About 15 years ago, during Sir Alex Ferguson's third imperial phase, a Manchester United fan told me about it. he no longer enjoyed league games. Victory in them, he said, only brought relief. Anything less made him unhappy, so the season only became meaningful during the Champions League knockout stages. In 2023, there is only one possible answer to this: laughter.
The sarcastic type if you support United, and a deep laugh for the rest of us. In defense of a United fan, supporting a big team is rarely much fun. It's a world of emotional hedging against one's own side, imaginary conspiracies at every turn and exhausting social media banter with teenagers in the Far East. They will never experience the rare thrill of seeing a similar fan in the wild. They will be able to keep their trophies.
The real joy of football is exceeding expectations. Nothing makes a British fan happier than a dejected team finally getting their act together.
In that spirit, we present the current worst teams supporting the league's 92 clubs, and some of the best.< /p >FIVE WORST
5. Sheffield United
If promotion to the top flight is one of the best moments for most clubs, then being relegated with a whimper and losing every week is a real killer. Things are going so badly for Sheffield United that there is talk of breaking Derby's 2007–08 record of 11 points. We can already foresee a struggle in the Championship next season.
4. Cheltenham Town
One of those curious British towns better known for non-football sports, but unlike fans of Team Bath or North Bucks & Silverstone and Cheltenham Town Football Club of the District League have the disgrace of being eclipsed by four days of horses. Eleven games have been played so far: one draw and 10 defeats. Phew.
3. Everton
Could have made this top five any time after the departure of Carlo Ancelotti or, let's face it, David Moyes. Terrible condition, delay in construction of new stadium, looming threat of tedious legal battle. Gloomy, gloomy, gloomy.
Everton fans are going through difficult times. Photo: Reuters/Carl Recine
< strong>2. Sheffield Wednesday
Another Sheffield team grew last season, another club in tatters. Worst start in their history: The chairman loves long-winded statements on the official website and, worst of all, given his connections, there is mischievous talk about Neil Warnock replacing Cisco Munoz.
1. Reading
It was never nice to get to the point of mass protests against throwing objects; hundreds of tennis balls have delayed the last two home games. It's never fun to struggle with paying players on time. It's never great to have a four-point deduction. There is at least a chance that the club can come together to triumph over adversity, but at the moment that looks as likely as repeating their record 106-point season.
The Wigan bubble has even more points deducted than Reading. (eight) and a weak team, but there are some signs of long-term hope under new ownership. QPR are in the process of shredding club hero Gareth Ainsworth until all that's left are his red snakeskin boots and winning a grand total of one (one!) home game in their last 20 (twenty!).
Chelsea could have turned around and are in benefit of the doubt mode given injuries, Mauricio Pochettino and the beautiful glowing logo on their shirts. Sutton already look a little doomed in League Two, but their mid-term fans will remember relegation to Division Seven. Manchester United are obviously ineligible for another 10 years, at least based on their previous 30 years.
Top Five
5. Aston Villa
Something both pleasing and surprising about Villa's career: she pulled out of the ranks after promotion in 2019, sold her best player, tinkered a bit with Steven Gerrard and is now looking again like the European dark horses under Unai Emery. This is, as the Spaniards say, el gigante dormido despierto, the sleeping giant awakened. N.B. The Spanish don't really say that.
Aston Villa fans are enjoying life under Unai Emery. Photo: Getty Images/Eddie Keogh
4. Stockport County
Sank as low as the Conference North at its nadir, and truly suffered from six seasons of traveling to your Gislis, your Spennymoors, your Alfretons. It is now run with intelligence and, more importantly, investment by Mark Stott, a man described as “Stockport's most successful businessman ever”. Take it, generations of hat makers.
3. Newcastle United
Feeling like they had already reached their less pleasant phase of anticipation at the start of the season, they reached new heights by thrashing Sheffield United 8-0, seeing off Manchester City in League Cup and a thrilling defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. We'll need more Sam Fender.
2. Tottenham Hotspur
Steadfastly rides the atmosphere train under the direction of Ange Postecoglou. Even if things don't go well, as they most certainly will, they will always have a great first few months. It feels like the club has rediscovered its identity, rediscovered its joy, and all it took was selling Harry Kane.
1. Ipswich Town
In hopeless decline after relegation from the Premier League in 2002 and subsequent stint in the third division. He was finally promoted last year and is now enjoying a surreal brand of football rarely seen since the glory days of John Wark or, to a lesser extent, James Scowcroft. The manager can be amazing. Still one of the best stadiums in the country. Long may this continue.
Bubbles under
Leicester are gearing up for the always fun treble with an instant bounce, Championship-Championship, Preston have been stuck in this league since roughly the Jurassic period and may have a chance of salvation under Ryan Lowe, Sunderland have renewed sense of purpose. goals after years of drift.
At the top of League One are three clubs that have fallen on hard times: Portsmouth came back, came back and won four games in a row. Oxford aren't far behind, another team you (and they) would like to see back in the second division. Bolton are finally on the rise again, with less-touted Stevenage not far behind. Notts County are poised for a delightful succession of promotions, have an unbeaten Top Trump at formation and Juventus have copied their form. What's not to like?
Brighton may be feeling smug about how brilliantly they are managing, but, sacrilege warning, could their 6-1 defeat to Villa at the weekend be the start of a downward curve? Supporting Arsenal, even when it's good, feels stressful. Manchester City are technically the 'best' team in the country, but even some of their fans must now feel it's 'a bit boring'.
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