What are the biggest defeats suffered by teams in a title
Nov 4, 2020 17:18:51 GMT
Midi-Chlorian_Count likes this
Post by Carl LaFong on Nov 4, 2020 17:18:51 GMT
.. winning season.
www.theguardian.com/football/2020/nov/04/what-is-the-biggest-defeat-suffered-by-a-team-in-a-title-winning-season-football-the-knowledge
We’re guessing this may well have been prompted by Liverpool’s acid trip 7-2 defeat at Aston Villa. Can a potential title winner absorb such a ridiculous defeat and still go on and claim the big prize? Or does an off day to that extent hint that something is fundamentally wrong?
Let’s set sail on the blip ship with this offering from Alan Gomes, who takes us to Portugal: “I’m not sure this is the biggest, but I can point you to a defeat that became legendary. In December 1986, Sporting beat Lisbon rivals Benfica 7-1.
“At the time, that was Benfica’s worst ever loss (12 years later they would be pummelled 7-0 by Celta Vigo in the Uefa Cup). However, managed by former Chelsea and QPR centre-half John Mortimore, Benfica picked themselves up and took full advantage of their main rivals, Porto, being distracted by the small matter of winning the European Cup. They won the league, three points ahead of Porto, 11 ahead of Sporting. Indeed, Benfica even won the double that season.”
Rob Davies recalls a game from the English lower leagues that gave him unrealistic expectations: “When Reading won the Third Division in 1986, they lost 6-0 at Walsall. This was my first ever Walsall match and I have never seen them score as many goals since.” James Walker takes us even further down the pyramid: “Surely AFC Fylde 6-0 Macclesfield Town will be up there, this being from the Silkmen’s 2017-18 National League title-winning season.”
But, wait, forget all those (defences being at) sixes and sevens, over in Bulgaria we have an eight. “Beroe won their only Bulgarian title in the 1985-86 season,” writes Edmond Nersezov. “Their biggest defeat was 8-1 against Trakia Plovdiv on 21 December 1985. Despite this, Beroe won the title with 43 points from 30 games, and Trakia finished second with 41 points.”
Are we inevitably hurtling towards double figures? Nathan Atkinson, among others, goes back more than 100 years to ramp the shame up to nine. “My mind was immediately drawn to an extraordinary Tyne-Wear derby that took place in the 1908-09 season,” he begins. “My team, Newcastle, looked well on their way to winning a third title from five (those were the days!). But they hit an almighty roadblock on 5 December at St James’ Park. Drawing 1-1, their world fell apart in an extraordinary 28-minute second-half spell, which saw the Mackems score eight, ensuring the game finished 9-1. But Newcastle went on to win seven consecutive games, starting on New Year’s Day, and ended up winning the league with 53 points, at the time a new record. Even more extraordinarily, they finished with the league’s best defensive record.”
But we’ll see your nine, and raise you this from Chris Page. His first example needs a VAR check but his second is legit: “We could go further afield if we allowed for defeats in Europe. Valletta FC were able to compensate themselves with a Maltese league title in 1983-84 following a first-round exit from the Cup Winners’ Cup against Rangers. After losing the first leg at home 8-0, they followed that up with a 10-0 thrashing at Ibrox.
“If we’re just looking at league defeats, however, then I give you the 1968 Norwegian First Division. Eventual champions Lyn only lost four matches, but one of those was a 10-1 collapse at Stromsgodset. They also lost the return 6-1.” Poor from Lyn. Hope they were dropped at a cab rank.
www.theguardian.com/football/2020/nov/04/what-is-the-biggest-defeat-suffered-by-a-team-in-a-title-winning-season-football-the-knowledge
We’re guessing this may well have been prompted by Liverpool’s acid trip 7-2 defeat at Aston Villa. Can a potential title winner absorb such a ridiculous defeat and still go on and claim the big prize? Or does an off day to that extent hint that something is fundamentally wrong?
Let’s set sail on the blip ship with this offering from Alan Gomes, who takes us to Portugal: “I’m not sure this is the biggest, but I can point you to a defeat that became legendary. In December 1986, Sporting beat Lisbon rivals Benfica 7-1.
“At the time, that was Benfica’s worst ever loss (12 years later they would be pummelled 7-0 by Celta Vigo in the Uefa Cup). However, managed by former Chelsea and QPR centre-half John Mortimore, Benfica picked themselves up and took full advantage of their main rivals, Porto, being distracted by the small matter of winning the European Cup. They won the league, three points ahead of Porto, 11 ahead of Sporting. Indeed, Benfica even won the double that season.”
Rob Davies recalls a game from the English lower leagues that gave him unrealistic expectations: “When Reading won the Third Division in 1986, they lost 6-0 at Walsall. This was my first ever Walsall match and I have never seen them score as many goals since.” James Walker takes us even further down the pyramid: “Surely AFC Fylde 6-0 Macclesfield Town will be up there, this being from the Silkmen’s 2017-18 National League title-winning season.”
But, wait, forget all those (defences being at) sixes and sevens, over in Bulgaria we have an eight. “Beroe won their only Bulgarian title in the 1985-86 season,” writes Edmond Nersezov. “Their biggest defeat was 8-1 against Trakia Plovdiv on 21 December 1985. Despite this, Beroe won the title with 43 points from 30 games, and Trakia finished second with 41 points.”
Are we inevitably hurtling towards double figures? Nathan Atkinson, among others, goes back more than 100 years to ramp the shame up to nine. “My mind was immediately drawn to an extraordinary Tyne-Wear derby that took place in the 1908-09 season,” he begins. “My team, Newcastle, looked well on their way to winning a third title from five (those were the days!). But they hit an almighty roadblock on 5 December at St James’ Park. Drawing 1-1, their world fell apart in an extraordinary 28-minute second-half spell, which saw the Mackems score eight, ensuring the game finished 9-1. But Newcastle went on to win seven consecutive games, starting on New Year’s Day, and ended up winning the league with 53 points, at the time a new record. Even more extraordinarily, they finished with the league’s best defensive record.”
But we’ll see your nine, and raise you this from Chris Page. His first example needs a VAR check but his second is legit: “We could go further afield if we allowed for defeats in Europe. Valletta FC were able to compensate themselves with a Maltese league title in 1983-84 following a first-round exit from the Cup Winners’ Cup against Rangers. After losing the first leg at home 8-0, they followed that up with a 10-0 thrashing at Ibrox.
“If we’re just looking at league defeats, however, then I give you the 1968 Norwegian First Division. Eventual champions Lyn only lost four matches, but one of those was a 10-1 collapse at Stromsgodset. They also lost the return 6-1.” Poor from Lyn. Hope they were dropped at a cab rank.
