The Premier League’s Overrated XI: Featuring Flops From Manchester United, Chelsea, And Liverpool

The Premier League’s Overrated XI: Featuring Flops From Manchester United, Chelsea, And Liverpool
12:03, 22 Jan 2019

Half-way through an exhilarating Premier League season means we can have the chance to have a gander at the players who have excelled and some who, well, blatantly haven’t. Liverpool and Manchester City have marauded, there's a genuinely exciting top-four race going on, and teams such as Fulham and Huddersfield floundering.

Some have soared, defied expectations or swerved round scrutiny, whilst others haven’t been so lucky; whether that be failing to match a massive price-tag, generally being a pile of poo, or both.

The Sportsman takes a look at some of the footballers who now have the ignominy of slotting into our list of the most overrated players in the Premier League.

The Sportsman's Overrated XI

Goalkeeper - Jordan Pickford (Everton)

England’s World Cup hero, yes, but this season Pickford has done little to convince with Everton that he is truly worthy of retaining the national number one jersey.  Irregardless of his howler to award all three points to Liverpool in the Merseyside Derby, Pickford has been far from convincing between the sticks for the Toffees.He has a joint-high errors leading to goals record in the Premier League this season (3) and has kept just five clean sheets. Dishonourable mention: Bernd Leno

Left-back - Benjamin Mendy (Manchester City)

More well-known for his social media activity that his on-field ability, we’re more used to seeing the 23-year-old gurn on camera that contribute on the pitch, with even manager Pep Guardiola losing patience with the player once described as being like a dog waking up one day to realise he’s now human. Two long-term injuries in 18 months has ruptured his Manchester City career so far. Remember this is a player who cost an eye-watering £52 million, the second most expensive defender of all time. It that doesn’t guarantee him a place on the this, we don’t know what does. Dishonourable mention: Marcos Alonso.

Centre-back - Dejan Lovren (Liverpool)

Mainly because he reckons himself as one of the best in the world, the Croatian has only got himself to blame. Far from providing an adequate partnership for the peerless Virgil Van Dijk at the heart of the Liverpool defence.

Centre-back - Yerry Mina (Everton)

The Colombian’s World Cup exploits - a sensational return for a centre-back with three goals! - lead to a big-money move from Barcelona to Everton in the midst of their continual cash splurges. Recently, Mina has been pushed out of the Everton back-line for Chelsea loanee Kurt Zouma, who admittedly has been far more convincing. I’m also putting him straight in here as he’s done crap-all for my fantasy team despite my previously persistent faith in him.

Right-back - Serge Aurier (Tottenham Hotspur)

He’s been a very naughty boy recently and hasn’t lived up to the £23 million it cost Spurs to pick him up from Paris Saint-Germain. More likely to produce an assault on a police officer than a convincing one down the right-flank.

Left-Wing - Alexis Sanchez (Manchester United)

A forward's stock hasn’t so drastically dropped since Fernando Torres made the move from Liverpool to Chelsea. £390,000 a week, four goals so far for Manchester United since moving from Arsenal a year ago. ‘Nuff said.

Centre-Midfield - Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur)

If he wasn’t English, would he be so immune to criticism?

Centre-Midfield - Nemanja Matic (Manchester United)

When one looks back on Jose Mourinho’s tenure at Manchester United, the signing of Nemanja Matic should be held aloft as one of his more questionable decisions. A likeable enough midfielder, with just one foot, United spent £40 million in summer 2017 on a player about to turn 29. Chelsea themselves purchased Tiémoué Bakayoko - then 22-years-old and a player to fill the Matic-hole in midfield - for less money, though that didn’t work out quite as expected.

Right-Wing - Willian (Chelsea)

A workhorse, undoubtedly, with an engine that could be well-suited to a Ford Mustang than the Brazilian. Partial to the odd worldie now and again, and a fan favourite, but the fact remains he’s score under 50 goals in close to 270 appearances for the Blues. He’s never scored more than eight goals in a single league campaign.

Forward - Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City)

Remember when Manchester City fans tried to convince us that he would be better than Marcus Rashford? How times have changed; Manc-born and bred Rashford is arguably the most in-form striker in the Premier League, whereas Iheanacho was shipped off to Leicester City for the questionable price of £25 million.

Forward - Javier Hernandez (West Ham)

A player on £7.3 million a season, or around £145k a week, who has shown a distinct lack of affinity for the club who pay him. West Ham’s problems with their forwards are well-documented, but Javier Hernandez had a chance to carve himself into Iron’s folklore, amidst the uncertainty regarding Lucas Perez, Andy Carroll, and Marko Arnautovic. The Mexican Little Pea has just 13 goals for West Ham since moving from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, with injuries besetting his career in East London. The hope he can recapture the exquisite poacher precision he demonstrated in his Premier League inauguration with Man utd, as well as the adoration shown by the fans there, is swiftly fading.

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