In my 20 years in football, I was fortunate enough never to have experienced relegation. And while there is the pressure of expectations at the top of the league, at the bottom it comes in fear and trepidation, which is almost worse.
Something interesting has happened over the last 10 years in the Premier League. Players who once would have been discarded as expensive and too old have become important parts of title-winning squads.
I would have been about seven years old when the formative years of my competitive football education began. I was playing in the local leagues around Manchester, playing against lads from tough areas who had been taught they had to fight for everything.
One year's poor form remains a blip but if it happens next year, you can say it's a trend.
There are only four trophies available to win at the start of every season and there will be some big teams this year who won't win one at all.
It was like he was being controlled by a 10 year-old on a PlayStation.