As part of Hooligan Soccer’s reflection back on the Premier League, we can’t always focus on the good stuff. My colleague Josep got to edit that piece, leaving me with the “worst”. So it goes.
As with the previous article, we asked six of our PL writers to answer some questions on the not-so-good things in the season so far.
Which team has shocked you (negatively) the most?
Liverpool. I had them as second to Arsenal and thought they would be better than last season when they won without a challenge. They could yet come good, of course, but I was intrigued by a Liverpool supporting reporting friend who told me his theory last week – “the further they get away from Jürgen Klopp, the worse they get.” — Nick Callow
Nottingham Forest. From battling for Europe last season, to sitting second bottom this, the drop off in form has been remarkable. The Midlands side already have sacked two managers so far in Nuno Espírito Santo and Ange Postecoglou. The latter failed to win a single game as Forest boss. — Nayan Murthy
Liverpool. I backed them to lift a second consecutive Premier League title this season given how fantastic they were during the previous campaign. Then there’s the fact they seemingly strengthened the squad with several eye-catching signings. But it has been a disaster so far. — Dan Bennett
Newcastle are a team capable of beating anyone in Europe on their day, and yet they sit 14th in the table. There are simply no excuses for their abysmal away form and their lack of goals. The Magpies possess a squad that should be comfortably competing at the top end of the division and Eddie Howe must find solutions soon. — Stan Smith
Nottingham Forest. Evangelos Marinakis has turned the City Ground into a bit of a circus. Forest let go of a brilliant manager in Nuno Santo and have since proven they have no direction. Ange Postecoglou was a massive change in style, and Sean Dyche is another change in the opposite direction. If Forest get relegated this year there will be only one man to blame. — Japtej Ghura
What’s the worst trend in the PL so far?
With the introduction of semi-automated offside technology, which has been a great addition, one might have expected the role of the VAR to get easier and for its performance to improve. However, that has not been the case. VAR has continued to dominate headlines for all the wrong reasons, with mishaps occurring just as frequently as ever. — Stan Smith
Set pieces and general play in games. Individuality has been leaving the game for years, and now with set pieces and time wasting etc matches are just getting worse. Most games now are boring to watch. That’s why players like Jeremy Doku and Estévão are a joy to watch, now more than ever before. A breath of fresh air. — Japtej Ghura
Hysterical online fan bases. Slot has gone from hero to zero in a matter of weeks and Arteta from inept idiot to tactical titan in the same period. Most clubs have the same flip flop supporters with no time for patience or nuance. Maybe I’m getting old as experience teaches one to prepare for the ups and downs of a long season. — Nick Callow
Goalkeepers faking injuries so the game can be stopped and the players can go over to the dugout to get a mid-half team-talk from their manager. It slows the game down and has got to stop. — Dan Bennett
The increasing focus on set-pieces. Many teams so far this season including Spurs, Arsenal and more have relied on set-pieces and throw-ins as their main way of scoring a goal. This season has seen the highest percentage of goals scored from corners with 18.7%, the next highest being just over 14% 15 years ago. — Nayan Murthy
Chelsea’s consistency. — Gary Striker
(Editor’s note: We pressed Gary more details but he declined to provide.)
Which manager underperformed the worst?
It has to be Arne Slot. He has failed to gel his new-look team together efficiently and defensively they have been really poor. The pressure is on him to quickly find solutions. — Dan Bennett
Eddie Howe. Newcastle’s failures this season are going slightly under the radar, They are 14th, having won three from 11 games. The Saudi project is almost in year five now, and I think they would have liked to have seen more progress. Yes they are in the Champions League, but their league prospects are not improving at a quick rate. Whilst Howe has done an excellent job thus far, it might be time for them to go out and employ a truly world-class manager to take them to the next level. — Japtej Ghura
Ange Postecoglou. The Australian was brought in by Nottingham Forest to play more attacking football, and that he did, but without any results. In eight matches in all competitions he failed to win a single one. He lost three, drew one and won zero in the Premier League. Coming into the job after winning the Europa League with Tottenham, Forest fans would have expected more from him. — Nayan Murthy
Arne Slot. He spent a record sum recruiting the most expensive strike force in PL history and forgot about the rest of his squad. He could prove us all wrong but what a let down he and Liverpool have been so far. — Nick Callow
A fairly obvious answer but Ange Postecoglou’s stint at Nottingham Forest was one of the worst in Premier League history. Perhaps treated harshly by Tottenham after delivering on his promise of a trophy, the Australian rushed back into management far too quickly. 39 days, eight defeats, three draws and zero victories – a disaster. — Stan Smith
Is there any hope for Wolves to avoid relegation?
No, the simple fact is there are not three worse teams in the league than them. After losing their two best players, Matheus Cunha and Rayan Aït-Nouri it was always going to be difficult for them this year but they have struggled to show even glimpses of a chance that they could possibly stay up. — Nayan Murthy
Stats say they are doomed but they might have changed manager just in time to make the difference. It will be last day heroics if they do beat the drop. — Nick Callow
I don’t see it personally. Rob Edwards should bring some positivity to the group with his approach and ability to create a good environment but I can’t remember a team as bad as Wolves have been ever staying up. — Dan Bennett
There is absolutely no hope for Wolves. No team apart from them are terrible this year. Forest and West Ham will continue to slowly gain points, and Burnley and Leeds already have a sizable cushion over Wolves. — Japtej Ghura
Simply put, no. Wolves’ have many deep-rooted issues, chiefly being their related sale of star players without investing in adequate replacements. Two points from 11 games is dismal, as is the atmosphere around the club. Rob Edwards is favorite to take over at Molineux but he would be far better off staying at Middlesbrough, who are much more likely to be in the Premier League next season. — Stan Smith
