Summary
Fans have voted on who the 10 worst run clubs are in the Premier League.
Todd Boehly's World Champions Chelsea make the list.
Two newly promoted teams also included.
Anyone involved in top-level football – especially in the Premier League – is open to criticism. Players, managers, sometimes even fans can cause controversy. However, none more so than a club's owners. There are some, like Tony Bloom at Brighton and Matthew Benham at Brentford, who have taken the club to heights no one would have dreamed of and, as a result, tend to get universal praise.
For most, though, that is not the case, as even the slightest inkling of underperformance can cause uproar, let alone if you've been falling below expectations for a number of years. A survey from OnePoll, as per GOAL, has now revealed which owners fans believe are the worst, as they voted on which Premier League club was the worst run – with few surprises at guessing who finished in top spot.
10-8
Starting with 10th place, which is Burnley, who earned 2% of votes. A small margin, but enough for inclusion. This is despite the fact that the Clarets have just been promoted to the Premier League. However, perhaps some of the grievances are down to the fact that they have transformed into a yo-yo club over the years, coming up and then straight back down. Consecutive years in the top flight would help.
Fans being frustrated with West Ham is nothing new. Remember when one supporter invaded the pitch and planted the corner flag in the centre circle in protest of the owners? Part of the Hammers' problem is that they are constantly trying to go from one style of football to another. David Moyes brought success with a more pragmatic approach. Yet, the owners (and fans) wanted more expressive football, which led to failure under Julen Lopetegui.
In eighth is Wolves, who would have been seen as one of the best-run clubs when they first returned to the top flight, with players like Ruben Neves helping them earn a place in the top seven immediately. Now though, with a lack of additions this summer, they are at genuine risk of relegation.
7-5
Oh, what a difference a year can make. After four consecutive Premier League titles, all it took was for Manchester City to drop off slightly for them to be considered one of the worst-run clubs. Pep Guardiola has built a legacy at the Etihad beyond compare, but maybe the financial fair play dark cloud is why fans are so sure they are a poorly run outfit.
Tottenham's disaster domestically also adds to their poor reputation among fans. Not even a Europa League triumph and return to Champions League football can save them, as the years of disappointment under Daniel Levy and lack of silverware cannot simply be eradicated by one final.
Then there is Sunderland who, yes, with back-to-back relegations and making a mockery of themselves with their Netflix documentary, would’ve at one point rightly been considered this low. But with Regis Le Bris at the helm, the Black Cats are back where they belong and are certainly showing some ambition.
4-1
This is not a top four teams want to be a part of, but alas, we do still have one. Clearly, Arsenal's three years of finishing second in the Premier League is enough for fans to consider them a poorly run club, though the turnaround from where they were at the end of Arsene Wenger and Unai Emery's reign is dramatic. However, failure to win the big one this season may spell the end for Mikel Arteta.
Club World Cup winners Chelsea are in third, with this poll perhaps being conducted before they technically became the first recognised world champions. Todd Boehly's management has been laughable at times, but now, the trajectory looks more positive at Stamford Bridge.
A new stadium may bring new hope for Evertonians, but the bar is not particularly high from where they have been ever since Farhad Moshiri first took over at the club and plunged them into oblivion.
Then there is Manchester United at top spot. Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS were meant to be a change for good. Yet, the morale at the club has continued to plummet amidst budget cuts and redundancies. No new training ground or proposed new stadium is enough to hide the fact that they have failed to change much at United, following on from the Glazers, whose continued majority ownership amounts to borderline criminal abuse of the football club.
Fan Voted Worst Run PL Clubs
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