The biggest clubs in contemporary world football command the services of the most skilled, fit and intelligent players today. They are able to use their financial muscle to entice these players into signing big-money contracts, after paying big bucks to their parent clubs (other than hefty negotiation fees to the players’ agents).
But after securing their services, these clubs don’t always field the players in every game. Many of them are left unused on the bench for long periods of time, and have to wait for considerable amounts of time to prove their worth on the pitch. The following are 10 players who don’t deserve to be sitting on the bench for their current clubs:
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#1 James Rodriguez
One of the costliest transfers of all time, Rodriguez has not had the best of times in his spell at Real Madrid. Having come into his third season at the world’s richest and most hallowed club, James has struggled to get his Real career going.
His place in the starting XI was taken away by manager Rafa Benitez after an injury layoff last year. Ever since then, he has struggled to break into the playing XI. He is facing stiff competition from the likes of Gareth Bale, Marco Asensio and Lucas Vazquez – all of these are players who are more suitable for the wide forward role than him.
He only has 8 appearances in the La Liga for Real this season, out of which 4 have been off the substitutes’ bench. A player of his quality deserves more playing time and he would do well to move to greener pastures in the upcoming transfer windows.
#2 Isco
Isco has been marked down as one of the world’s most precocious young players ever since he broke into Valencia’s squad in the 2010-11 season. Following a voraciously consistent season for Malaga in 2012-13, Florentino Perez brought him to Madrid for €30 million – a pittance these days when we compare his price tag to his immense potential.
After thoroughly impressing former manager Carlo Ancelotti initially, who agreed to the sale of Mesut Ozil in order to make room for him, Isco has drifted out of the starting XI picture. Ancelotti changed Real’s formation from a 4-2-3-1 to 4-3-3, leaving no room for a natural no. 10 – which is exactly where Isco fits in best.
This season, Isco has started 8 games in La Liga out of 15, in addition to 4 substitute appearances. But these appearances have stacked up only because of injury troubles for Kroos, Casemiro and Modric. The Spaniard would do well to hold on to his starting berth when all 3 of them are fit and in full form.
#3 Cesc Fabregas
Fabregas has had a chequered club career, which began with the Gunners in 2003 after Arsene Wenger spotted his immense potential and snapped him from Barcelona. Having always been hailed as Spain’s best midfield talent of this generation, Fabregas has flattered to deceive – time and again.
That was the reason why Barcelona agreed to let go of his considerable talents in the summer of 2014 to Champions League arch-rivals Chelsea for the sum of €25 million. After impressing under Mourinho in their triumphant 2014-15 Premier League campaign as one of the key members of the squad, Fabregas lost form at the fag end of the season.
He has struggled to get back to his brilliant best ever since. Current Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has seemingly discarded him from his plans for this season in Chelsea’s brand-new 3-4-3 formation, with which they have gone on an 11-game unbeaten streak in the league. It remains to be seen how the Spaniard would fit into the new scheme of things, and whether he will move to a different club in the coming transfer windows.
#4 Lucas Perez
Lucas Perez has been called a late bloomer ever since his irresistible form last season, when he scored 17 goals in La Liga for Deportivo and saved them from relegation almost single-handedly. The Spaniard was tipped for a big-money move at the end of the season, and he duly completed a move to Arsenal after making a single appearance for the Galician club in La Liga this season.
His time at Arsenal has been relatively frustrating in comparison, as Arsenal have looked towards their more experienced players for the goals this season. Arsene Wenger continues to start Alexis Sanchez in the striker’s role despite the fact that the Chilean is a natural wide forward. While Sanchez has also been a revelation in his new role, Perez’s exclusion from the starting XI seems to be a travesty when we look at his numbers for this season.
In 5 starts and 4 substitute appearances this season, Lucas Perez has handed Arsenal 5 goals and a pair of assists – enviable figures for any player at a top club. It remains to be seen how long the Spaniard is kept out of the starting XI, as he is one of the fastest players at the club and has a great finishing touch – which Arsenal desperately need.
#5 Anthony Martial
Anthony Martial made the record as football’s most expensive teenager last summer, as he signed for Manchester United from AS Monaco for a fee that seemed to be exorbitant at the time. The Frenchman proceeded to silence all doubters in his very first appearance – coming off the bench to score United’s third goal in their derby game against Liverpool.
