5 players who took a step back during 2015/16
Maintaining form on a consistent basis is the one aspect of football which players should strive to do best of all. However, it’s not always such an easy feat.
Slating certain individuals for a lack of form or a surprising dip in success is not the recommended antidote for getting them back to speed. On the face of it, it can seem that they are not trying as hard as usual or that they do not look overly bothered by events on the pitch. Dig a little deeper, though, and for the most part, people can discover that, quelle surprise, footballers are only human.
They go through rough patches. Whether these periods come about as a result of psychological stresses, tactics that don’t suit them or even injury, the point is that superstars can have days, weeks or even months of below-average performances. So, let’s run through five players in a similar ilk who took a step back during the 2015/16 season.
Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard is far from the only Chelsea player underperforming this season, but the difference in the Hazard of this season and last has been decidedly marked.
Towards the culmination of the 2014/15 season, the Belgium international was all smiles for the cameras as he picked up his PFA Player of the Year award before eventually going on to have a Premier League medal draped around his neck. He was coming off the back of a superb season where he had dazzled everyone who saw him play
He attracted the attentions of spectators and combative defenders across the division (incidentally, he was the most fouled player that campaign) as well as scoring 14 times and grabbing nine assists.
This time out, he hasn’t scored any league goals and has had to battle through a very turbulent few months. The regression has been a bewildering one to watch but Blues fans will hope he can turn it around eventually – perhaps Euro 2016 will be the battlefield he needs to rediscover his firepower.