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The wait for the start of the Premier League season is nearly over. Only 4 days remain before Manchester United lock horns with Leicester City in the Premier League’s curtain-raiser.
The Premier League this season promises to be more exciting than ever as a number of teams have strengthened themselves. As it dawns upon us, there are no fewer than six candidates who could go all the way and hold the trophy aloft, come May 2019.
In addition to the acquisition of players, Chelsea, Arsenal and Everton have brought in new managers. It would be intriguing to see how the managers adapt to their new surroundings and if they can be as successful as their predecessors.
While the fans wait with bated breath to catch a glimpse of their new signings, the Premier League also accords the ‘tried and tested’ breed another bite at the cherry.
Through this article, we would look at 3 such players who have been given a new lease of life, either by a change in surroundings or by the arrival of a new manager.
#1 Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool)
Daniel Sturridge has been cast into wilderness over the past few seasons. The Premier League is a very unforgiving environment and past laurels count for nothing. The same Sturridge that has been lambasted by the English media in the last 4 years, was raved about in 2014.
Sturridge’s best season in a Liverpool shirt came in the 2013-14 season, when he formed a deadly partnership with the enigmatic Luis Suarez. He scored 21 goals and bagged 7 assists. However, since then, Sturridge’s career has been marred by injuries.
Sturridge scored a meagre 2 goals last season before being loaned out to West Brom in January. The injury curse struck him again and he could make only 6 appearances for West Brom.
When the pre-season came around, many believed that Sturridge would be shown the door by Klopp. The latter, though, provided him with another chance to showcase his talent. So far, Sturridge has been in scintillating form and grabbed a goal and an assist in Liverpool’s romp against Napoli. Apart from this, he has shown to be possessing a telepathic understanding with Naby Keita, Liverpool’s new midfield general.
With Dominic Solanke not fulfilling his promise and Danny Ings looking like a fish out of water in Klopp’s system, Sturridge can be the perfect back-up for Liverpool. His experience and finishing could just help Liverpool land that elusive Premier League title.
Though Sturridge has had a tough few years, things are looking up for him. The man who has been forgotten at Anfield, might just rekindle his form of 2013-14 and give them a brand new song to sing.
#2 Ross Barkley (Chelsea)
Chelsea signed Ross Barkley from Everton in the January transfer window. After his arrival in West London, Barkley couldn’t find his feet and was consigned to the bench more often than not. A string of injuries didn’t help his case either.
However, with a new season and a new manager in wait, this could be the season Barkley starts turning heads with his performances again. Barkley was a wonderful prospect at Everton and his precocious talent had an admirer in Gary Linekar. He was viewed as one from the next generation of English football, who are better technically and can add more flair to the ‘beautiful game’.
Unfortunately, things haven’t panned out the way Barkley would have hoped for. He suffered numerous injuries and hasn’t been able to deliver on his initial promise. Last season, he refused to commit to Everton and this left the door open for his move to Stamford Bridge.
Barkley is not the most defensive-minded midfielder and hence was out of favour with Conte. With the arrival of Maurizio Sarri, things could be about to change. Though he still needs to continue improving the defensive aspect of his game, Sarri’s preference for playing box-to-box midfielders is a blessing for Ross.
Sarri would want to use Barkley in a role similar to Hamsik at Napoli. He would be tasked with making those late darts into the box to throw the opposition defence out of gear. With Alonso playing high and wide on the left side and Hazard always inclined to cut inside, Barkley will have the space to run into. Thus, Sarri would hope Barkley can bring back his ‘A-game’ and wreak havoc from the midfield.
Despite going off the radar for the past few years, this season seems the perfect opportunity for Barkley to launch himself back into contention for the English national side. If he can turn the clock back four years and come up with similar performances, Chelsea could become a team hard to stop.
#3 Jack Wilshere (West Ham United)
In the summer, Jack Wilshere left his boyhood club, Arsenal for West Ham. With Wilshere falling down the pecking order at Arsenal, the move to East London represented the best course of action for the technically gifted midfielder.
Wilshere had catapulted himself into stardom with an exemplary performance against Barcelona in the Champions League in 2011. At that time, it was thought that Wilshere would usher in a new era of English football. However, he failed to scale the heights expected of him and now finds himself as one of the forgotten men in the Premier League.
Wilshere was in decent form last season for Arsenal but could not nail down a starting spot. With the arrival of Emery, it became clear that Wilshere was surplus to requirements at the Emirates.
However, all is not doom and gloom for Jack. For a player as injury-prone as him, he has remained away from the treatment room over the past couple of seasons, leading one to believe that his injury worries might just be behind him.
Having moved to West Ham, Wilshere would hope he can rediscover the magic that made the whole of England fall in love with him. He would have the experienced Mark Noble alongside him in the centre of the park. The best thing for Wilshere, though, is the presence of Manuel Pellegrini.
The latter likes to play an attacking brand of football and would give Wilshere the required freedom to flourish. The perfect indicator of this has been Wilshere’s displays in pre-season, where he has looked at his imaginative best.
At 26 years of age, this could be Wilshere’s last chance to fulfill his exponential potential. The boy who was dubbed ‘a boy with an English heart and Spanish feet’, might just have his second breakthrough season at West Ham this time round.
