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Here Are 5 Premier League Seasons That Were Even More Boring Than This One

Conor Neville
By Conor Neville
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Sky Sports' anchors would die before admitting it (or be forced to resign shortly after doing so) but the only debate to be had about the 2014-15 season is not whether it is boring but whether in fact it is the most boring Premier League of all.

Many broadcasters and journalists who are not contractually obliged to 'big the thing up' are admitting that indeed it is.

But, not so fast. We can't ignore the other contenders for this worthy accolade - the most boring title of the Premier League era.

Here are five seasons that were arguably more boring than 2014-15.

Cognisant of the fact that football was only invented in 1992, we have restricted the contenders to that timeframe.

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1.  2000/01

The 2000-01 season makes 2014-15 look like a non-stop thrill ride.

Bookmakers were refusing to take bets on the title race by Christmas and Manchester United had their third successive title wrapped up well before the end of the season.

So early did United secure the championship that they merely phoned in the final few performances, Serie A style (In Italy, it is considered bad form to try your hardest when there is nothing on the line). To emphasise this, they collected the trophy after losing 1-0 at home to Derby County.

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The relegation 'battle' was utterly lacking in tension as eight points separated 17th placed Derby and 18th placed Manchester City at the close. All three relegated sides (Man City, Coventry and a dismal Bradford City) were gone before the final day.

Ipswich Town were the season's greatest over-performers, finishing in a heady 6th spot in their first (and penultimate) year back in the top flight. George Burley won manager of the season.

The greatest excitement, however, was to be had over at Harchester United.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4HqMmevqUc

 

2.  2012/13

After the dramas of the year before, there was no contest at all the top of the table. Manchester United's superb form before Christmas left them in an unassailable position.

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As in 2001, United eventually sealed the title on auto-pilot, with a series of uninspiring 1-0 and 2-0 home wins, pockmarked with a couple of losses, including one to closest rivals (although not that close) Manchester City.

City were still drunk on the celebrations from the previous season and weren't able to mount a challenge.

In the final months, United only roused themselves for the 3-0 demolition of Aston Villa, which sealed the title mathematically.

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Alex Ferguson announcing his retirement was unquestionably the most significant moment of the season.

Down at the other end, QPR and Reading were relegated from a long way out. Wigan officially went down on the penultimate day after being spanked 4-1 at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal pipped Spurs for the final Champions League spot but if that's the only excitement on the final day then its a poor show.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1ad_7fz0F8

 3. 2003/04

The biggest novelty of the 2003-04 was Arsenal's outstanding achievement in going an entire season unbeaten.

They won the League with 11 points to spare over newly minted Chelsea, now lying serenely on a comfy bed of Russian oil money. They were about to get into their stride.

Manchester United looked good up until Christmas, but had an appalling start to 2004, and dropped out of the title race, falling back on the consolation of the FA Cup. Rio Ferdinand missing his drug test because he was out shopping in Manchester was possibly the funniest story of the season.

The relegation battle offered little in the way of heart-stopping drama. Leeds United were the most high profile team to go down, but their fate was sealed before the final day, along with there two counterparts, Wolves and Leicester, no strangers to relegation either of them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mc3qSA1mxjw

4. 1999/00

The only excitement to be had in May was Bradford beating Liverpool on the final day thanks to a header from Alf Inge Haaland's more fortuitous sidekick David Weatherall. A 2-0 defeat at the Dell sees Egil Olsen's Wimbledon drop out the Premiership for the first time in over decade, never to return.

At the other end, people stopped caring well before the end as Man United won the League by an absolute mile. By the biggest margin of the entire Ferguson era, in fact.

David O'Leary's impressive but callow team (he called them his 'babies', you'll recall)  look good early in the season but they flopped early in the new year.

5. 2005-06

Mourinho's Chelsea win the title (their second in a row) handily enough, but United's form in the second half of the season is strong. They briefly threatened a stunning comeback but a slack draw at home to an unbelievably useless Sunderland team cost them. Chelsea steam-rolled United 3-0 on the penultimate day to win the League.

Sunderland amass a whopping total of 15 points, the gold standard of badness until Derby 2007/08 model came along. West Brom and Birmingham also go down before the final Sunday.

However, Portsmouth's incredible finish to the season, inspired by Harry Redknapp's return to the club, gives the relegation battle a bit of flavour. But then, 2014-15 also had Nigel Pearson.

Read more: A Tribute To The Blackburn Rovers Side Of 1994-95 - Where Are They Now?

Read more: Balls Remembers The Time A Dublin Club Almost Ended Up In The Scottish League

 

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