriously out of hand, QPR's band of rejects and over-the-hill stars in search of a final pay day, got what was coming to them.
25 points, minus 30 goal difference, and a big old wage bill of which they're still suffering the consequences to this day. Spend responsibly, kids.
7. Sunderland - 2016/17 (24 points, -40 GD)
When David Moyes announced that the Black Cats were in a relegation battle within the first five games of the 2016/17 season, it dawned on us all that they'd used up the last of their nine lives.
And so it came to pass, as Sunderland finished stone-dead last, crawled to 24 points, and ended with the campaign a 5-1 drubbing at Chelsea on the final day.
Since that moment, things have only got worse, too.
6. Fulham - 2018/19 (26 points, -47 GD)
Now, 26 points might be a shade higher than some of the other flops in this list, but statistics can be misleading. When presented with the ultimatum of 'go hard or go home,' Fulham opted for the former, spending over £100m on a plethora of players they didn't really need.
With the heart of the team well and truly ripped out, the Cottagers paid the ultimate price, suffering a bitter relegation. To make matters worse, this gutless group of misfits then picked up three wins in their final five matches, only infuriating supporters more for their previous failings.
A mess from head to toe.
5. Norwich City - 2019/20 (21 points, -41 GD) *With 3 Games to Play
The new kids on the block. There was so much hope and promise surrounding this Norwich side upon their promotion, and after beating champions Manchester City early on in the campaign, they seemed ready to go the distance.
But it's been a nightmare year for Daniel Farke and co., and despite the exciting attacking qualities of Emi Buendia and Todd Cantwell, the Canaries have looked terribly toothless up top.
There was the odd moment to cherish for Norwich supporters, but overall, it's been a dismal season.
4. Sunderland - 2002/03 (19 points, -44 GD)
Sunderland's second appearance on this list, and a well-deserved encore at that. When a team has three managers in one season, it almost always ends with relegation heartbreak.
Peter Reid, Howard Wilkinson and Mick McCarthy were the unfortunate trio to guide the Black Cats to the drop in 2002 and 2003, and they finished an incredible 25 points off safety.
Give them another 18 months, and they might have stayed up...
3. Huddersfield - 2018/19 (16 points, -54 GD)
David Wagner performed an absolute miracle keeping this Huddersfield Town side afloat in their debut Premier League campaign, but the 2018/19 season was a bridge too far.
A team bereft of goals, creativity, attacking intent nor any morsel of enjoyment was exposed in cruel fashion over those 12 months, as Wagner and his subsequent replacement Jan Siewert amassed a total of 16 points, shipping 76 goals in the process.
A sad end to a genuinely pleasant little cameo.
2. Aston Villa - 2015/16 (17 points, -49 GD)
Mathematically, Aston Villa's hefty total of 17 points is superior to that of Huddersfield, who secured third place in this prestigious list. But some context is always needed. This Villa side was absolutely pathetic.
If we had to sum up their season in one news headline, 'Joleon Lescott apologises after tweeting picture of sports car following thrashing by Liverpool', tells you all you need to know about this rotten team.
They will be back though, for better or for worse.
1. Derby County - 2007/08 (11 points, -69 GD)
No prizes for those who guessed this one, then. That's right, the worst team to have ever graced the Premier League was the 2007/08 edition of Derby County.
Relegated in March with six games and 18 points still to fight for, the Rams waved goodbye to the top flight with only 11 points to their name, a goal difference of minus 69, and a solitary win over the 38 matches.
We won't mention the 6-0 hammering at the hands of Aston Villa, either. Derby have not dared make the climb back to the top flight since this harrowing experience - and they'll probably think twice before doing so, too.
Source : 90min