5 footballers who are too good to be on the bench

Every team has them. Those players whose presence on the bench when the team sheets are read out leave supporters open-mouthed. Substitutes are supposed to be just that. A reserve. A backup. Not first-choice players.Unless a player is coming back from injury and needs to be re-introduced to the team gradually over time, then there is no excuse for keeping certain players in the background. It does neither player nor manager any favours whatsoever. How many times have we seen a player who should never have been sidelined in the first place come on and change the course of a match?We take a look at five players who shouldn’t be spending any time at all in the dugout. 

#1 Isco - Real Madrid

Isco is one of the biggest victims of Real Madrid’s Galactico buying policy. Bought for a not insignificant transfer fee, the former Malaga “Golden Boy” hasn’t had a problem with hitting the heights. He has just never been given the chance to do so on a regular basis.

He only finds himself in the lineup presently because of the injury to James Rodriguez. Once the Colombian is back to full fitness, Isco will be straight back on the sidelines again. It really is a criminal waste of his unbelievable talent and it is no real surprise that both Chelsea and Manchester City are interested in taking him to the Premier League in January. 

His old boss Manuel Pellegrini holds all of the aces and it isn’t too far-fetched to believe that the player will jump at the chance of regular and sustained first team action. Real evidently have more money than sense.

And you know what they say. You don’t know what you have got till you lose it.