What do you think of Flop XI of 2020 voted by AFers: Hazard & Griezmann lead attack as Lingard in

Flop XI of 2020 voted by AFers: Hazard & Griezmann lead attack as Lingard in

AFers have cast their votes and the final results are as follows:
Forwards :- Two Real Madrid stars - Luka Jovic and Eden Hazard make the lineup as Barcelona’s Griezmann joins them to form the attack line.

Midfielders :- As AFers’ favourite, Lord Lingard undoubtedly made his place in Flop XI as Dele Alli & Eriksen are also chosen in the midfield.

Defenders:- David Luiz and Mustafi’s poor display adds to Arsenal’s suffer nowadays. On the other hand, Phil Jones and Umtiti are losing their positions in clubs due to poor performance and injuries.

Goalkeeper:- With more than 70% of votes, ‘the most expensive keeper’ Kepa made his place undoubtedly.

What do you think of the Flop XI? Leave your comments.

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Flop XI of 2020…Well as much as I’ll like to go with this list of players here, there are some of them I wouldn’t consider a flop yet despite them not making so much of a significance in their team in 2020 but there are few in here that I agree with completely, they had a year to forget in 2020… Going by what the word “flop” means, which is something or someone that fails completely, no iota of success at all…I’ll pick each a player here and give my verdict whether there position in here as a flop is Justified or not…

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Kepa (GK): Kepa Arizabalaga had a season to forget last year and more so a 2020 to forget, his performance in 2020 caused more mayhem to Chelsea than Covid-19, most expensive Goalkeeper in the world who has now lost his place to Edouard Mendy who was brought in due to Kepa’s poor performance. Kepa played 15 games in 2020 and conceded 25 goals with just 4 Clean Sheet and with one the poorest save percentage of an Keeper in Europe Top 5 leagues…

VERDICT: DEFINITELY A FLOP.


David Luiz (DF): Left Chelsea for £8m last summer after some disagreements with Lampard but has gone on to be one of the mainstay in Mikel Arteta’s team, one of the leaders on and off the pitch, his Arsenal Career didn’t particularly start on a high note but he found his way back and had an amazing 2020, Luiz featured 36 times for Arsenal in 2020 in which he won the FA Cup and the Community Shield and playing parts in winning both trophies. The only stumbling block for Luiz is his injury which sometimes kept him out of the team but definitely not a flop.

VERDICT: NOT A FLOP

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Samuel Umtiti (DF): One of Barcelona’s goto defenders over the past few years alongside Pique but has now lost his place to Clement Lenglet due to Injuries and not being able to reclaim that form again, he has being down the pecking order in Barcelona and one of the few expected to leave the club to make way for fresh faces… With just 12 games all together in 2020 and just 3 games in the new season, it’s been a bad year for the Versatile Barcelona Defender.

VERDICT: FLOP

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Mustafi (DF): For a player who is being considered a backup by the team, I think it’ll be harsh to call him a flop because I personally don’t feel there was any high expectations placed on him, and as a back up he did made 25 appearance for Arsenal in 2020 which isn’t bad for someone kept in the team in case of adversities to the first choice options and he did won the FA Cup and the Community Shield as well, so he isn’t a complete failure.

VERDICT: NOT A FLOP

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Phil Jones (DF): For you to be a flop, I think you have to play some reasonable number of games but no way Phil Jones will be picked ahead of Maguire, Lindelof and Eric Bailey when fit…for a player who made just 3 cameo appearance in 2020, I don’t think we can consider him as a flop because nobody really had any hopes or wanted to see Jones playing for Man Utd in 2020, I’ll replace Jones with a player like Rudiger in the XI.

VERDICT: NOT A FLOP

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Christian Eriksen (MF): One of the most creative midfielder in World football, made the switch to Antonio Conte’s side exactly at the start of the year and I’ll say he has found life in the Seria A tougher than he expected and has become a shadow of himself since Joining, with 38 games in 2020 since he signed and 3 goals and few assist, Eriksen has become less of a player we used to know at Tottenham and a move away from the Italian Side is imminent in the next transfer window.

VERDICT: FLOP

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Dele Alli (MF): One of the Coveted English Player, he was one of the brightest Spurs player especially under Mauricio Pochettino but he has found life difficult since the Spanish man made way for Jose Mourinho, it has been hard to adapt to Mourinho style of play and with Jose being a principle manager we all know, Alli has found it difficult breaking into the Spurs team in 2020 even though he was given the chance to show Mourinho he deserves a spot with 19 games in 2020 but with just 74mins of play of play for Alli in the new season so far, it’s probably time for the English man to seek greener pastures away from his boyhood club.

