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One of the most interesting talking points in 2014/15, as in most other seasons, has been the impressive form of many players who have risen from the ashes of failure that dogged them the previous year. These footballers have shown great resolve and spirit to rejuvenate themselves and get back into the good books of their coaches and fans. As the current season draws to a close, here’s a look at the 10 most improved players this season (in no particular order).NOTE: Only players who suffered a dip in form last season before improving in the next have been considered . Under-21 players have not been included.
#1 Ashley Young - Manchester United
It was a sign of impending danger for Ashley Young when Angel Di Maria arrived at Old Trafford in a record transfer deal last summer. The previous season had been a difficult one for the ex-Aston Villa winger as he, just like most of his teammates, struggled to make any impact. When the transfer window closed, there were many who questioned why Young was still in the Manchester United squad. It’s not too much of an exaggeration to think that even Young may have wondered why he wasn’t packed off.
Fast forward eight months, and the Stretford End faithful will testify that things have turned 180 degrees. After Sunday’s derby win over the defending champions Manchester City, United had one man to thank in particular – Ashley Young – while Di Maria started on the bench, as he has done for many recent matches. Young’s goal and two assists served to further emphasise the enormous transformation he has undergone over the past few months – from an unnecessary pair of legs to an influential livewire.
Credit must go to Louis van Gaal for trusting the man from Stevenage and giving him a chance to show his worth. It is a chance that Young has grabbed with both hands, leading to murmurs of an England recall.
#2 Bas Dost - Wolfsburg
In Januray 2015, Vfl Wolfsburg had a big decision to make. Bundesliga rivals Hamburg had come calling in search of a striker; they were looking to sign Bas Dost, the 25-year old Dutchman who hadn’t quite made it in two years at Wolfsburg.
Then the third-choice striker at the club, Dost pushed for a move but it didn’t happen. His manager Dieter Hecking surprisingly decided to keep him and instead sold Ivica Olic, the club’s top scorer the previous season. Dost was surprised too but didn’t wait to ponder, instead choosing to deliver in the most emphatic way possible.
To put Dost’s performance into perspective, consider this: before the season began, Dost had scored 17 times in 48 matches spread over two years. After the transfer saga, he found the net 16 times in 16 matches. Having Nicklas Bendtner for competition made things easy but it was the departure of Olic that really changed the course of Dost’s Wolfsburg career. He is now a man on a mission, having regained his confidence and finally returning to the form of his Eredivisie days.
In March, Dost made his national team debut for Guus Hiddink’s side and it seems that bigger and better things are lying in wait for him.
#3 Nacho Monreal - Arsenal
When Malaga’s financial problems forced the club to sell its prized assets, there was one particular exit that caught many observers by surprise. In January 2013, Arsenal signed their Spanish left-back Nacho Monreal, in deal worth £8.3 million.
Exactly what Arsene Wenger saw in Monreal was unclear as the man from Pamplona failed to properly prove himself in his 18 months at the club. Unable to dislodge Kieran Gibbs from the starting left-back position, he was widely characterised as a disappointing signing, simply not good enough for a club of Arsenal’s stature.
Almost one year later, those views are starting to change. 2014/15 has been a stellar year for Monreal, as he has gained the gaffer’s trust with consistent performances at the back, even when playing as a centre-back due to an injury to Laurent Koscielny. He has helped the Gunners keep 15 clean sheets this season.
After the return of Koscielny, Wenger has started Monreal on the left where he showed his attacking instincts by going up and scoring a goal against Manchester United in the FA Cup – a remarkable turnaround for the 29-year-old, who is finally giving a good account of himself. It seems now Wenger has a new favourite at left-back with Gibbs finding it increasingly hard to get back into the starting lineup.
#4 Gerard Pique - Barcelona
When Spain capitulated against the Netherlands that night in Salvador during the World Cup, one Spanish player in particular had a torrid time. Gerard Pique’s performance that night aided Robben and Co. in bringing down the famed Furia Roja. The match came at the end of a bad season for Pique, one which saw his club Barcelona finish without a title, outmuscled by Atletico Madrid in both the league and Europe.
Criticism rained down and one was probably justified in asking if it was the beginning of the end for Pique. It definitely was his worst season in his six years at the club.
Turn the page, and the new season has brought out a different Pique. He contributed to one of Barca’s best ever league starts by combining with new signing Jeremy Mathieu and helping keep 8 straight clean sheets. The confidence is back, the passing is much better and he's even scoring more goals.
With 4 league goals already, it’s a personal best for him. With Barca’s Messi-Suarez-Neymar attack firing on all cylinders, a strong backline makes their treble hopes look more realistic. The Blaugrana desperately need Pique, his experience and his leadership to push for success on three fronts and his form this season bodes well for them.
#5 Bernd Leno - Bayer Leverkusen
The German goalkeeping position may currently be owned by the immovable Manuel Neuer, but the Germans will be further relieved by the presence of two able deputies – Andre Ter Stegen and Bernd Leno. Ter Stegen has already made the move to Barcelona and if reports are to be believed, then Leno might come up against him in a future El Clasico.
Such has been the current Bayer Leverkusen custodian’s form that Real Madrid are apparently considering a move for him. Their evaluation will only have improved after a superb season between the sticks from the 23-year old. After keeping seven clean sheets last season, Leno has managed 13 this time around with six more rounds to go in the Bundesliga.
