Welcome to FourFourTwo's Alternative Awards of 2024 – and you can vote for your favourites. In this category, perhaps your least favourite…
Every December in FourFourTwo magazine, we look back on the best of the past 12 months – so it's only fit we extend that online. We asked our team for their nominations for the worst display over the last year, whether that's from a player, manager, or anyone – with no stipulations on who to vote for or however many nominations a party can accumulate.
So who gets your vote?
Cristiano Ronaldo vs Slovenia at Euro 2024: nominated by Adam Monk, presenter/producer (@_adammonk)
VOTE NOW! Masterclass of the Year
In the tournament where one of the greatest ever was meant to bow out in Michael Jordan-esque fashion on the European stage, it all culminated in the wrong way for Ronaldo when he faced Slovenia in the Round of 16. 120 minutes played, 0 goals, 8 shots, 1 penalty missed, 1 hit woodwork, 2 skied free kicks he refused to let his teammates take - it was the first time we've ever seen Ronaldo want the ground to swallow him up and it was a clear sign that excessive pride had made him overstay his welcome.
David Coote: nominated by Matthew Ketchell, deputy editor (@Ketchell)
Oh deary, deary, deary me. FourFourTwo's Adam Clery called it: celebrity Big Brother awaits. I'd also like to add in PSR rules to the Disasterclass category. PSR forcing clubs who’ve qualified for the Champions League, like Aston Villa and Newcastle United, to sell some of their best, young, homegrown players instead of investing in the team. Get that firmly in the bin.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle: nominated by Chris Flanagan, senior staff writer (@CFlanaganFFT)
A special mention here to RB Leipzig somehow losing six out of six in the Champions League, Hull City sacking Liam Rosenior for finishing seventh, then plummeting to bottom of the Championship, and whatever the hell Erik ten Hag was attempting to do at Manchester United.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle surpassed them all though – first, dropping into the Scottish third tier for the first time in 25 years, Duncan Ferguson's second successive relegation, after similar with Forest Green. Then, attempting to move their training base 136(!) miles south to Fife, only to be talked out of it by angry fans (Super Caley Fans Ballistic, This Idea's Atrocious). Then, going into administration, leading to a 15-point deduction, putting them in danger of dropping into the fourth tier.
Only a similar subsequent points deduction for Dumbarton might save them. Not a great year, all in all.
England: nominated by James Andrew, editor (@JamesAndrew_)
For the second Euros in a row Gareth Southgate failed to lead the most talented Three Lions squad in a generation to glory. Yet again England fell at the final hurdle in a year when a number of the big hitters were knocked out earlier in the tournament. The question is now if England will ever celebrate like it’s 1966.
Manchester United, for their treatment of the women's team: nominated by Sarah Rendell, women's football editor (@rendellx)
The side re-formed in 2018 and were going strength-to-strength, winning their first major trophy in 2024 with the FA Cup. However, a clear prioritisation of the men's team has driven key players away from the side. Captain Katie Zelem left in the summer transfer window and has subsequently criticised the club - and new co-owners INEOS - for not also prioritising the women's side. The players, staff and fans deserve more.
Harry Clarke: nominated by Ben Marsden, writer (@BenMarsden03)
Imagine the thrill of making your Premier League debut; the nerves, the excitement and feeling oh-so proud. Then imagine trudging off after 70 minutes having been sent off, conceded a penalty and scored an own goal. Unfortunately for Harry Clarke he didn’t have to imagine this.
The 23-year-old had the nightmare of all nightmares on his debut in Ipswich Town’s 4-3 loss to Brentford leaving football fans across the country feeling extremely sorry for the defender. He has since made three more appearances for Ipswich in which, perhaps somewhat unsurprisingly, he has performed better.
Deutsche Bahn: nominated by Ed McCambridge, staff writer (@edmccambridge)
Germany’s national rail service was nothing short of a shambles during an otherwise excellent Euro 2024, as delays, cancellations, a lack of staff and overpriced ticketing made traveling around the country a massive pain in the arse. The myth of German efficiency has been well and truly busted in 2024.
Real Madrid: nominated by Mark White, online content editor (@markwhlte)
The European champions' boycott of the Ballon d'Or, in solidarity with neither Vinicius Jr or Dani Carvajal winning, was meant to say, “Don't f*** with us.” It just made Real Madrid look pathetic. The Ballon d'Or is a trivial popularity pageant that means virtually nothing: for goodness sake, either treat it that way, or back up the bulls***. Don't throw the baby out of the bathwater for the sake of a winger who bombed in the Copa America or a beige right-back – especially after a 4-0 defeat to your rivals, in which your marquee summer signing was offside 10 times.
Instead, Real made a big deal of cancelling their flights on the day and prepped players to put out “I STAND WITH MY TEAM-MATE” statuses on social media… before going back to the day job of struggling to qualify for the Champions League knockouts automatically. A PR nightmare from a club usually so smooth.
Ryan Dabbs: nominated by Ryan Dabbs, senior writer online (@ryandabbs_)
Admittedly it was my 'wildest prediction of the year', but even this is terribly, embarrassingly bad. Suggesting that Arne Slot won't last the full season, when the Duthchman has Liverpool top of the Premier League, top of the Champions League and into the quarter-finals of the League Cup, is worthy enough of the sack... (hopefully it's not!).
