EPL 2016/17: 5 players who are too good for the bench
With the new TV deals seeing an influx of cash into the Premier League, even the so-called “bottom-feeders” are able to actively compete with the big guns in the transfer market.
It’s, of course, no surprise then that quite a few have come out and spoken against how Premier League clubs seem to be a graveyard for young talent, with them often having to take a step to a lower level or move abroad for any sort opportunity.
This is mostly a consequence of how clubs seem to hoard talent and throw cash around to buy players just so that they can get a leg up on their competitors; with so much money on the line, they can hardly be blamed for looking for any sort of competitive advantage.
Also read: Last chance saloon: Five players who deserve one last loan move before their futures are sealed
This has made the Premier League one of the best, most intense and competitive football leagues on the planet with a predetermined winner impossible to predict; as Leicester’s phenomenal run to the title showed us last season.
This also means that quite often, there are players who would genuinely thrive on any other team, wasting away on the bench because they can’t seem to get a chance in a squad already packed with superstars.
Here, let’s take a look at 5 players who do not deserve to be on the bench and deserve to get a chance elsewhere.
#5 Bojan Krkic
Position: Forward/Winger
Age: 26
Team: Stoke City
Big things were expected of Bojan Krkic when he first made his debut for Barcelona. After all, he had usurped Lionel Messi’s record of being the youngest ever player to appear in a league match and also at the time, the youngest ever to make his Champions League debut for Barcelona.
However, a promising career seemed to have stalled with moves to Roma, AC Milan and Ajax hampering his progress.
He seemed to have gained a new lease of life under Mark Hughes after a move to Stoke City and helped the Potters to consecutive 9th place finishes, the highest ever in their history, becoming a key component of the team.
With consistent niggling injuries always a problem, Stoke started the current season with Wales midfielder and Liverpool cult hero Joe Allen in midfield. Allen has been the Potters’ best midfielder by a stretch, already scoring 4 goals for them and constantly dictating play. Allen’s excellent form has seen Bojan unable to reclaim a spot in the starting 11.
The former Barcelona prodigy’s excellent technical ability and playmaking skills could definitely be put to use in any of the league’s teams rather than wasting away on the Stoke bench.