Seven of the clean sheets came in a row during a remarkably good patch recently, which included a brilliant performance in the DFB Cup quarter-final against Bayern Munich and Champions League Round of 16 tie against Atletico Madrid.
When Leno debuted in the Champions League in 2011/12, there were huge question marks around his performances in big games – which included a 7-1 demolition by Barcelona. But this season, he has put it all behind him with maturity and spirit. Wherever he ends up playing, he is bound to improve.
#6 Marouane Fellaini - Manchester United
From the first whistle to the last, the air belongs to Marouane Fellaini. Well, not just the air, but most of the plaudits too belong to this wonderful advertisement of an Afro. These are good times for Marouane Fellaini. Best player in United red every other day, regular member of the first XI, king of the midfield and, in the words of Jonathan Wilson; deep-lying target man. Nobody wins aerial duels or bosses the midfield like he does in the Premier League.
The plaudits are coming in every shape and form, left, right and centre and one cannot help but think back to the days when he was hounded after every match United lost last season. He struggled to do justice to his transfer fee and reputation as he became a costly misfit in David Moyes’ team. His transfer deal itself was seen as symbolic of all that went wrong during the darkest phase in United's recent history.
Post-Van Gaal though, Fellaini is a different man and United are a different team. That United are in the position they are now, having beaten Liverpool and Manchester City to rise to third in the table, has a lot to do with the resurgence of Fellaini. United fans in Afro wigs will hope it continues this way for a long time.
#7 Mohamed Salah - Fiorentina
Few really saw it coming; even if Vincenzo Montella may claim otherwise, but nobody in their right minds expected it. When Chelsea reject Mohamed Salah arrived in Italy to sign for Fiorentina on loan, there were quite a lot of doubts on whether La Viola had really got anything great out of a deal, which saw Colombian star Juan Cuadrado go the other way. Granted, they received £26.8 million pounds but it still didn’t make sense. And then, the Salah Show kicked off.
On his first start, the Egyptian speedster contributed to a 3-1 win over Sassuolo with a goal and an assist. If that wasn't enough to make doubts disappear, he followed it up with goals against Torino and Inter in the Serie A and Tottenham in the Europa League before coming up with a brace against Juventus in the Coppa Italia. The second goal against Juve was a virtuoso effort, after a run from his own half.
In one month, Salah had taken Florence, Italy and even Europe by storm. All that after a year spent as a benchwarmer at Chelsea, unable to impress Jose Mourinho. Now, the talk on the street is if the Blues were the ones who had a deal go wrong.
#8 Francis Coquelin - Arsenal
What's the deal with Arsene Wenger and young French footballers? Time and again, Wenger has managed to pick out talented French players from under the noses of many others, bring them to North London and watch them blossom into top level stars. Francis Coquelin was one such player when he arrived at Arsenal, aged 17 in 2008. He was immediately heralded as ‘one for the future' and his rise to the first team was only a matter of time.
Unfortunately, it didn't materialise as expected and he was sent on loan to Lorient, Freiburg and Charlton Athletic. In between, he managed 21 league appearances for the Gunners, showing shades of his quality yet never fully impressing Wenger enough. All that changed in December 2014.
Hit by a midfield injury crisis, Wenger had to scramble for alternative options. Coquelin, who was only a couple of months into his Charlton loan, was recalled and put into the first team. After some impressive outings against the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City, the Frenchman had made the defensive midfield position his own. Since his return to the Emirates, he has led the Premier League in number of interceptions made and duels won.
By chance, Wenger has actually unearthed a gem in what was his most problematic position.
#9 Jeremy Menez - AC Milan
It has been another difficult year for the fans of AC Milan. Few can manage a smile as their beloved Rossoneri keep coming up with unimpressive displays, leading to empty stands and banners of protest at the San Siro. In a season of so much despair, there have only been very few bright spots – the form of Jeremy Menez, for instance.
Despite all of Milan’s troubles, Menez is currently second in the Serie A’s top goalscorers list with 16 goals. He has kept on scoring even as most of his teammates underperform. Agreed, half of his goals have come from penalties but even then, most of his goals have been crucial match-winning strikes.
Menez carries this team on his shoulders now and is a potent attacking threat to any team that faces them. The Frenchman struggled to make first team appearances on the wing last season at Paris Saint-Germain but after his transfer to Milan in the summer, he has been reinvented as a striker who scores.
This is the first time in his career that he has got into double digits and he seems set to score more before the season ends, even if it may not help Milan resurrect their campaign.
#10 Alexander Meier - Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt fans call him a 'football god' and for good reason. Alexander Meier has played in Frankfurt colours for more than ten years now and he has done enough to warrant such love from his supporters. However, even club legends like Meier have their bad times.
After two seasons where he didn’t put a foot wrong, scoring 15-plus goals each time, Meier suffered an uncharacteristic slump in form in the 2013/14 season. He managed 8 goals but it was never good enough as Frankfurt finished in a disappointing 13th place. The team scored only forty goals all season, the third-worst record in the Bundesliga.
However, the 2014/15 season has been a different tale. With six games to go, Frankfurt are now four points away from Europe and Meier has scored 19 goals, his best-ever tally, to top the likes of Arjen Robben and Robert Lewandowski. It is no mean feat, considering that he is now on the wrong side of thirty and that he plays as an attacking midfielder or a second striker.
His chances of winning the Golden Boot are low though, after a knee injury last week ruled him out of the rest of the season. In any case, 2014/15 will always be an unforgettable season in the career of Alexander Meier.
