Is there any way back for Suwon Samsung Bluewings?

Just how doomed are Suwon Samsung Bluewings? Has any K League 1 team ever been able to come back from as bad a start as Suwon's had and survive? Defeat to Daegu FC in Round 10 left the Bluewings on two points from 30 available and with a real uphill battle to stay in the division.

What won't make great reading for the Bluewings faithful is the fact that only Incheon United in 2020 have come back from a start as bad as this and survived. That year, Incheon had managed just two draws from their first 10 matches yet managed to pull off the greatest of great escapes, finishing two points above the relegation place.

A handful of clubs have managed to survive despite being bottom of the table after 10 games played, but none with a worse points return than Suwon Bluewings. Daejeon Citizen had three points after Round 10 in 2012 but went on to escape relegation. However, the following year, the Purples had managed to earn seven points after 10 rounds and went down. Same too for Gangwon FC and Daegu FC who were both relegated that year, both had managed just five and four points respectively.

[READ: Would Suwon Bluewings be the biggest K League club to get relegated?]

In 2014, Incheon were on four points at this stage yet still survived while Daejeon in 2015 also had four points after 10 games played but went down that year. Incheon, again, had four points in 2016 but survived while Jeju United in 2019 also had four points but suffered relegation. 

How did Incheon do it, then? Incheon actually went 15 games without winning, managing to earn just five points from 45 available but from mid-August won seven out of their last 12 matches. So, the Bluewings can perhaps take some solace in knowing that it's not impossible to stay up. However, the 2020 season saw just one team relegated automatically with no promotion-relegation playoff.