10 Footballers Who Need a Change of Scenery
Here are 10 footballers who need a change of scenery because sometimes signing for a new club is the best option for the player in question.
Diego Forlรกnโs ability as a player was questioned during his forgettable spell at Manchester United. However, he answered his critics after moving to La Liga, where he became a prolific goal scorer with Villarreal and Atlรฉtico Madrid.
This article will only include players whose transfer stock has taken a dive, as opposed to elite footballers stuck at mediocre clubs, i.e. Iago Aspas at Celta Vigo.
10. Andrey Arshavin, Arsenal, Attacking Midfielder, Age: 31
1 of 10| League Only | Santi Cazorla (10-11) | Andrey Arshavin (10-11) |
| Games | 37 | 37 |
| Goals | 5 | 6 |
| Shots Per Goal | 18.8 | 11.7 |
| Assists | 10 | 11 |
| Shots Created Per Game | 2 | 1.5 |
| Completed Dribbles Per Game | 1.4 | 1 |
| Passes Per Game | 52.3 | 27.5 |
| Passing % | 84.2 | 75 |
| Long Pass % | 78.2 | 49 |
| Possession Won Back Per Game | 3.5 | 2.4 |
Arshavin wasn't given the full-time No. 10 role because ofย Cesc Fร bregas. However, don't act as if the Russian was marooned out wide.ย
He played as an inside-left, which allowed him some flexibility to create. There's a reason why he accumulated 11 assists.ย
It's the same position he played at Euro 2012 underย Dick Advocaat. The primary difference from Arsenal is DA was too scared to callย Arshavin out for roaming around likeย Lionel Messi.ย
It wasn't positional differences, rather Arshavin's tendency to drift out of games that sank his career with the Gunners.ย
Just look atย Cazorla, who made the transition from being a world-class false 11 to a world-class No. 10.ย
Arsรจne Wenger expectedย Arshavin to do the same but just theย other wayย around.ย
9. Pepe Reina, Liverpool, Goalkeeper, Age: 30
2 of 10| League Only | Saves | Save % | Saves to Goal Conceded Average |
| Joe Hart | 22 | 68.9 | 2.2 |
| Jussi Jรครคskelรคinen | 54 | 81.8 | 4.5 |
| Pepe Reina | 14 | 53.8 | 1.2 |
| Vรญctor Valdรฉs | 27 | 65.9 | 1.8 |
If you ever wondered why Liverpool's No. 1 earned the derisive monikerย Pepe "No Saves"ย Reina, look at the table above.ย
Statistically, he's one of the worst keepers in Europe right nowโeven Valdรฉs is better thanย Reina.ย
If you're not a stats guy, how can he not flunk your eye-test with mistake after mistake in recent memory? ย
Some Liverpool supporters have been clinging onto theย adage: "form is temporary, class is permanent."
So have Chelsea supporters who believe inย Fernando Torres.ย
Ifย Reina doesn't drastically start playing like theย Reina of old,ย Brendan Rodgers needs to start scouting possible replacements.ย
8. Daniel Sturridge, Chelsea, Centre Forward, Age: 23
3 of 10With Rafa Benรญtez at the helm,ย Daniel Sturridge's career with Chelsea is over.ย
The reason why the young forward has irked so many Chelsea supporters is his blatant attempts to sabotageย Fernando Torres' ability to score.ย
Wheneverย Sturridge was on the field withย El Niรฑo, the Englishman resorted to taking shots from all sorts of angles and refused to thread the Spaniard through balls.ย
In several years' time, the Blues will regret their decision not to giveย Sturridge an extended run as a No. 9.
7. Fernando Llorente, Athletic Bilbao, Centre Forward, Age: 27
4 of 10Storming out of training, going AWOL for a news conference and showingย Yann M'Vila-like body language is howย Fernando Llorente will forceย Athletic Bilbao to sell him toย Juventus.ย
Gloss over the first half of this season because whenย Llorente is happy, he can beat defenders as an aerial threat and on the ground.ย
Ask Rio Ferdinand.ย
6. Eduardo Vargas, Napoli, Deep-Lying Forward, Age: 23
5 of 10In the limited game timeย Walter Mazzarri has given to theย 23-year-old,ย Eduardoย Vargas has been a bright spark.ย
There's a fine line between being a showman and a footballer.ย
Vargas needs to decide if he wants to be the nextย Jorge Valdรญvia or a reliable forward likeย Ivรกn Zamorano.ย
5. Josip Iliciฤ, Palermo, Attacking Midfielder, Age: 24
6 of 10What's happened toย Josip Iliciฤ?
He's the attacking player's answer toย Simon Kjรฆr, who incidentally also played forย Palermo.ย
Both have all the tools to be a world-class player but are floundering and in steep decline.
4. Mario Balotelli, Manchester City, Centre Forward, Age: 22
7 of 10I have a love-hate relationship withย Mario Balotelli. I hate the thuggish acts he does on the field, whether it's stomping onย Scott Parker or trying to break Alex Song's leg.ย
Yet, I love his flippant attitude to life.ย
He is so out there that tabloids can create bizarre stories about him and most of the readers would believe it.ย
3. Kevin-Prince Boateng, AC Milan, Deep-Lying Forward, Age: 25
8 of 10At 53 shots and counting,ย Kevin-Prince Boateng still hasn't scored a goal in Serie A or the UEFA Champions League this season. Meanwhile,ย Stephan El Shaarawy has scored 12 goals from 58 shots.
Boateng averages more fouls per game than shots created.
He's never been a conventionalย trequartista and will never be one.ย
Last season, he compensated with energy and outrageous goals. However, since takingย Clarence Seedorf's No. 10 shirt, KPB has hit an all-time low.ย
2. Fernando Torres, Chelsea, Centre Forward, Age: 28
9 of 10Roman Abramovich has showed how desperate he is in proving that he was right to spend ยฃ50 million on Fernando Torres by hiringย Rafa Benรญtez.
No competition at centre-forward. Juan Mata, Eden Hazard and Oscar as the "3" in the 4-2-3-1. Plus, your old manager in Benรญtez.ย
Yet,ย Torres will still continue to score goals here and there and end up with a modest total for the seasonโaround 15-20.
It still won't be good enough from aย ยฃ50 million valued forward and someone commanding a higher salary thanย Cristiano Ronaldo andย Lionel Messi.
1. Yann M'Vila, Rennes, Defensive Midfielder, Age: 22
10 of 10Yann M'Vila is public enemy No. 1 inย Rennes, having made himself bigger than the club before the season started and then sulking on the field when he wasn't sold in the summer.ย
He showed how classless he was in not shaking the hand of then-managerย Laurent Blanc during Euro 2012.ย
He is banned from playing for France until 2014 after his nightclubbing antics.ย
Prior to those incidents, his inability to control his emotions led to road rage and another case where he assaulted a teenager.ย
Now, he has done hisย medial ligament, which is ironic because he has reeled in his tackling this season to avoid injuries that could hinder a move away fromย Rennes.ย
Never have I seen a player's transfer stockย plummetย so quickly in such a short span of time. He is damaged goods from a PR, legal, medical and playing perspective.ย
He could be signed forย ยฃ2 million-ยฃ5 million.
Statistics courtesy ofย WhoScored.com and Fox Soccer
Follow @allanjiangLIVE
Connect withย +allanjiang

.png)










.jpg)
