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The 2021-22 Premier League season is underway and matchday one produced its fair share of drama, with newcomers Brentford producing the standout result of the opening weekend with their stunning 2-0 victory against Arsenal.
The usual suspects like Mohamed Salah and Bruno Fernandes unsurprisingly produced matchwinning performances for their respective sides, as they continue to cement their status as some of the most reliable players in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, a handful of players have gone off the boil in recent seasons after showing initial signs of promise. Before I go ahead and name five Premier League players who can revive their careers this season, I'd like to get the honorable mentions out of the way.
Liverpool's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could be set for an interesting season after delivering a string of eye-catching displays in pre-season. He started against Norwich City and seems like a midfield powerhouse again, so hopefully, he can put his injury woes behind him and enjoy a strong season with the Reds.
I went through all the teams in the Premier League and even thought about Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but I don't believe he has dropped off so much that he deserves a mention here. Granted, the Gabonese striker endured a lackluster season by his lofty standards last time around, but it has happened to the best of players in the past! I'm sure plenty of people will come back with other names, but here are the five I've chosen after giving it a lot of thought.
#5 Raul Jimenez | Wolverhampton Wanderers
Raul Jimenez fractured his skull in a horrible injury last season, so it's a success story that he's managed to get himself back on the pitch playing Premier League football. After his injury, it's no coincidence that Wolves suffered a drop-off, because they didn't have a central presence in attack.
When you look at the way he operates, he's not super dynamic, but he knows how to play that position. Jimenez is very solid in what he brings to his team, with his instinctive runs and movement allowing him to form brilliant partnerships with Diogo Jota first and later, Adama Traore.
This guy is a really good goalscorer and I'm sure some of the other Premier League clubs had a look at him at some point and thought they'd love to have him. Wolves' attempt to plug his gap last season - with the likes of Fabio Silva and others - didn't work. I've spoken about this in the past, but Jimenez is the kind of player his teammates would look at and think everything is going to be ok, like Harry Kane at Tottenham Hotspur and Sergio Aguero during his illustrious career with Manchester City.
Bruno Lage needs Jimenez and his goals to knock the spark back into Wolves. If he bangs in a goal or two in the first few games of the new Premier League season, that could set the tone for what's to come later this year. I'd like to speak on behalf of the vast majority of his well-wishers in saying that I hope he returns to his best this season, because I know what it's like to come back from a long-term injury.
Mentally, you've got to get over it to regain your confidence. In my case, I suffered a double compound leg break while playing for Leeds United. I was caught bang on the spot where my leg broke earlier and it has to be said that I wasn't the same player after that. Jimenez's injury is far more serious because he suffered a skull fracture, but I hope he can overcome all of that to achieve great success in the Premier League this season.
#4 Takumi Minamino | Liverpool
I've mentioned Takumi Minamino because this is a player I really liked when I watched him play for Red Bull Salzburg in the 2019-20 UEFA Champions League campaign. He scored a good goal at Anfield and Jurgen Klopp's reaction was telling - he had a wry smile on his face and seemed to have enjoyed the finish! Liverpool were cruising on the night, but Minamino was thriving as a #10 in a 4-4-2 diamond, with Hwang Hee-Chan and Erling Haaland playing ahead of him.
I was working for Irish TV and when I went to Salzburg to cover the reverse fixture, he absolutely ran the show against the reigning European champions at the time. After the game, it was reported that several Liverpool players urged Klopp to snap him up, which is exactly what they did a month later.
In my opinion, Minamino has struggled at Liverpool because he hasn't been able to play in his preferred position, which is as a #10. There is no space for him in Klopp's 4-3-3 set-up, with Bobby Firmino usually stationed as the central figure in attack. Minamino ran into his fair share of problems at Liverpool, but the formation was a huge part of that.
I know Austrian football isn't on the same level as the Premier League, but this is a player who was running games there. In the Premier League, though, he hasn't been able to showcase his potential despite showing flashes of brilliance and currently finds himself as a bit-part player in FA Cup and EFL Cup games.
The likes of Bobby Firmino, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota are ahead of him in the pecking order in Liverpool's attack, while Minamino doesn't have the robustness to play as a midfielder for Klopp. I want to see him have a run of games, but I don't think it'll happen in the Premier League this season.
In terms of players who need revivals this season, he fits the bill, although I'm not sure if he'll get it in the Premier League. Nonetheless, he's a tidy player who can make an impact if he's given an extended run out in the team, so good luck to Takumi Minamino!
