Worst Premier League Team of the Season: Casemiro and Antony headline

James Shearman

Updated: 17 May 2024 06:19 BST
6 min read

Casemiro, Antony, Man Utd, 2023/24 — © IMAGO

It's been a great Premier League season - but that doesn't mean there have not been players who have underperformed.

The likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool have all struggled at various stages due to some stars being out of form.

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Below, FootballTransfers provides a lineup of the worst Premier League players of the 2023-24 campaign, in a 4-3-3 formation.

Wes Foderingham (Sheffield United)

Little was expected of Sheffield United, as almost everyone predicted them to be relegated, but they have still massively underwhelmed.

Bottom of the table with just 16 points, at least one Blades player had to make this team.

And, being the first-choice goalkeeper of a team that has conceded 101 goals (almost three per game), Foderingham has to be held accountable.

Reece James (Chelsea)

Reece James' inclusion may seem harsh, as he has missed most of the season through injury.

However, when your injury record is so suspect, you simply cannot afford to miss games through suspension.

And, James has received two red cards, the joint-most of any player in the league, despite making just five starts.

STATS

Reece James

D (CR), M (R)

Chelsea

Reece James

D (CR), M (R)

Chelsea

10

Games
0

Goals
2

Assists

Nathan Collins (Brentford)

Brentford have key player Ivan Toney's suspension for an excuse, but they still been far worse than they would have liked this season.

One reason for their poor performance is that club-record £23 million signing Nathan Collins has been extremely disappointing.

The Ireland international has committed four errors leading to goals - the most of any outfield player.

Casemiro (Man Utd)

The 2023-24 season will surely go down as Casemiro's most challenging to date.

The Real Madrid legend has not had the desired impact at Old Trafford and, every time he plays, he shows signs of declination.

Plus, having already struggled in his favoured defensive midfield position, manager Erik ten Hag has asked him to play in the centre of defence in recent weeks.

The 32-year-old was so poor in Manchester United's 4-0 defeat to Crystal Palace that Liverpool great Jamie Carragher told Sky Sports: "He needs to call it a day at this level and move."

STATS

Casemiro

DM (CRL)

Man Utd

Casemiro

DM (CRL)

Man Utd

23

Games
1

Goals
2

Assists

Ben Chilwell (Chelsea)

Two years ago, it would have seemed impossible for Reece James and Ben Chilwell to be included in the worst team of the season. The pair were nothing short of spectacular under Thomas Tuchel.

Unfortunately, both have been plagued by injuries to the point where that is now very much a reality.

Chilwell has not looked the same player since he returned from a cruciate ligament injury, offering much less going forward and becoming somewhat of a defensive liability.

Sofyan Amrabat (Man Utd)

Sofyan Amrabat rose to fame for his exceptional performances at the 2022 World Cup for Morocco, but he has not shown that consistently for Man Utd.

The 27-year-old was excellent in the Red Devils' win over Newcastle on Wednesday, but that was far too little too late.

He has not done nearly enough for Erik ten Hag's underachieving side, who are unlikely to take up their £21 million option to buy him from Fiorentina this summer.

Kalvin Phillips (Man City & West Ham)

Kalvin Phillips was great for both Leeds United and England before joining Pep Guardiola's Manchester City as a backup to Rodri.

However, the Spaniard is so integral to the Premier League leaders that Phillips rarely played at all.

In search of regular game time, he signed for West Ham on loan in the January transfer window and was expected to return to his best.

But, he has been terrible when given the opportunity and it seems he is completely void of confidence.

The 28-year-old is now nowhere near the England setup and a return to Leeds seems the only plausible way to get his career back on track.

Current ETV

Kalvin Phillips

DM (CRL)

West Ham United

Kalvin Phillips

DM (CRL)

West Ham United

ETV Range

€10.7M - €17.9M

Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool)

Liverpool signed Ryan Gravenberch for €40 million from then-Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich on Deadline Day last summer.

At 21 years of age, there is a chance that he will come good at Anfield, but he has not shown much to suggest that he will.

One goal contribution in 25 Premier League appearances for an offensive-minded midfielder is below par, to say the least.

Antony (Man Utd)

STATS

Antony

AM (R), M (RL)

Man Utd

Antony

AM (R), M (RL)

Man Utd

29

Games
1

Goals
1

Assists

Antony will go down as one of the worst signings in the history of football.

He has provided just one goal and one assist this season - a regression on the four goals and two assists that he registered in the previous campaign.

Not only does he lack the quality to play for United, but he also comes across as a very unlikeable character, particularly when he is playing poorly.