Martial became a regular feature of Louis van Gaal’s side last season and was United’s top scorer in all competitions last season. There were times when he was the lone player who looked capable of scoring for the incurably inefficient United forward line – they were all suffering under van Gaal’s iron-clad tactical setup.
This season, Martial has been kept out of the starting lineup by Mourinho, who prefers to start Juan Mata in the wide role. Martial has shown that he possesses more than enough talent and gusto to force his way into the starting lineup. It may only be a matter of time before he comes roaring back to the form he displayed last season.
#6 Mamadou Sakho
Sakho’s case is one of the most comical, yet unfortunate in world football. The French defender was tipped to be one of France’s most important players in their home edition of the Euros this summer. But a positive drug test led to him being banned from all forms of competitive football for a month.
What transpired later would infuriate almost anyone in his position – the drug he tested positive for was not found on the banned list, and the doping charges on him were subsequently dropped.
Sakho fell out with manager Jurgen Klopp during the pre-season after violating a number of team rules – missing a flight, meal timings and even a medical evaluation session. Ever since then, Sakho has had to train and play with Liverpool’s reserve team in the Professional Development League. It remains to be seen when he will again be declared available for selection.
#7 Olivier Giroud
The French international striker has been the first-choice starter for his country ever since Karim Benzema’s infamous videotape controversy. Yet, he has not started a single Premier League game for his own club team – Arsenal – this season.
Giroud has only been on the pitch for a grand total of 397 minutes for Arsenal this season. He has made the best possible use of his minutes on the pitch, scoring 3 goals in the Premier League and 2 in the Champions League. He even has 5 goals in 6 appearances for France in friendly internationals since this summer.
But Arsene Wenger continues to persist with Alexis Sanchez in the no. 9 role, and Giroud’s role in the squad has been increasingly marginalised. The striker turned 30 recently, and does not have much time left at his peak level. A move to another club would help him get the best out of his goalscoring abilities.
#8 Vincent Kompany
The veteran Manchester City defender has not been in the best of nick for the past couple of years. Scores of niggling injuries have afflicted the Belgian, who just hasn’t been able to sustain an extended run in City’s playing XI for a long time now.
With the arrival of John Stones for a British record fee of £46 million (for a defender), Kompany’s place in City’s playing XI was immediately raised to question. Stones has fitted into Guardiola’s style of play seamlessly, while Nicholas Otamendi’s adversarial style of play gives him the advantage over the more circumspect Vincent.
Kompany has only appeared in 5 games for City this season (2 Premier League starts and 2 games in the League Cup). Even in the 3 league appearances he managed, Kompany only totalled 116 minutes, and it looks to be the beginning of the end of his City career. At this rate, he should look for another club to finish off his career.
#9 Alvaro Morata
The Real Madrid youth product became one of the hot young properties in world football after a 2-year spell at Juventus. He scored in both legs of the Real-Juve Champions League semifinal tie last year, as well as in the final against Barcelona – clearly proving his big-game credentials.
Having been bought back by Real for just around €30 million, which is a much smaller sum of money than his market value, Morata would have expected to start more games. Instead, Zidane continues to place faith in Benzema as his leading striker, and it is the Frenchman who gets the nod for the starting XI when fit and firing.
With 7 goals and 3 assists for Real in a grand total of 769 minutes spread across 17 appearances, Morata has proven to be an ace in the hole for his hometown club. Zidane would do well to integrate him into the club’s long-term starting lineup once Benzema’s game falls.
#10 Kingsley Coman
The Frenchman is one of the fastest and wiliest wingers in world football, and was an important part of Bayern’s scheme of things under Pep Guardiola. He has won many admirers, as well as the Golden Boy award for his confident displays since moving to Germany.
Coman was expected to grow into Bayern’s starting role this season, and injuries to Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery gave him ample chances last season – which he capitalised on.
But their comebacks have made starting appearances a rarety for him this season – he has played less than 300 minutes of football so far this season. One would expect a better return for a talented player like him, and he would do well to move to a club which provides him the opportunity to do so.
