Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City, Manchester United, QPR, West Brom, Aston Villa and Wigan Athletic players all feature on our list.
Most players would have started out this season with high aspirations. Fans also had particularly high hopes for their star men, who for many reasons would believe ‘this is their season’. There have been those who have delivered, like Demba Ba at Newcastle United, and there have been those who have really been disappointments, down to a variety of factors, in some cases it is not even their fault- injuries or a lack of chances. Here are our top 10 let downs…
Aaron Ramsey
Welshman Aaron Ramsey is one player who is really struggling at present, and with some supporters on his back we can’t help but feel a bit sorry for him. After coming back from his broken leg at the end of last season and hitting the winner against Manchester United, fans had huge hopes for him this year. With Jack Wilshere injured too, he was really needed to step up. Instead he has been one of the biggest victims of Arsenal’s inconsistency, getting his season off to a bad start with an own goal against Liverpool in his first home game of the year. Now he has lost his place in the middle to Song, Arteta and Rosicky, and playing out wide is doing him no favours. A summer of rest will do him good.
Jose Enrique
When Enrique was signed by Kenny Dalglish at Liverpool at the start of the season and it was seen as an instant fix to a problem position for the club. Enrique started off well enough, creating several chances for his teammates and setting up a goal in the Merseyside derby, as well as settling well into the defence. In recent months though he has been lackadaisical, and was at fault for Ramires’ opener in the FA Cup Final. Liverpool fans will rightly have concerns about him being a long-term solution in the position, which this season he should really have sewn up.
Romelu Lukaku
When a striker signs for £18 million he can be forgiven for expecting a few starts in his first season. Lukaku though has not convinced either Andre Villas-Boas or Roberto Di Matteo that he deserves a regular first team place, and in his substitute appearances has been completely underwhelming. Next season he will expect to go out on loan rather than sitting on the bench, and that is no bad thing, it could be the making of him.
Mauro Formica
Argentinian playmaker Mauro Formica was a key player for Blackburn in pre-season, netting four goals for them in friendlies. He continued this streak by bagging a goal for them in their opening game, but looked to lose his confidence after missing a penalty in a cruel defeat to Everton. Since then he has struggled to influence games regularly in Blackburn’s favour, an exception being the 2-0 win over Norwich a fortnight ago in which he scored. With Rovers now relegated his future is up in the air, but it remains to see if any other Premier League sides will take a chance on him.
Owen Hargreaves
Optimistic Manchester City fans would have hoped Owen Hargreaves could have really embarrassed his former club this season, but it hasn’t worked out. Hargreaves blamed Manchester United’s doctors for failing to help his knee injuries, but we wonder if he is regretting making such statements after another injury plagued season. Realistic fans would have seen this coming, and when Hargreaves is released in June he will look back on another year of frustration at not being able to pay back his wages.
Anderson
Manchester United midfielder Anderson ended last season in good form and began this season playing very well too, inspiring United to a 3-0 home win over Tottenham, even scoring along the way. He continued to play well and was one of United’s best midfielders up until the City game, where he was overrun. After this he was dropped, and his confidence suffered, before injury ended his season. As one which was meant to rubber-stamp his position in United’s team, he will have to start all over again next year.
Shaun Wright-Phillips
Shaun Wright-Phillips was one of a number of players bought by QPR in their late spending spree in August after Tony Fernandes took over. He was a big threat on his debut against Newcastle, even though he failed to break the deadlock. Since then he has been a frustrating figure, often flattering to deceive. He appears to have been somewhat drained by his time sitting on the bench at City and Chelsea, and needs to recover his spark. If QPR survive he will hope for improvement next season. He could even end it memorably by denying his former club the title.
Somen Tchoyi
West Brom attacker Somen Tchoyi put his teammates on notice by bagging a hat-trick against Newcastle on the final day of last season. Roy Hodgson then decided to trust him with a prominent role in the side this season, but quite simply he has failed to deliver. He lost his place in the side during the Autumn and has played only a bit-part role since, and has scored just one league goal in a 1-1 draw with Fulham.
Hugo Rodallega
Scorer of the goal which kept Wigan up last season, perhaps it was too much to expect Rodallega to keep on performing miracles. Nevertheless with Charles N’Zogbia gone, expectations on Rodallega have been extra high. Knowing that another season of goals would likely secure a big move, with even Arsenal linked, his poor season has been especially puzzling. He has scored just two goals in the league, compared to 10 last year, and has only had a bit-part role in Wigan’s survival success story.
Gabby Agbonlahor
With Ashley Young and Stewart Downing sold, Gabby Agbonlahor was expected to really step up. And to his credit he started the season in fine form, scoring five goals and linking up well with Darren Bent. However he has not scored in the league since early November and looks like an edge is missing to his game. When Villa needed a goalscorer with Bent injured he failed to do what was needed, and his comments made in March about wishing it was the end of the season already have translated into his football. There are even Villa fans who are happy to see him leave, which would have been unthinkable at the start of the campaign.
Josh McEachran
This may seem a little harsh on young Josh, but he has long been touted as Chelsea’s next big thing and was meant to be a breakthrough season for him, if not at Chelsea, then out on loan. He didn’t get a chance at the Bridge, and went to Swansea City in January. He will have learned a lot under Brendan Rodgers’ tutelage, but he has been unable to get playing time save for the odd substitute appearance here or there. He is only 19 so his time will come, and he will hope for better luck and more opportunities.
Which players did you have high hopes for who have failed to deliver?
image: © Gordon Flood
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