As the old adage goes , you ’ re never too good to go down , but nevertheless ... in no particular order , here ’ s our top 5 too good to go downs
04
TOP
Too good to go down ’ s
As the old adage goes , you ’ re never too good to go down , but nevertheless ... in no particular order , here ’ s our top 5 too good to go downs
West Ham United 2002-03
Points : 42 Goal difference : -17 Notable players : Jermain Defoe , Michael Carrick , Paolo Di Canio , Joe Cole
Middlesbrough 1996-97
Points : 39 Goal difference : −9 Notable players : Emerson , Juninho , Fabrizio Ravanelli , Bryan Robson
Usually the first name on the lips when discussing the greats of relegation , all the early season promise never materialised in to sustained form . Fabrizio Ravanelli signed in the summer for £ 7million , roughly £ 3.6billion in todays money , and lived up to expectation on the whole by scoring 16 in the premier league alone . But that still wasn ’ t enough to even out the leaky defence and the FA disciplinary action . Boro were docked three points for postponing a game due to an injury and illness crisis , three points which would have been enough to keep them up . Add to this two final loses in both the League and FA Cup , I ’ m surprised ‘ rollercoaster season ’ wasn ’ t retired in memory of the fallen 96 / 97 Boro .
This one got all the more painful as years went by , as youth products Joe Cole , Michael Carrick , Jermaine Defoe and Glen Johnson all went on to win a myriad of trophies at other clubs after the Hammers relegation . Add to the mix Frederic Kanoute , Paolo Di Canio , Trevor Sinclair and others , you could be forgiven for assuming this team would be challenging for European places , not in a relegation scrap . Despite an end of season surge led by caretaker manager Trevor Brooking , somehow the 42 points accrued wasn ’ t enough as they were relegated on the last day of the season at the expense of Big Sam ’ s Bolton .