Source: Daily_Mail
THE LIST: Sportsmail's top 50 Premier and Football League flops of the season - Nos 50-41
HAVE YOUR SAY... Who has been your biggest flop of the English season? It's that time of year again... when we start handing out the annual prizes as the football seasons comes to a climax. There have been plenty of success stories throughout the campaign - but, inevitably, these are counter-balanced by a far few flops. So, tell us who has been your disappointment of the season. TELL US WHAT YOU THINK The end of another dramatic league season is nye and for what seems like the umpteenth season in succession, Chelsea and Manchester United will do battle for the Premier League crown after Arsenal's bid was ended by Wigan in dramatic fashion on Sunday. [LNB]Some teams and characters will not have reason to look back over this campaign with any great fondness, and the time seems right for us to examine those that have had disappointing terms at the office.[LNB]From Rafa Benitez's turbulent campaign at Liverpool, to Richard Keys' on-air howler, we'll remind you of the gaffes that have shaped the season. [LNB]We're counting down 10 each day till our No 1 is revealed on Friday and, as ever, let us know who you think who or what is the biggest flop of this season.[LNB] 50 Hilario [LNB]He may have a name which hints atcomedy, but Hilario had a pretty decent reputation at Chelsea untilhis brief stint covering for Petr Cech this season. [LNB]His career startedwell at Stamford Bridge - he made his Chelsea debut in a ChampionsLeague game against Barcelona and kept a clean sheet. [LNB]But thePortuguese keeper's performances this season, while covering for theinjured Cech, have been poor. Beaten three times in the defeat at Wiganand four times by Manchester City, and then replaced by Ross Turnbull. [LNB] Blue day: Hilario conceded four goals at home to Manchester City [LNB] 49 Arsene Wenger You have to hand it to him, Wengerremains upbeat in the face of continuing adversity: 'I felt this year Imust win a trophy and I believe we are very close.' [LNB]Arsene's analysisof Arsenal's season in the wake of Sunday's 3-2 defeat to Wigan,a result which effectively ended their title challenge and is set to condemnthe Gunners to their fifth trophyless season in a row. [LNB]The Frenchman'sside remain one of the most attractive clubs to watch in the country,if not the world, but the regulars down at the Emirates would swap thatfor a bit of silverware. Some time soon, preferably. [LNB] In Arsene we trust! Wenger was keen to end the Arsenal trophy drought this season[LNB]48 Plymouth weather There hasn't been a great deal forBarnsley to cheer this season, so Tykes boss Mark Robins must have beendelighted with his team's performance away at Plymouth. [LNB]Going a goaldown inside 10 minutes but to then lead 4-1 on the half hour, thetravelling fans must have believed their side would wrap the threepoints no problem. [LNB]What they couldn't have predicted was the weather. Asustained deluge of rain rendered the pitch sodden and unplayable. Referee Gavin Ward took the decision to abandon the game 13 minutesinto the second half. [LNB]Robins wasn't best pleased: 'I don't think theref would have made the same decision if the score was the other wayaround. We should see if he will reimburse our supporters, becausecoming here will have cost them an absolute fortune.' [LNB]47 Sven's short spell at Notts CountySven conceded when he moved to Meadow Lane to become County's director of football that he was taking on the biggest challenge of his career.[LNB]He told us the plan was to take the oldest football club in the world from League Two back into the Premier League. [LNB]A new stadium, high profile players and new training facilities were promised. But the grand plans were scuppered just eight months later. [LNB]Munto Finance Group, who brought the Swede in, were bought out, Sol Campbell played just one game, the club's debts mounted and Sven departed.[LNB] Brief tenure: Sven didn't last the season at Notts County [LNB]46 Sky Sports coverage of transfer deadline dayYou could tell the chaps at Sky were excited about transfer deadline day when they started airing adverts for the extravaganza weeks in advance. [LNB]In recent years there has been real drama as clubs splashed cash and splashed it big, right at the death.[LNB] Think Dimitar Berbatov's £30.75m move to Manchester United or Robinho's £32.5m move to Manchester City. So it is was a tricky job reporting non-news, but then those watching find it hard to get excited on hearing Geremi is moving to Ankaragucu in Turkey, no matter how urgent the presenters sound. [LNB]The stories on the day weren't of the mouth-watering variety, the odd move raised an eyebrow but come on, was there any need to cut to Big Ben to signal the time reaching five-o-clock as the window closed.[LNB]45 Emile HeskeyAt the start of the season Heskey was a shoo-in for Fabio Capello's World Cup squad. Would anyone say the same now?[LNB]The Aston Villa striker has lived a charmed life by virtue of being thefront man who seemed to do well when playing with Wayne Rooney. [LNB]ButHeskey's record of being the fulcrum on which England's successfulqualifying campaign has been lost in a stop-start season of littlequality and very few starts.[LNB]Heads, you lose: Emile Heskey has scored just six goals this season [LNB] He also has just six goals this season, in a side that has blossomed for the majority of the season. [LNB]44 David BentleyDavid Bentley was tipped as one of the best young players in England (that screamer in the north London derby anyone?) but he has hardly lived up to that promise this term. You sense Spurs fans are still waiting to see his real qualities shine through.[LNB]43 Luis JimenezJimenez signed from Inter Milan last summer, but the attacking midfielder has hardly impressed the Upton Park hordes during a season of struggles for the Londoners. His only goal came courtesy of a penalty in a victory over Burnley in November.[LNB] On target: Jimenez scored his only goal from the spot against Burnley [LNB] [LNB]42 Roque Santa CruzThe Paraguay international joined City's revolution last summer for a whopping £17.5million. But in a season blighted by injuries, the striker has failed to live up to his heft price tag, finding the back of the net just four times. [LNB] Hot and cold: David Bentley [LNB]Injury problems: Roque Santa Cruz [LNB] 41 Wigan's crowd (or lack of)Wigan remains a rugby league town (and a proud one). Despite this knowledge, it was still a shock to see a crowd of barely 6,000 for their FA Cup third round clash with Hull in January. There wasn't a lot of magic in the air that day.[LNB] Sparse crowd: It is fair to say the FA Cup against Hull didn't capture the imagination of the Wigan public [LNB] [LNB]The best of the rest of The ListSportsmail'stop 50 Premier League players of the decadeSportsmail'stop 50 last-gasp goals in British footballSportsmail'stop 50 footballers never to play at the World CupSportsmail's top 50 sporting feuds of all timeSportsmail's 50 great sports photographsSportsmail'stop 50 commentators of all timeSportsmail'stop 50 sporting venuesSportsmail'stop 50 performers of the season so farSportsmail'stop 50 all-time managers in BritainSportsmail'stop 50 goal poachersSportsmail'stop 50 footballing traitorsSportsmail'stop 50 FA Cup heroesSportsmail'sgreatest Wembley finals in historySportsmail'stop 50 biggest hitters in cricketSportsmail'stop 50 British & Irish LionsSportsmail'stop 50 Ashes heroes
