It’s not hard to find gifted footballers sitting on the bench in the best clubs of the world these days. The more successful clubs have multiple competitions to participate in, and can’t afford to ‘only’ have 11 good footballers. Two good players for every position is considered a must, to allow for ample rotation and ensure the clubs reach the end of the season in top shape.
While the predicament is completely understandable, it’s also disappointing to see some wonderfully talented players waste their golden years warming the bench, when they could be out there on the field, doing what they do best and thrilling the crowds.
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In this piece, we scour through the top division in English football, selecting an array of sumptuous talent that would form the strongest second XI in the Premier League, and be more than worthy of challenging for the crown.
1) Goalkeeper and defenders
Asmir Begovic (Chelsea)
Asmir Begovic moved to Chelsea in 2015 after 5 solid years with Stoke City. The Bosnian drew massive praise across England for his keeping skills and his consistency in what was a solid defensive setup for The Potters.
With 50 caps for his national team, his pedigree has never been in any doubt but he must surely years to pull on his jersey on the pitch on a more consistent basis. Begovic was linked with several clubs, including Everton during the recently concluded transfer market, but a move never materialised.
Matteo Darmian (Manchester United)
The Italian full-back arrived on English shores with plenty of hype after a fantastic year with Torino. Defend, pump in crosses from the flanks, score acrobatic volleys, there was a time when It seemed like there was nothing Darmian couldn’t do. And he started off excellently with Manchester United as well, immediately capturing the imagination of the fans and making them think he would be a fixture in their backline for years to come.
But things tailed off since and his performances weren’t as consistent. Jose Mourinho’s arrival was rumoured to put him back in the starting lineup but Luke Shaw and Antonio Valencia seem to be doing too well to be dropped for the Italian.
Chris Smalling (Manchester United)
Another United defender on the list. Smalling has been one of England’s most reliable center backs in recent times. At 26 years old, he still has margins to improve and a long career ahead for a central defender.
With Eric Bailly and Daley Blind looking playing so well together though it might be a while before Smalling gets a good run in the first team again. If and when he does get a chance to win his place back, expect him to make an impression in the heart of United’s defence.
Kevin Wimmer (Tottenham Hotspur)
The 23-year-old Austrian centre-back hasn’t found a lot of playing time on English shores, but it shouldn’t be forgotten that he arrived as an immensely talented and accomplished 22-year-old player.
It was an eye-catching 2014-15 Bundesliga season with FC Koln that got Spurs interested, and given time and confidence Wimmer’s attributes would improve a lot of top flight teams.
Aleksandar Kolarov (Manchester City)
The Serbian has had an illustrious career, proving himself in Serie A and the Premier League. He’ll be an asset for our team for his ability to bomb down the left flank and put in some of the most accurate crosses a player in his position has ever produced. and for his fantastic ability on set pieces.
Kolarov can also put a shift in a centre-back if needed, and can take up any position on the left flank further forward as well. This will be his 7th season in the Premier League, winning 6 titles in the process and his experience will be key.
2) Midfielders
Francis Coquelin (Arsenal)
There isn’t much Coquelin has done wrong since he burst onto the scene with Arsenal. The 25-year-old midfielder added a bite to the Arsenal midfield that they were in dire need of, and turned out a series of excellent performances in the middle of the park for The Gunners.
But Arsenal have an extraordinary set of central midfielders this year, with Aaron Ramsey, Santi Cazorla, Granit Xhaka, Mohamed Elneny and Coquelin offering a variety of creativity and leadership in the middle of the field. It’s hard to say how much game time Coquelin will manage this season, but it remains clear he’s a great player to have in your side.
Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea)
We’re going to partner Coquelin with a former Arsenal player in Cesc Fabregas. The Spaniard still clearly oozes creativity and the eye for a pass, but is going to find it hard to start in Antonio Conte’s system this year. It doesn’t mean that he’s less talented though, and in our team, he’ll be the central playmaker. Coquelin and Fabregas will form a fearsome duo that will be almost as good as any in the league.
3) Attackers
Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Manchester United)
It’ll actually be a big surprise if the Armenian hasn’t become central to Manchester United’s starting XI in a few months time, but at least for now he remains out of the starting 11. He’s appeared sharp, and keen in the few minutes he’s played, of course, so don’t expect him to spend too much time on the bench. Mkhitaryan was criticised for his initial performances at Dortmund, and the way he would soon take the Bundesliga by storm would silence his doubters emphatically.
We’re happy to have him operating in a free role behind the striker, in the meantime.
Leroy Sane (Manchester City)
The German talent convinced Manchester City to part with a staggering £46.5 million for his services (including add-ons) which clearly illustrate the faith the club have in him and how they good they believe he can be.
It also includes the premium for talented young players that there seems to be, but make no mistake, Sane has tremendous potential. 8 league goals from the wing last year meant that he made an impression in the Bundesliga and at 20 years old he’s going to get much much better.
Ahmed Musa (Leicester)
With Islam Slimani’s arrival, Musa will be expected to find it harder to start as many games as he would have imagined. With multiple competitions to play, he should have enough time to make an impression anyway, though. The 23-year-old Nigerian has a change of pace that will leave most defenders for dead and has the potency to get on the scoresheet several times throughout the season as well.
His last season yielded 17 goals, his best so far and he’s only getting better.
Michy Batshuayi (Chelsea)
The 22-year-old Belgian has already made an impression in the very limited minutes he’s been afforded in a Chelsea shirt. Batshuayi came from Marseille after having managed 23 goals in what was an absolutely chaotic season for his club.
He clearly knows how to make the most of the limited opportunities presented to him, and his efficiency is more than enviable. He’s already scored 3 goals in Chelsea in 4 appearances and looks set to have an invaluable contribution to Chelsea’s season.
4) Formation
The team would line up with a 4-2-3-1 formation and the strength of the side lies in the attack. Michy Batshuayi has been incredible for Chelsea, even though he has done most of the damage coming off the bench. Mkhitaryan is also yet to shine and Ahmed Musa does look like a shrewd signing by Claudio Ranieri.
The defence could be the weakest area of the side but a pairing of Wimmer and Smalling looks to be good enough for most Premier League sides.