VERDICT: FLOP

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Jesse Lingard (MF): Jesse Lingard a flop? Well Lingard is just being Lingard…Man Utd has luxuries of players in their team that is going to play ahead of Lingard, he is just one of the fringe players in the team to make cover in case of fixtures congestion or injuries… Lingard has had to deal with many injuries in 2020 and also isolation after coming in contact with someone with Covid-19 and he managed 18 games in 2020 as well, which is not so bad for a player who isn’t rated highly by many football viewers . As for Lingard, no expectations, no disappointment

VERDICT: NOT A FLOP


Eden Hazard (FW): The most recent Galatico recruited by the Spanish Giant, Eden Hazard made the move to Real Madrid to fulfil one of his Career dreams to play for Zizou but he has found life at the La Liga very unwelcoming, spending most of the year on the sickbed. I’m trying so hard not to label him as a flop because of his reoccurring injuries and how he was rushed back sometimes and how he is always trying so hard why Madrid paid hugely for him to replace the irreplaceable CR7 but I have to stick my tongue out and admit he is a flop so far and even though we know what Hazard is capable of and with just 17 games in 2020, I don’t think it is enough to judge him yet but I still want to see him at full fitness and unleash his true potential at the Spanish Club…The Belgium captain did won the La Liga in 2020 which doesn’t make him a complete failure but on a personal note, he has flopped so far.

VERDICT: FLOP


Antoine Griezman (FW): He made that controversial switch from Atletico Madrid to Barcelona as one of those players to replace the departed Neymar but despite the hype and price tag, Griezman hasn’t really justified the reason Barca signed him, he played the most games than anybody on this list in 2020 with 43 games and even though he scored 12 goals which is still very poor considering he had arguably the World Best player playing alongside him and once had Suarez as well. His playing position has been an issue for his coaches as well as they don’t even know where best to fit him…Griezman has found life very difficult at Barca since making that over £100M move

VERDICT: BIG FLOP


Luka Jovic (FW): One of the most sought after youngster in the last year after after his stellar performance for Frankfurt in the Bundesliga. He eventually signed for Real Madrid in a deal I considered too soon for his career but when a team like Madrid comes knocking, you can hardly say No because not many get that chance in their career…He has found it difficult breaking into the Madrid team considering how much of a big influence Benzema is to the Madrid team, he was never going to displace Karim Benzema yet anyway but it’s still so early for me to call him a flop, he had a really tough 2020, Yes but a Flop? NO…I want to see him get a run of games and opportunity to showcase himself once again and maybe a loan away from the Spanish giants could be on the Card.

VERDICT: NOT A FLOP

14 Likes

@Yusuf: Impressive review of each player!

Your analysis and arguments are so convincing that it is hard to not agree with your verdict. :+1:

11 Likes

KEPA ARRIZABALAGA - GOALKEEPER

The most expensive shot-stopper in world football was acquired for £72 million ($92m) to become a long-term number one at Stamford Bridge.
He filled that role initially, although questions have been asked of the Spaniard’s ability and character from the moment he arrived in west London, Kepa Arrizabalaga’s inability to remove costly errors from his game forced Frank Lampard dropping him at times in the 2019-20 season,and moved to snap up Eduoard Mendy who is now Chelsea fan favorite and the current Chelsea’s number one stopper.
A flop for me.

DAVID LUIZ - DEFENDER

LUIZ has struggled to impress since moving to the emirates from Chelsea,giving away four penalties last season-the joint-most by a single player in one premier league campiagn quiet awful I’d say.
Having performed for London rivals Chelsea before joining the gunners one would think david have all to bring the best out of Arsenal,but his career so far has been a struggle.
In June 2020 the Brazilian went as far in becoming the first player to be sent off,concedes a penalty and commit an error leading to an opposition goal in a premier league match since Carl Jekinson did the same for West Ham in August 2015.

SAMUEL UMTITI - DEFENDER
The French international started pretty well in his first seasons at barcelona, he helped the team very well with his aggressivess at the back,mighty tackling, and outstanding performance anytime he’s on the field of play.
His fine performances has aid Barcelona a lot but injury cut him short which made him stay out of play for some time. He didn’t feature most times in the 2020 season.
The Culprit? Injury

Flop? No.

