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Similar to any other sport, consistency is one of the key components involved in football as well. Several talented and hardworking players come about every year, but it is ultimately their consistency on the pitch that sets them apart from the rest of the crowd.
In the modern-day, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the best examples of maintaining consistency. Both Messi and Ronaldo have delivered for their teams season after season for the last 15 years and more, which is what puts them in a tier of their own. There are other players as well who are workhorses for the team and deliver the goods week on week for their sides in their area of expertise on the pitch. The likes of Mohamed Salah, Harry Kane and Karim Benzema are prime examples of this.
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However, there are also players who constantly seem to experience peaks and troughs. These players are tremendous on their day. Unfortunately, those days do not come about on a consistent basis. Here, we look at five of the most unpredictable current players in modern football.
#5 Paul Pogba | Manchester United
Paul Pogba is one of the most talented players to have emerged from Manchester United's academy. The Frenchman, who left United in 2012 to join Juventus, returned to the club in 2016 as a superstar.
Much was expected from Pogba upon his return, with many expecting him to herald a new and hopeful generation of Manchester United stars. However, the midfielder has repeatedly blown hot and cold over the years. The notion that Pogba "is excellent when he wants to be" has been perpetuated so immensely in recent years, largely thanks to the wide contrast in his performances for France and the Red Devils.
That could all be set to change this season, however. Pogba, who has contributed 38 goals and 49 assists in 213 matches for United, began the 2021-22 campaign with a bang. The midfielder has recorded seven assists already this season from as many matches and has displayed a good level of consistency to boot.
#4 Sadio Mane | Liverpool
Sadio Mane has been a tremendous footballer for Liverpool over the past five years. The Senegalese is difficult to defend against and as electric as they come.
However, Mane definitely seems to have lost some of that spark that put him in such high regard a couple of seasons ago. Nowadays, it is very difficult to guess which side of the forward we will get to see. Last season, Mane's struggles were woefully evident as he was wasteful in front of goal and often looked devoid of ideas. The profligacy showed in his stats as well, as he managed just 16 goals from 48 appearances.
The new season has seen some change in the second aspect, but the winger still looks a tad indecisive in the final third from time to time. There is no telling when Mane will turn up, but when he does, few can stop the Senegalese battering ram.
#3 Martin Braithwaite | Barcelona
A little over four years ago, Martin Braithwaite was at Middlesbrough, who were then in the Premier League. He was relegated with them before joining CD Leganes. Somehow, in 2020, Braithwaite suddenly found himself leading the line for Barcelona.
The Catalans used a rather unjust La Liga clause to sign the Dane from Leganes, ultimately resulting in the latter losing their top-flight status. Braithwaite has since been the epitome of inconsistency at the club, but you can hardly blame him because he's been thrown into a situation well beyond his control.
Braithwaite was generally bright for Denmark at Euro 2020 as they made it to the semi-finals of the tournament. However, he managed just one goal in six matches. Similarly, Braithwaite began the 2021-22 league season by netting a brace and collecting an assist on Matchday 1 for Barcelona. But he struggled and put in a couple of below-par performances in the next two La Liga matches before being sidelined due to an unfortunate injury.
#2 Serge Gnabry | Bayern Munich
A tremendously talented player, Serge Gnabry was one of the lynchpins of Bayern Munich's iconic treble in the 2019-20 season. However, he has since struggled to match that hype on a consistent basis.
Gnabry recorded 23 goals and 14 assists in the Bavarians' tremendous 2019-20 campaign and scored numerous important goals. There were obvious concerns about his ability to sustain such levels of performance in subsequent campaigns and many can see why. Gnabry managed just 11 goals in 38 appearances during the 2020-21 campaign and looked off-color quite often.
The 26-year-old also made close to no impact at Euro 2020, neither scoring nor assisting across four matches. But rather than the decline in output, it is also the nature of Gnabry's performances that makes him a presence on this list. The German has often been indecisive and seems to lack the precision and vigor that made him almost unplayable a few years back. The unpredictability of his performances have undeniably affected Bayern's results as well.
#1 Adama Traore | Wolves
Few in the Premier League boast the natural robustness and physical attributes of Adama Traore. On his day, the Spaniard is virtually unplayable with his pace and instant acceleration.
Yet, Traore is his own worst enemy. The forward, despite boasting over three years of experience in the Premier League, still struggles to finish chances and often chooses the wrong pass after beating multiple defenders with his dribbling. Traore's brilliance on the field was particularly visible during the 2019-20 campaign when he formed a fearsome partnership with Raul Jimenez.
The winger managed 12 assists and six goals in 54 matches that season and troubled virtually every defender in the league. But Traore has since returned to his lack of awareness in the final pace and that continues to keep him from reaching the higher echelons he is capable of. The level of inconsistency Traore has displayed over the years is worrisome and very possibly one of the reasons why the La Masia graduate isn't presently plying his trade in Catalonia.
