Vadim Vasilyev has put the blame for Falcao’s struggles in England down to the clubs rather than the player.
Radamel Falcao at Chelsea
Quoted by the Daily Mail, Monaco vice-president Vadim Vasilyev has taken aim at Manchester United and Chelsea’s treatment of Radamel Falcao and accused the Premier League duo of failing the player during his barren spell in England.
The Colombian striker returns to England this week to face Tottenham at Wembley in the Champions League after netting just five goals across two seasons in the Premier League, despite arriving as one of the world’s most feared strikers.
Falcao during his loan spell at Manchester United
Falcao’s lack of potency in the Premier League was thought to be largely down to his recovery from a serious knee injury which he suffered prior to his move to Old Trafford in 2014, and Vasilyev accused Manchester United of lacking patience when it came to dealing with the striker.
“If you sign a player of this magnitude after a big injury it takes time and games to get him back into shape,” he said. “This is what we will do and what Manchester United and Chelsea didn’t do, failed to do or didn’t want to do.”
“Both clubs in England failed to relaunch him,” he continued. “I don’t know whether Manchester United and Chelsea did not have the patience or the desire to do that but I am quite sure this year we will see Falcao at his previous best.”
Monaco are back in North London for the first time since defeating Arsenal 3-1 in 2015
The striker has already found the net twice for Monaco this season having scored in both legs of their Champions League qualifier against Fenerbahce, and made his first league appearance of this campaign from the bench in the principality’s 4-1 win at Lille at the weekend having recovered from a thigh strain.
It means that he has already scored more times this season than he did in the entirety of his time at Chelsea in 2015/16. The Colombian’s only goal for the Blues came early on in his spell in the home defeat to Crystal Palace, and he looked a shadow of his former self in the majority of his 14 appearances for the London outfit.
Now 30, Falcao transferred for fees totalling £87m in the space of just two years after prolific goalscoring exploits with Porto and then Atletico Madrid. He has not been the same player since suffering his anterior cruciate ligament injury, however, and is now looking to rebuild his career with Monaco.
Falcao in happier times at Porto
The French side will provide a stern test for Tottenham in the hosts’ return to the Champions League, and are looking for more success in North London having famously defeated Arsenal 3-1 at the Emirates in the round of 16 two seasons ago.
Joining Falcao in Monaco’s ranks are the exciting young trio Thomas Lemar, Bernado Silva and Tiemouye Bakayoko, all of whom were targeted by Premier League clubs over the summer but remain in Ligue 1. Monaco have already defeated PSG 3-1 this season and will relish the opportunity of playing at Wembley, a stadium that neither side is used to and somewhat reduces Tottenham’s home advantage.
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