SHKRODAN MUSTAFI - DEFENDER

The German International currently plays for Arsenal football club but he’s nowhere near the teams startingXI right now. Was a good player but individual error which cost his team dropping points.
But his stats sometimes is encouraging,there was a time he made great strides forward winning 5 matches straight on a bounce.

Skhodran Mustafi,no doubt when fielded shows energy while playing always trying to make sure he’s at his best but his continual error is what discouraging and that has not gone down well with the Arsenal family. I think mustafi time at Arsenal are over because i don’t think the team would want to risk playing him due to his errors.

A flop for me though.

PHIL JONES - DEFENDER

Jones became a liability for Manchester United. He was constantly picking up injuries, and when he wasn’t injured
he began a habit of significant and clumsy mistakes at the back that would prove costly on multiple occasions over the
years. However, Jones was still young, prompting managers and Ed Woodward to keep him around in hopes that he’d come along eventually. Unfortunately, he just hasn’t.
A flop for me

CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN - MDFIELDER

The Dane only joined the Serie A giants in January 2020,
completing a £17.5million move from Tottenham after saying he wanted to take the next step in his career.
But his demand to leave Spurs has badly backfired, with Eriksen struggling to make an impact at the San Siro.
Christian Eriksen has flopped since his £17.5million arrival at Inter Milan from Tottenham. The playmaker was known for his goals and assists in a tottenham shirt, but he’s failed to really get going following his move to Italy, with just four goals and three assists in 33 games for his new club.
He has quickly fallen out of favour under manager Antonio Conte.
Eriksen career’s at inter as been a major flop.

DELE ALLI - MIDFIELDER

One of the brightest player under the former spurs manager Mauricio pochettino… Dele had the ball rolling and was considered one of the best in England
After years of being one of the first names on the teamsheet and working his way into an important piece for the English
national team, the midfielder’s form has fallen greatly in the past seasons.
This new campaign also didn’t start well for him after new manager Jose Mourinho yanked him off at half-time in Tottenham’s opening fixture against Everton and the English player has subsequently been left out of many other matches
Once touted as England’s golden boy, Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli is enduring his most difficult time as a professional football player.
Dele isn’t a flop.

JESSE LINGARD - MIDFIELDER

Promising when first introduced into the game. The 26 year old midfielder was once considered a key player at old Trafford, But these days its becoming hard to jutify his inclusion in the flop XI at all.
Its surprising too many because one would think that Lingard’s would easily make the United starting 11 but somehow the England born player has managed to turn back the mind of people,he’s also fallen out of favour with the England national side.

A flop for me.

EDEN HAZARD - FORWARD

The Belgian, Regarded as one of the best wingers to have played in the Premier League, Eden Hazard was a faithful servant for Chelsea for seven years.
Football world saw how good Eden Hazard was at Chelsea scoring goals for fun and giving defenders nightmares.

Having moved to Real Madrid,It would be fair to say that his first season has been a
disappointing one. Persistent injury issues meant that he barely featured last season, and played a minor role as Los Blancos won the league. Last season, the former Chelsea winger made 14 starts in the
league, scoring one goal and providing three assists. Hazard is expected to lead the madrid’s attack now that Cristiano Ronaldo is Off the hook.
I wouldn’t call Hazard a flop.

ANTOINE GRIEZMANN - FORWARD

Anyone who watched him at Atletico could see a player who could drift into the areas
that Messi does, and perform that dual playmaking goalscoring role, not to Messi’s level but to take some of the creative pressure from his shoulders.And that’s why the focus, deserved or not, falls on his shoulders, particularly when dissecting the alternatives.
When Barcelona paid a whopping €120 million to Atletico Madrid for Antoine Griezmann, eyebrows were raised. There is no denying the quality of Griezmann.
But his career in the Barcelona colors has really not been good enough,failing to show what he’s expected to do just like he was at Atletico Madrid the France International has got many wondering if its the same Griezmann that was purchased from Atletico.
In five years with Atletico Madrid,Griezmann made over 250 appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring 133 goals.
The France International contract expires June 30,2024

FLOP? yeah!

LUKA JOVIC - FORWARD
Buzzling at Eintracht Frankfurt,scoring goals for fun… Luka Jovic caught the eyes of one of the best team in the world Real Madrid.
After securing is move to Real Madrid in 2019, Football favorites think the Serbian international would be the next big thing after Karim Benzema but Jovic hasn’t really stayed up to expectations.
Though,people say he can’t make the team because of the presence of talisman Benzema but he was given little chance to show what he has which fell off rapidly.
Luka Jovic re-join former club Frankfurt till the end of the current season.

A flop for me.

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