Also Read: Premier League 2021-22: 5 Talking points from the opening weekend
#3 James Rodriguez | Everton
James Rodriguez, for me, is a puzzle. Do I like what he does and the way he can play? Of course. He's got a majestic left foot and is capable of producing sumptuous passes, while he has also shown that he can get his name on the scoresheet.
His attitude, on the other hand, tends to irk Everton fans at times. James has pretty much declared himself untouchable and wants a free kick every time someone gets close to him - that's not something that will help him, least of all with fans back at stadiums. When I go to Goodison Park, I sit at the lower gantry and I can hear everything that's said by the home faithful. I've spoken to a few season ticket holders at the club and they all think James needs to roll up his sleeves and stay on his feet!
If he wants to make an impression in the Premier League, it's down to him more than Rafa Benitez. That said, it'll be interesting to see if Rafa fancies him, as he likes grafters who don't shy away from the physical side of the game. Carlo Ancelotti signed James at Everton - having also worked with him at Real Madrid - but he's gone now. I don't mean to be overly critical, but having watched James over the years, I just get the feeling that he frustrates more than he thrills.
He needs to toughen up and brace himself for the rigors of a league that offers less sympathy now when contact is made, as the laws have changed again! James has the talent to be a success in the Premier League, but I just hope he can change his mentality and show the graft the Evertonians want to see.
#2 Jesse Lingard | Manchester United
I was at Old Trafford for Manchester United vs Leeds United on the opening weekend of the Premier League and I had a conversation with Jim Proudfoot about Jesse Lingard. He would've seen the squad on the night and thought to himself, "How am I going to get regular game time here?"
With the arrival of Jadon Sancho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could see Lingard as surplus to requirements and allow him to leave before the transfer deadline. In terms of reviving his career, he's partially done it already after his sensational loan spell with West Ham United in the second half of the 2020-21 Premier League season.
David Moyes would be crazy not to sign him because he has the extra burden of the UEFA Europa League this season, so West Ham need quality as well as quantity in the team. It's going to be a much tougher campaign than what was the case last season and it goes without saying that there is a place for Lingard in the team. He made a massive impact with nine goals in 16 appearances last season and has a freestyle sort of an attacking game that is really instinctive.
He's had mental health issues in the past, but he looked like a happy character at West Ham. It may not be Roy Keane's cup of tea, but he loves his goal celebrations and dance moves - in Jesse Lingard's world, it all works! He has already relaunched his career, but the job is only half done. He had a sensational loan spell at West Ham, but that doesn't mean he'll necessarily hit those heights again he were to go there again.
Ahead of Euro 2020, he was not even in the picture for England, but credit to him for climbing up the ladder once again. Lingard's desire and inner determination has been commendable to say the least and I hope he can regrow his career and be a happy chap once again.
#1 Dele Alli | Tottenham Hotspur
When Dele Alli initially burst onto the Premier League scene, he won successive PFA Young Player of the Year awards and was also named in the Team of the Season twice - which is really as good as it gets. Steven Gerrard was his hero and he almost joined Liverpool under Brendan Rodgers, but Tottenham Hotspur snapped him up from MK Dons and he looked like he could do nothing wrong in his first two seasons at the club.
I was asked a few years ago what midfield role he was best at - a deeper or a more attacking role - and my answer was that he could do both really well. You don't have to fill an exact slot in the team - some players can rise above that and do both those things to become valuable assets. Alli's profile was really interesting when he moved to the Premier League and what I liked was his consistency, but all that began to change with time.
In my early days at Liverpool, I felt like I could do nothing wrong as a young player coming onto the scene. However, bit by bit, it began to go slightly backward after I was given more responsibility, which was an occupational hazard. Usually, players who experience this tend to strike back and Alli certainly has it in him to re-establish himself as a key player in the Premier League.
He signed a long-term contract under Mauricio Pochettino, but the real problem began when the Argentine was replaced by Jose Mourinho at the helm. Alli has always been an accomplished finisher for a midfielder and was very good at getting into the box. Despite his versatility, Mourinho saw him as an attacking player - a second striker, more specifically - but it never quite worked out.
I watched the All or Nothing documentary and there was friction between the pair. Since then, Alli has lost his place in the England squad and has fallen off the map in terms of profile - it's all gone very quiet for him. Under Nuno Espirito Santo, though, I can see him getting his game back to make his presence felt in the Premier League once again.
Also Read: David James column - Ranking the 5 favorites for the European Golden Boot this season (2021-22)
