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#1 No Ballon d'Or candidates
I have a theory that the quality of a number 7 is directly proportional to the quality of a Manchester United side. To have Eric Cantona, David Beckham, and Cristiano Ronaldo don that iconic No. 7 back-to-back-to-back helped the club become an ever potent force.
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Since Cristiano Ronaldo won it, no player has made the top-3 of the Ballon d'Or shortlist in a decade. Even that is fine, if you have a fantastic core. Paul Scholes was never won, but he was considered one of the best midfielders to ever play the game.
Beckham never won, but his charisma was superlative, Giggs never did either, but his longevity is legendary. Yes, it is a team game, but it needs great individual players too.
This United side, currently under José Mourinho has no one that looks like being a truly world class (except for David De Gea, but keepers seldom win) candidate for the Ballon d'Or. Neither are any of the players even talked up as potential winners in a few years. If that is not a telling state of affairs, then what is?
