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Football has several variables attached to it, be it the different team combinations used or the tactics of a team designed to primarily counter what is placed in front of them.
Thus, it is only inevitable that some players find themselves on the periphery due to their incompatibility with the manager’s larger scheme of things.
Over the years, we have seen several high-profile ‘player-manager’ fall-outs with the Jose Mourinho and Iker Casillas spat quickly springing to mind.
In the current season too, there have been numerous footballers who’ve been isolated by coaches on the basis of footballing and non-footballing reasons.
Thus, through the course of this article, we chalk out five talented players who aren’t being given the stage to showcase their talents.
Without further ado, here is a look at them:
#5. Malcom (FC Barcelona)
In the summer of 2018, the transfer saga of Malcom dominated the back pages for a significant amount of time. The Brazilian was famously snatched by Barcelona from under AS Roma’s noses and it left the latter fuming with the former’s ‘un-sportsmanlike’ conduct.
To rub salt into their wounds, Malcom even scored in his first appearance for the Blaugrana against Roma. Thus, many believed the winger to push Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho all the way for a starting spot. Yet, nothing of the sort has materialised with the Brazilian frozen out on the bench more often than not.
Though his exclusion could be put down to Dembele’s sublime form, a grand total of 129 minutes in the league shows that Valverde just doesn’t trust Malcom at this juncture.
However, the forward has made the most of the limited chances by rippling the net twice in three games in the Copa Del Rey while also scoring once in 30 minutes of Champions League action.
The Brazilian is only 22 and he still has time to blossom into a Blaugrana regular in the years to come. For all we know, he could hit the ground running in his second season akin to Dembele.
Yet, for now, his abilities have been kept in the cold storage. Thus, he makes our list at No.5.
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#4. Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea)
Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been at Chelsea since the age of eight. Having come through the youth ranks, he made his senior debut in December 2014. However, since then, he has made only a handful of appearances for the Blues. And this season hasn’t been any different.
The West London outfit has struggled in midfield this season with Mateo Kovacic and Ross Barkley not providing the spark expected of them. Thus, it has been baffling to see Loftus-Cheek on the bench week in, week out.
The Englishman has clocked 399 league minutes so far this term and has made the net bulge three times. In addition, he has also gotten himself on the score-sheet thrice in the Europa League.
Moreover, he has shown glimpses of the intelligence that can make the much-maligned SarriBall work.
However, like several Chelsea youngsters before him, he has not been given the adequate platform and if the same pattern continues, he might be tempted to pursue newer pastures in the summer.
Over the years, the Stamford Bridge side has seen players such as Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah carve a niche for themselves elsewhere. And if they force Loftus-Cheek to move for a lack of game-time, they could well be left ruing ‘what if’ yet again.
#3. Mesut Ozil (Arsenal)
The German has been one of the most divisive figures in England since embracing the Premier League in 2013. Often panned for his lackadaisical attitude, Ozil has also come up with some sumptuous pieces of skill to remind the whole world of his precocious talent.
Under Arsene Wenger, the midfielder was a certainty in the Gunners’ big games with the Frenchman an admirer of his creativity. However, his successor, Unai Emery hasn’t been afraid to omit Ozil for his work-rate. And after three-quarters of the season, it’s fair to say the Spaniard doesn’t fancy the German as much as his predecessor.
The playmaker has started 17 games this season and only 14 of them have come in the league. Moreover, he has been regularly consigned to the bench (sometimes even his home) when the biggest matches have rolled into town.
On his day, Ozil can be unplayable and a nightmare to play against. Bournemouth and Leicester would certainly testify to that. Yet, those performances have been few and far between and Emery seems to have lost patience with him.
Though the German’s upturn in form recently bodes well for him, one can’t guarantee whether he would be a part of the Arsenal eleven in the crunch games.
Thus, he rounds off the top three of our list.
#2. Adrien Rabiot (Paris Saint-Germain)
The Frenchman is one of the hottest midfield prospects in world football. Yet, a combination of deadlocked negotiations and the board’s reluctance to play him has left him without a first-team game since the 11th of December.
Blessed with the ability to glide past players and get through his fair share of defensive work, Rabiot is as complete a midfielder as any on the planet. Additionally, his trait of standing up when the chips are down makes him an invaluable commodity to possess.
Over the past couple of seasons, the Frenchman has been a vital cog in the Parisian wheel, having made more than 25 appearances in the league each time. But, this term, he has made a grand total of 14 league appearances, with none coming in 2019.
At the moment, he is training with the reserves and the PSG hierarchy has been completely at fault for stunting a promising player’s progress.
With such a lot of drama having unfolded at the Parc des Princes, Rabiot might just have donned the PSG jersey for the last time already. The Frenchman is certainly not agreeing a new contract and even if he intended to, the club’s actions have ensured he doesn’t sign on the dotted line.
On paper, Rabiot’s name should be at the forefront of any discussion featuring exciting midfielders. Yet, his club has contrived to take him away from the limelight altogether.
And for those wondering whether football is so cruel, that is how the footballing cookie crumbles at times.
#1. Isco (Real Madrid)
A couple of seasons ago, Isco was the darling of the Bernabeu. He had established himself as an important member of Zinedine Zidane’s Europe-conquering side and he very seldom failed to come up trumps.
However, after the sacking of Julen Lopetegui this season, the Spaniard has failed to nail down a regular spot on the bench, let alone the starting eleven.
Though Isco hasn’t helped his case by throwing tantrums, Santi Solari too must share a part of the blame for under-utilising him.
On countless occasions this term, Real Madrid has lacked imagination and drive in the attacking third. Hence, a player of the ilk of the Spaniard could’ve helped dig Los Blancos out of their massive hole.
When on song, there are hardly any players who can rival the midfielder’s close control and inventiveness on the ball. Thus, it is just a shame that he hasn’t enthralled the crowds with his displays in 2019.
While both parties, namely Isco and Solari are at fault for their inability to devise a working mechanism, one can’t deny that the former has been criminally underused this season.
Hence, he takes the top spot without a shadow of a doubt.
