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In today's fast-paced result-oriented world, being a professional footballer is no easy task. The relentless scrutiny and forgetfulness could prove to be a bit much to handle for anyone. It goes without saying that top football players also have to endure a lot of pressure both on and off the pitch.
There are several top players who are constantly under the scanner for not rising to their own high standards week in and week out. Some of these high-profile players did get slated a lot last season. But form is temporary and class is permanent. As such, we expect them to silence their doubters once again this term.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five players who look set to prove their critics wrong this season.
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#5 Ousmane Dembele
One of Barcelona's most expensive signings, Ousmane Dembele has flattered to deceive more often than not. We have only received flashes of the immense quality he has and it's about time that the youngster showed the world why the Blaugrana decided to break the bank in order to sign him as Neymar's replacement.
Dembele has received a lot of stick for his lack of discipline and the Frenchman was even linked with an exit. However, seeing as how Barcelona are in one of their worst periods, it looks like now is the time to step up for the 23-year-old.
His time at the Camp Nou has also been blighted by injuries and this will undoubtedly be a defining season for him at Barcelona. Koeman is planning to implement a 4-2-3-1 system and Dembele definitely has the craft to settle into the starting lineup. This might finally be his year.
#4 Paul Pogba
Though Paul Pogba has occasionally been world-class, we can all agree that his sheer natural ability warrants itself to be put on display more often than that. Pogba looked a player reborn following the arrival of Bruno Fernandes at Manchester United and looks happy to shoulder the load in midfield alongside the Portuguese.
Pogba has just recovered after a Coronavirus infection and will want to prove all his doubters wrong and help Manchester United mount a challenge on all fronts. Pogba plays in a deeper role than he used to and has been loving it there and was one of the Red Devils' better players in the closing stages of last season.
Pogba is a world beater on his day and it's about time that he converted all that talent into trophies at club level. At the end of the day, Manchester United rely on him a lot. He would also love to wind up a certain Graeme Souness for good.
#3 Aaron Ramsey
Aaron Ramsey did not hit the ground running after moving to Juventus in the summer of 2019. Maurizio Sarri did not have much of an idea about how to best use the Welshman and he ended up warming the bench an awful lot more than anyone would have expected.
Ramsey was also extensively linked with an exit this summer. However, as soon as Andrea Pirlo took over, there was a feeling that the legend of the game and one of the finest midfielders of his generation would know how to extract Ramsey's quality.
And if there were any doubts regarding that, Aaron Ramsey put most of them to bed last night with an exceptional performance against Sampdoria in Juventus' season opener. He was easily the best player on the pitch and he looks set to have an excellent season in Turin under the tutelage of Andrea Pirlo.
#2 Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard completed his dream move to Real Madrid from Chelsea last summer but it was anything but a dream debut season for the Belgian. He was sidelined due to an injury immediately after he touched down and failed to conjure up anything of note after returning.
It was so odd watching Eden Hazard produce so little as we have seen him tear apart entire defences in the Premier League quite consistently. There is no doubting Eden Hazard's quality. He is one of the finest attacking players of his generation and it is only a matter of time before all those skills will come out of the bag again.
He is currently nursing an injury to his right foot. But the fighter that Hazard is, he will be desperate to return and put all those debut season blues to rest and silence his critics.
#1 Gareth Bale
Gareth Bale was more of a golfer than a football player during his final days at Real Madrid. After falling out with the board and the manager, Bale was condemned to spend his time watching from the sidelines and the player, in particular, did not seem to interested in winning back any favours.
However, Tottenham Hotspur swooped in and offered Gareth Bale a lifeline which he readily took. So now he is back in North London where he first became a star and he will be raring to prove to the world that he has still got it.
Gareth Bale has had an illustrious career but he has arguably not reached the heights that he was expected to reach. Afterall, he was dubbed as the immediate successor to the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Now he is back at Spurs and it's a place that loves him. He hasn't had a lot of that of late and we're familiar with stories of how the Welshman has fallen out of love with the supporters and has failed to integrate himself into the dressing room at Real Madr
While at 31-years-old, it might be difficult to go chasing after Ballon d'Or dreams, Gareth Bale still has quite a few years left in his tank and it doesn't need to be said that he will make Spurs a much more exciting team to watch.
