Who takes top spot in our list of the most boring clubs in England's top flight? Here, @SteTudor123 picks his five boring football teams in the Premier League...
1) Wolverhampton Wanderers
Boring is subjective. One man’s thrills prompts another man to yawn.
Surely though we can all agree that a club who repeatedly signs funky, attacking Portuguese players – enigmatic and skilful to a man – yet insists on being so cautious and pragmatic, deserves a stern talking to.
Presently, only one side in the top seven tiers of the footballing pyramid has scored fewer league goals than Wolves in 2022/23, and this allergy to adventure is nothing new.
Under new gaffer Julen Lopetegui, their scoring ratio has improved, but only marginally and inevitably this means they still feature prominently in the Premier League relegation betting.
2) Aston Villa
The Villans have been Premier League residents for 27 of the competition’s 30 year history. Their average league placing across this whole period is tenth.
Granted, there have been a couple of narrow relegation survivals, while all the way back in 1992 the Midlands outfit finished second to Manchester United.
But for the most part they have tootled along in mid-table, rarely venturing to the business ends; rarely getting caught up in any excitement.
In the great scheme of things, Villa should be proud of their sustained consistency. It does however make them exceedingly dull.
3) Everton
In a similar vein we have the Toffees. The good old, predictable Toffees, whose average league placing from 30 consecutive years in the top-flight is also tenth. A solid, stolid tenth.
At least with the Blues, there have been some harem-scarem relegation dogfights in the mix, and no doubt we’ll witness another this term as Sean Dyche’s new charges flounder at the wrong end of the table.
On the plus side meanwhile, the David Moyes era brought relative success.
Yet still, when assessing their entire Premier League legacy we see the same story playing out every August through the May.
Bad decisions are made off the pitch but the club survives – and occasionally thrives – due to the high-intensity football inspired by their passionate support. Rinse and repeat.
4) AFC Bournemouth
The Cherries are no longer top-flight newbies and subsequently they have lost their underdog status.
What that means from a neutral’s perspective is another Burnley situation, of a club hampered by limited resources, who aspire to finish 17th each season only minus the fairy tale element to achieving their aim.
Bournemouth’s journey from near-extinction to the elite is of course highly commendable, as too is their weekly endeavours to stay put.
Seeing them just about do enough each term though, by winning the occasional game of football, is anything but box-office. Rightly or wrongly – and it’s very likely wrongly – familiarity is starting to breed a little contempt.
5) Chelsea
Like a lot of the best, and worst, aspects of modern-day football, it all began with Jose Mourinho.
Back in their pomp under the self-appointed ‘Special One’, Chelsea were less a footballing side, and more an unattractive hybrid of athletes and machine.
Though their Premier League odds are significantly wider these days, as they struggle to make even top four, this perception has never quite left them, even after countless managers since.
Chelsea still over-power opponents on their day. They still adhere to percentages. Consequently they are a hard team to love.
