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Liverpool do well in this season backwards. But one player is really having a hard time.
10) Anthony Martial
It was a front three that Gary Neville described as the best in the Premier League; a trio fearsome enough to lure Neil Custis into a rather painful argument with Jamie O’Hara; a triumvirate that seems barely recognizable months later.
Marcus Rashford has been below his usual standards, although ten goals or assists in 12 appearances, including a Champions League hat-trick, suggests it is more because they are so tall. Mason Greenwood’s struggles are well documented and apparently ongoing however, it remains well ahead of the typical development curve. Anthony Martial has no such excuse for his four Premier League starts without managing to create a single shot or get a shot on goal. A forward who has thrived in Europe but has failed domestically sums up his club’s season so far very well.
9) Chris Wood
No Premier League club has led for less time than Burnley this season. The ten minutes into the first half in which they held the lead in their first game at Leicester was something of a false dawn for both clubs.
Even more so for Chris Wood, who scored the first goal with his first shot of 2020/21 but has not violated anyone’s goal with his 12 subsequent attempts. He has played all but six minutes as Sean Dyche’s striker, the coach moving Ashley Barnes to the side in search of an answer to his problems, but not daring to move his center forward beyond the reach of an elbow from the two centers. opposition. – halves that will inevitably chain him. His best scoring season in the top flight could well be immediately followed by his worst.
8) Raheem Sterling
Since his debut seasons with both Liverpool and Manchester City, Raheem Sterling hadn’t started so slowly in terms of raw numbers. His first seven starts to a Premier League campaign have given him:
Goalless, two assists (2012/13)
Three goals, three assists (2013/14)
Three goals, two assists (2014/15)
One goal, one assist (2015/16)
Four goals, three assists (2016/17)
Five goals, three assists (2017/18)
Four goals, two assists (2018/19)
Six goals, no assists (2019/20)
Two goals, one assist (2020/21)
It is true that it is an arbitrary figure in relation to playing time, but the data is supported by the evidence of seeing Sterling in his current state of not flying. He remains a supreme player capable of being ridiculous, but the unavailability of some of his fellow forwards has put an onerous emphasis on his game. While he undoubtedly needs more help, Sterling himself would admit that he failed to rise above the ridiculously high bar that has been set up to this point.
7) Brighton
When does Chris Hughton start telling Brighton that they should have been careful what they wished for? Never, because he is a charming gentleman who is completely disgusting and is somehow 61 years old too.
But Graham Potter could soon be the subject of genuine scrutiny. In terms of the Premier League, Brighton ranks sixth in average possession per game, seventh in dribbling, eighth in shooting, 10th in successful passing rate, and most notably of all, first in fewest shots conceded. Yet they rank 16th on The Table That Matters Most ™ after winning one game, losing four and allowing 14 goals. As beautiful as it is to look at, it has clearly not been effective. And their next four games are against Aston Villa, Liverpool, Southampton and Leicester.
Would you be suspicious of anyone predicted they would be relegated (and they laughed at it) would be dominating it right now. They should take a page from Hughton’s unfathomable and imperishable book.
6) Grady Diangana
Mark Noble concluded his short message with no less than five exclamation points, so “gutted, angry and sad” was he. Jack Wilshere told Grady Diangana to ‘go do your thing at a club that respects you.’ David Sullivan spoke solemnly of the need to tackle “a very unbalanced roster.”
Few would have expected the West Ham co-owner to look like the most prescient of the three a few months later, but 2020 doesn’t care about conventions. The Hammers are 12th and doing quite well; Diangana has done nothing but score a goal in a 5-2 loss, which culminated in his start on the bench against Tottenham despite the absence of the also disappointing Matheus Pereira, as West Brom looked considerably better and more stable without both. It’s not cool when you’re doing an impression of the worst parts of Franck Ribery.
5) Pablo Hernandez
As the child of a divorce, one can only empathize with the Leeds supporters and the situation they are in. How difficult it is to be between two role models as they fight so fiercely. But at least they get to have two separate Christmases and birthdays with Marcelo Bielsa and Pablo Hernández.
There is hope for reconciliation, especially after the latter’s public apology and the former’s policy of not discussing what happens behind closed doors. Hernandez’s reaction to being substituted at Leicester despite having no impact seemed to irritate his manager, but there are bigger crimes than showing passion and desire. The punishment of being thrown for the loss to Crystal Palace was enough. After losing consecutive games 4-1, Leeds needs him back and in his prime.
4) Give Alli
What a remarkable shame. What an avoidable waste. What a regrettable inevitability that a player who has struggled to establish himself in a certain position for the past few years, and whose attitude and application have been questioned before, could not secure the confidence of a coach who favors functionality and abhors anything. less than consummate professionalism.
There is some relief in the fact that Dele Alli and José Mourinho don’t seem to be in constant war in the same way that the Portuguese with Paul Pogba. There is mutual respect and admiration between the two, maybe even hope for a reconciliation, but there has been a disconnect along the line. That resurgence after Mourinho’s appointment last year, as well as Alli’s brief momentum in form shortly before football’s suspension, has long looked terrible.
3) Chris Wilder
Much of this is beyond Sheffield United’s control: the injuries that would have wreaked havoc on any club; the loss of a talisman goalkeeper and the need to replace it properly, which depleted his transfer budget; the lack of fans that neutralizes a team so dependent on intensity and atmosphere to bridge the quality gap with most of the rest of the league; that difficulty trying to replicate a phenomenal first season in the top flight.
It has all been combined with crushing effect like a team that has made bloody noses and groggy minds with overlapping center halves look lost and ordinary for a year. Chris Wilder will be furious that the lazy tropes promoted by Danny Mills and Garth Crooks in their promo inadvertently seem a bit more justified over time.
2) Willian
Arsenal fans and many neutrals watched in glee, but Chelsea fans had seen this dance before. Willian provided two assists and had a couple of shots against Fulham, yet he was using one of his five wonderful performances in an entire season rather than marking a consistent new chapter of his career.
In six Premier League games since then, the Brazilian has had three shots and created five chances. This despite starting or moving to more central positions than usual and having much more license and agency over his role than Chelsea allowed him to. Many people questioned the wisdom behind handing over a 32-year-old player a three-year contract, but even they expected at least one good year from Arsenal’s investment. There has hardly been a good month.
1) Roberto Firmino
It is an inexact science but the findings are stark. Roberto Firmino was substituted in the 70th minute or earlier for any other injury in three Premier League games in 2019/20, two in 2018/19, four in 2017/18, none in 2016/17 and, under Jurgen Klopp, five in 2015/16. After eight games this season, he was retired relatively early against Aston Villa (68th) and West Ham (70th). His 59th-minute elimination against Manchester City was the first time Klopp had replaced Firmino ahead of time in a Premier League match.
Again, it seems like a random number to base entire arguments on. Klopp also seems desperate to protect Firmino more than anyone against the dreaded Liverpool fixtures. But the forward doesn’t sport his usual effervescent self. The back pressure is not as energetic, the interaction is not as incisive, the films are less accurate and more predictable. Perhaps for the first time in his reign, Klopp has genuine attacking alternatives to choose from, and Firmino has done little to persuade him not to. That Liverpool Engine does not need to be replaced; Could do with a break to avoid overheating.
Matt stead
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