Worst ever top flight title defence

[ale]

Leicester look to have worst losing 37 points 2016 to 2017. Man Utd lost 25 between 2013 and 2014.

Pre 1993 Leeds lost 29 points 1993-1994. Man City lost 21 between champions 1937 and relegation 1938.

[Nocturnal Submission]

Chelsea lost 37 points 2015 to 2016, I'm traumatised to say.

[Duncan Gardner]

In his post match interview on R5L, a rueful Klopp mentioned Gemutlichkeit. Not his latest transfer target but how they conjure up cosy cheerfulness down Stuttgart way

[Diable Rouge]

I'd a perception of Blackburn's defence being much worse, but they "only" lost 28 points, and seem to have recovered somewhat in the second half of 95-96.

[elguapo4]

Manchester City were relegated the year after they won the title in the late 30s afaik.

[Satchmo Distel]

Positions probably make more sense than points because they take into account the strength of the league, in which case I think Man City in 1937-38 has to win. OTOH Chelsea only getting 50 points in 2016 despite all that immense spending in seasons prior takes some doing, as done Leeds coming 9th in 1975 after being one of the most dominant champions the top flight has ever seen. These were all big points drops but more significant in position drops. In other words, it means a lot more that Leeds were worse than, say, Stoke and Sheff U in 1974-75 than that they dropped 17 points.

[Janik]

For one thing, Man City's 21 points down in being relegated (having scored more than they conceded!) was under 2 points for a win. So it would have to be scaled up by some factor to be fully comparable.

I would go for the two teams who flirted with relegation and the one team that actually went down (being Leeds, Blackburn and Man City) as the top three, though.

[Tony C]

Not quite as spectacularly disastrous but more recently, in 1968/69, Manchester City’s title defence saw them finish 13th losing more games (17) than they won (15),

They did win the FA Cup, though.

[longeared]

Ipswich 1963 - finished 17th with a 21 point drop, in the days of 22 teams and two points for a win. Then they finished bottom the following season.

[Jah Womble]

Scaled up, Ipswich in 1963 would’ve dropped from 80 to 47 points (-33), with Man City in 1969 dropping from 84 to 55 (-29).

[jwdd27]

Leeds' title defence in the first year of the Premier League (1992-93) was memorable to me, perhaps because I'd just moved there - they failed to win an away game that year, and the drop from 1st to 17th (outof 22) was perhaps more impressive than the 29 points they lost. As for the teams they were worst than... wow.
Most people can remember Man United won the first Premier League, but what about the team's after them in the table? Aston Villa, Norwich and Blackburn were in the "Champions League" spots, while QPR have to settle for the Europa after finishing 5th, joined by Liverpool and possibly Sheffield Wednesday. Spurs, Man City, Arsenal and Chelsea finished together in 8th-11th.
Howard Wilkinson memorably tried to buy Dennis Irwin in November to shore up the defence, and ended up selling Cantona instead.

[Various Artist]

Speaking as a Norwich fan, yes I remember extremely easily that we finished 3rd that season, after leading the league for much of the way – including by 8 points at one stage. It's only reading this thread right now though that it's even struck me I have essentially no recollection whatsoever of Leeds as champions that season. That is, I remember them winning the league, and Cantona going to Man Utd, but I have literally no memories of them defending their title per se. They were simply non-factors the season after.
It's basically like an iron curtain came down between the old 'Football League era' and the new Premier League era, and whatever had been done beforehand had no tangible effect on what happened following.

[Sporting]

in 1968/69, Manchester City’s title defence saw them finish 13th losing more games (17) than they won (15),

The run-in results of the top clubs in the 67-68 campaign was decidedly weird.

Man City got 15 points from their last ten games (remember, 2 points for a win) but that included two away defeats and an away draw, as well as a probably nervy couple of 1-0 home wins.

Man Utd went unbeaten at home until March, then proceded to lose four out of eight at Old Trafford. There was also a 6-3 away humlilation at WBA.

Liverpool won 2-1 away vs Man Utd in April but then immediately lost at home against Sheffield United and garnered just 10 points from their final 9 matches.

Leeds beat Man City in March, then gathered 8 points from their final 9 games, including defeat in the last four.




The top of the table at the end of the season:

Man City 58
Man Utd 56
Liverpool 55
Leeds 53


A decent run from any of the 2nd to 4th placed teams would have clinched the title.

[Belhaven]

Aston Villa won the league with 60 points with two for a win in 1980-81, but only got 57 points with three for a win and finished 11th the next season. Probably not the worst ever title defence, but maybe in the top five.

[Satchmo Distel]

I'd imagine that some of these made an early decision to focus on the European Cup (Leeds 1975, Villa 1982).

[Tony C]

The run-in results of the top clubs in the 67-68 campaign was decidedly weird.

Man City got 15 points from their last ten games (remember, 2 points for a win) but that included two away defeats and an away draw, as well as a probably nervy couple of 1-0 home wins.

Man Utd went unbeaten at home until March, then proceded to lose four out of eight at Old Trafford. There was also a 6-3 away humlilation at WBA.

Liverpool won 2-1 away vs Man Utd in April but then immediately lost at home against Sheffield United and garnered just 10 points from their final 9 matches.

Leeds beat Man City in March, then gathered 8 points from their final 9 games, including defeat in the last four.




The top of the table at the end of the season:

Man City 58
Man Utd 56
Liverpool 55
Leeds 53


A decent run from any of the 2nd to 4th placed teams would have clinched the title.

Nicely done. Yes, the whole run - in for City was “nervy”, Funnily enough I was looking back at this season in some depth a couple of weeks ago when writing a piece about Colin Bell for the upcoming WSC. Brought back a lot of memories.

[Bridgford Ender]

Scaled up, Ipswich in 1963 would’ve dropped from 80 to 47 points (-33), with Man City in 1969 dropping from 84 to 55 (-29).

And City's 1938 disaster was also a drop of 29 scaled-up points, from a meagre 79 to win the league to a chunky 50 in 21st place. They were also the division's top scorers with 80 goals and had a goal difference of +3. Not your average relegation campaign!

[Bridgford Ender]

I'd imagine that some of these made an early decision to focus on the European Cup (Leeds 1975, Villa 1982).

Managerial issues may well have had an effect on those two seasons (Clough, Saunders)

[Antepli Ejderha]

I'm hoping that by posting this I'm not jinxing it but Basaksehir in the Turkish S?per Lig are currently in the relegation places.

Fingers crossed that this fake team goes down.