‘Even the best of us have off bad days’ – the old adage rings true especially in sport, but for these Leicester, Manchester Uniter and Chelsea stars, it has been a longer period.
Even the very best players have dips, the worry is when that form stretches out over an extended period. Below we list three big name players who have been consistently inconsistent so far this season. Though the campaign is still in its infancy, it is hard to say whether these stars will return to their best form.
WAYNE ROONEY (MANCHESTER UNITED)
Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney has been a shadow of himself
Relegated to the bench by Jose Mourinho in recent Premier League matches, Rooney is certainly playing below his lofty standards. He may sometimes receive opprobrium from pundits and press alike, but this is the man who burst onto the scene as a bright-eyed, brushy-tailed 16-year-old and has reigned as the main man in England for over a decade. The Three Lions captain has never had a season in which he has played fewer than 42 matches, but perhaps he has just burned himself out.
With his pace diminishing and his presence as both a front-man and play-maker proving ineffective it will be interesting to see whether Rooney regains his form as he enters the twilight of his career.
N’GOLO KANTE (CHELSEA)
Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante struggling to find feet at new club Chelsea
Imperious last season for Premier League Champions Leicester City, N’Golo Kante has struggled to find his feet at new club Chelsea. Most recently, he has receive a wave of criticism after it appears the midfielder known for tireless performances and tenacious work-rate was ‘outpaced’ by referee Michael Oliver, failing to track Mesut Ozil in the loss to Arsenal.
Much has been said of his displays this season, but in new surroundings, in an under-performing squad, perhaps Kante’s issues can be seen as a microcosm of Chelsea’s recent problems.
RIYAD MAHREZ (LEICESTER CITY)
Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez has not set the Premier League alight
Mahrez has been a shadow of the player who jinked and danced through defences, terrorising them with the ball at his feet. The current PFA Player of the Year has begun the campaign with one paltry goal, which is far short of his tally at the same stage of last season; scoring five goals and managing two assists in the opening six games last season.
It is somewhat of a difference in the Champions League, where the Algerian has helped the Foxes to two wins out of two, but he needs to push to regain the sort of league form that he displayed last season.
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