5 teams heavily dependent on one star
Football is a team sport. But in football, it is not very rare for teams to end up relying on the brilliance of a single individual. World-class players can help elevate average sides to realms of excellence by letting their quality shine through.
It's never a great look for any team to be recognized as being heavily dependent on one player. Managers would love to avoid their team relying on one particular individual to produce the goods on a regular basis.
The 2021-22 season has seen some of the best players in the game play out of their skins and help their sides move forward without many hitches. Without further ado, let's take a look at five teams that are heavily reliant on one star.
#5 Liverpool - Mohamed Salah
Don't get us wrong, Liverpool are a well-coached side. They have excellent full-backs and a world-class centre-back. Their midfield is pretty decent and their attackers have plenty of potential. However, none of those players deliver as consistently as Mohamed Salah does.
Last season, when Liverpool were struggling with injuries and the awful form of Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, it was Salah who schlepped them forward. He scored 31 goals and provided six assists in 51 appearances across all competitions for the Merseysiders in the 2020-21 season.
Salah has been exceptional in the new season. He has been scoring for fun and already has 15 goals and six assists to his name in just 13 appearances across all competitions for Liverpool thus far. He is currently the most in-form player in the world right now.
It begs the question of whether Liverpool will remain as strong a side as they are billed to be in Salah's absence. His productivity is vital to them as he is the difference maker in most games for Jurgen Klopp's side.
Hat-trick ✅ Assist ✅ Player of the Match ✅
@MoSalah’s performance on Sunday simply had it all 🙌 https://t.co/0A4pEwZ8m9
#4 Bayern Munich - Robert Lewandowski
Bayern Munich went into the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League as the reigning champions of Europe. However, they crashed out of the competition in the quarter-finals against Paris Saint-Germain.
The Bavarians' prolific goalscorer Robert Lewandowski was sidelined for the game with ligament trouble. It was clear as daylight that Bayern Munich's goal threat was considerably reduced in the absence of the Polish international.
Lewandowski has been on a different level altogether when it comes to scoring goals. He is arguably the best striker in the world right tnow. In the 2020-21 season, he broke Gerd Muller's record for most goals scored in a Bundesliga season by netting 41 in 29 league appearances.
That's close to 1.5 goals per game. He has been tapping that same vein this term and has scored 22 goals in just 16 appearances across all competitions this season. The 33-year-old has scored at more than a goal per game in the last two seasons. Without his goals, Bayern Munich just cannot be this dominant.
That's why they have their work cut out for them when Lewandowski eventually decides to hang up his boots.
Robert Lewandowski in the #UCL
100 games
81 goals
23 assists https://t.co/rPBoV7syQ0